Mr. Mysteries' So-True Histories Episode 19 - The Exponential Technological Curve

Hello Eager Learners! I am Mr. Mysteries, formerly of the Learned League, and this is my KARENcast series on the history of our Reality, Reality 69. Previously, we were discussing the collapse of the city of Sanctum and the Neohuman Recognition Accords. This episode we will focus on the growth of technology since the NAP.   While the technology curve of Reality 69 is virtually identical to the same curve of Reality Prime. After the NAP and the advent of Neohuman augmented intelligences, particularly super intuition and deduction, rapidly compounded the development of computers and information technology. One would think that introduction of Myrnean technologies would   This is most easily flagged by the development of COBOL (the first compiler/linker) by Grace Hopper, working on the development of UNIVAC I for the Eckert-Mauchy Computer Corporation. In Reality Prime this event occured in 1952, while in our Reality this is known to have happened in 1950, not even a full year after EMCC was founded.   Other milestones in technological development were similarly accelerated on an almost expontenial scale. Some notable advancements are the first successful use of a heart-lung machine in surgery in 1952, the deployment of the first nuclear submarine in 1953, the release of the a functional polio vaccine in 1954, the first rocket placed artifical satellite (Explorer III) in 1956, the first artifical laser in 1957, the first home minicomputer was released by IBM in 1960, the first human to reach the moon via fully artifical means (Neil Armstrong) occured in 1963, the first optical cable was developed at Cornell in 1965, the first commercial video game was released in 1969, the first supercomputer came online in 1971 while personal computers became available for sale in 1972. The first succesful integration of Myrnean biotech and earth computers occured in this same window, although many teams claim the inital achievement. The power regulation and conversions were the primary stumbling block that prevented this from happening earlier on, and is one of the reason that Myrnean augmentation suits did not immediately translate to modern power suits.   Dr. Jarvik successfully installed the first artifical heart in 1976, and the first reusable spacecraft (The Space Shuttle) was first used in 1977. Genetic Engineering and the birth of the biotech industry started in 1980 with the first commercial sale of a Gentically engineered organism, although the technology had been in development with the Myrneans since the early fifties. Flash memory and quantum dots were developed in 1978. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of these slight accelerations to be found.   Suffice it to say, this rapid escalation of technology and understanding has only built upon itself. This has lead to the relatively common interactions with various advanced technologies, such as Neohuman material sciences, cybertechnology, genetic engineering and even more complex techno-magical constructs. This has caused the general quality of life for most people to stabilize at a higher level than seen in many Realities, including Reality Prime! Unfortunately while the average is higher, this also means that the extremes are more extreme. This often manifests as collateral damage by terrorists, criminals and villians.   Another manifestation of this extreme of economic power will be our focus for our next episode, Megacorporations.