Well, it may be overly simplistic, and already reflected in other
responses, but I would suggest that the most significant development of
our century was the development of effective, truly global communications.
I mean by this the capacity to have information disseminated to even very
remote parts of the world within 1 day or less, and accessible by at least
some members of the majority of communities in the world.  Today, for
example, people throughout the world heard, if they were interested, that
the King of Jordan lays dying in hospital, and that he may already be
clinically dead.  The idea that such information should have reached
people as far separated as those in Antarctica and Northern Siberia on the
same day as it happened would have seemed beyond fantastic in 1899.  The
capability for such rapid distribution of information was not possible at
all prior to the invention of long range radio (possibly not until the
perfection of short-wave), and even then, truly broad distribution was not
possible until industial technology advanced to the point of developing
mass-produced reception devices inexpensive enough to be available in
relatively poor communities.  This means that this kind of global news and
information availability was not possible until at least 1950, perhaps
later in many parts of the world.  The invention of television, especially
the cheap televisions which we now have, accelerated this process by
adding visual images, in fact opening the way to a new kind of English
language based global discourse (ever notice that in such places as
Albania and China that some protest signs are written in English, perhaps
for the benefit of CNN viewers?)

Also, it may be worth noting that, as this increasing web or net of
communication networks expands, that it has begun to blur some of the
traditional separations and prerogatives which once defined the powers and
rights of nation-states, which have so far proved ineffective in
restricting the expansion of new communication technology (consider recent
cases in China attempting to prevent uncontrolled discussion of political
ideas on the internet).

Thus, new information technology, really only becoming effective in the
'50's, may play a role in shaping a new political reality in the next
century, possibly one in which nation-states (a dominant force for 500
years) may come to play a diminished role.



Sorry to have gone on so long,

J.L.Perry