Information Age

The Information Age is a <a href="/facts/History_by_period/Mcqjb6rY">historical period</a> that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the <a href="/facts/Industrial_Revolution/B6E3Fasm">Industrial Revolution</a>, to an economy centered on information technology. The onset of the Information Age has been linked to the development of the <a href="/facts/Transistor/Bmr8zwL0">transistor</a> in 1947, and the <a href="/facts/Optical_amplifier/1Fj9Pfes">optical amplifier</a> in 1957. These technological advances have had a significant impact on the way information is processed and transmitted.
According to the <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Public_Administration_Network/oqdxB1D4">United Nations Public Administration Network</a>, the Information Age was formed by capitalizing on <a href="/facts/Miniaturization/SIAzbhzd">computer miniaturization</a> advances, which led to <a href="/facts/Modernization_theory/7l6JlX61">modernized</a> information systems and internet communications as the driving force of <a href="/facts/Sociocultural_evolution/7KgkjD6H">social evolution</a>.
There is ongoing debate concerning whether the Third Industrial Revolution has already ended, and if the <a href="/facts/Fourth_Industrial_Revolution/BqVVErBA">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a> has already begun due to the recent breakthroughs in areas such as <a href="/facts/Artificial_intelligence/lJGauQwX">artificial intelligence</a> and <a href="/facts/Biotechnology/8eFnI6FB">biotechnology</a>. This next transition has been theorized to harken the advent of the <a href="/facts/Imagination_Age/vp8aoIvY">Imagination Age</a>, the <a href="/facts/Internet_of_things/rwwGAxn3">Internet of things</a> (IoT), and rapid advancements in <a href="/facts/Machine_learning/e0w0XJTu">machine learning</a>.

Information Age open-in-new

Information Age