Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Better
What water teaches us about our relationship with technology
Water.
Perhaps our most important resource. Look at how water has figured into our lives from a technological standpoint.
The history of water distribution
Our relationship with water progressed from the time when cavemen drank directly from the stream, to water carried in pottery jugs, distributed through aqueducts, then finally delivered directly to the house through indoor plumbing. From my view growing up, we were at the pinnacle, no need for further innovation. Tap water poured into a cup whenever needed, or if you were outside, water from a hose.
A new development
Then about the time I started college, something new appeared: water sold in plastic bottles. Often from the same companies that sold soda. My opinion at the time was utter disbelief that this would be a thing. Who would pay that kind of price for water, something you could get essentially for free. Time proved me wrong, and within a few years bottled water became the norm. In many places the public water fountain disappeared. People would go thirsty if bottled water was not available. Surely now we have reached peak water.
The Stanley Cup
But now, another development. The "Stanley" cup, insulated for hot or cold, refillable with whatever water the individual prefers (R.O., alkaline, flavored, etc.), often with a built-in straw. Reusable cups like this have existed before but now they have gone viral. Their time has come. Clearly superior to the single-use bottled water, the refillable personal water cup has become the new norm.
The bigger picture
So this experience with water reveals a couple main points. And while the example is about water, I believe it is a general situation that applies much more widely.
First, the march of technology goes on, there is constant improvement, and if anything the pace is accelerating. Even for something as simple as water there have been improvements in our own lifetime. This is not going to happen in every field, but it does seem to be a recurring theme. Recorded music progressed from wax cylinders, 78s, LPs, tapes, CDs, MP3s, and now streaming, in an astonishingly short period of time. Cell phones, cars, even grapes (some of them are the size of a plum now). Seemingly nothing is excluded.
Second, when living in the moment, it always seems like we have arrived at the final form. At each point in our water example, one could reasonably think: what more could we possibly need?
So are we finally done now? I wouldn't bet on it!
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