The first industrial revolution may have been the most dramatic we will ever have. This is an unpopular notion because we suffer from what Tom Standage called “chronocentrism,” which is the belief that the present is the most amazing time ever in history, and our inventions will transform the world like nothing before. I don’t believe that. I don’t think you will, either, if you think about it for a minute.

Consider life 100 years ago, and the shift from hauling water on your back, walking up from the river every morning, to having indoor plumbing—or “instant water,” as a modern marketer might have called it. Or think about the shift from horsepower to electricity, or lighting dozens of candles by hand to indoor light at the push of a button. Electricity had far more profound effects on society than many of our hyped inventions of today.

We take for granted the most profound technological advancements central to our lives. Here’s a simple test: If you could only have either your mobile phone with an Internet connection, or running water and electricity, which would you choose? We’d all eventually choose B.

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