Time for Atom

The trigger came after watching the Netflix’s “Inside Bill’s Brain” series – where Gates bets big on giant technological leaps in Nuclear Reactors and Sewage Treatment - far far away from the Infotech world.

Whatever we experience in our material life is composed of either of two : Bytes or Atoms. Last few decades have seen exponential of Bytes influencing our life – what we can call as Digital Revolution. True, especially at a global scale the impact of new Innovations and Innovations human society has been profound.

But with so much focus on Bytes, did we slip on investing in Molecular and Atomic world? If we examine the Maslow’s 5-tier Hierarchy, virtually everything at Stage 1 (Physiological) and most of Stage 2(Safety) layers are all based on Atoms. While Bytes can connect, entertain, detect, inform and even influence actions, the more active essential functions of our life still  deal with real Material ingredients – food, air , water, clothes, shelters, medicine, vehicles etc. So how much have they evolved in recent decades?

Let us compare through the lens of average US middle-income households – 1970 versus 2020. We still drive in 4 wheel car, fly in two-wing planes, use pretty much same appliances – Fridges, Washer, Driers, TV, Ovens, Phones, Bulbs..yes many of them improved functionally-but basic design remained same. None of us is yet living in Moon despite Armstrong stepping on it in 1969. Contrast it to the changes between 1920 to 1970. Just 35% of USA Households in 1920  had electricity - there went all those household appliances and gadgets. Penicillin- you had to wait till 1928. The proverb ‘The Best thing since Sliced Bread’ did not exist – Sliced Bread invented in 1928! Cars were just moving from Luxury to Household items. First commercial Radio station was launched in Nov 1920! Clearly, in material world, the pace was way faster in the first 50 year.

Coming back to Maslow’s hierarchy, perhaps by 1970 the Advanced Economies of the world have already solved the need of Lower two layers. So pace slowed on break-through innovations in those layers; focus moved into more spreading them across(globalization) with the rapid strides in connectivity acting as catalysts. But in this new broader Global Village, the threats/opportunities are definitely emerging at the basic two layers; it can be ripe era for technologists for making fundamental impacts.

Take the widely-discussed climate crisis and compare with similar challenges from the past. We significantly handled world’s food challenges [production and distribution] by technology-driven economics – Green Revolution [1950s], Automations [Tractors overcoming Horses in USA in 1940s] and Frozen Food processing [Birds Eye; 1924] ; other socio-political approach to the same problem (rationing, re-distribution etc.) did peak steam especially in early 1900s in various countries generating plenty of hope or hype but they ultimately produced at best a temporary mixed result. So for Carbon Emission or Plastics Reduction, are we not putting too much faith back on Human Goodwill (Re-cycle) or Governments (regulations and accords) ? Let new-age techno-entrepreneurs  drive pioneering commercial opportunities leveraging the same challenges – the solution will become self-sustainable! While IT was great last couple of decades with plenty of Bits-n-Bytes inundating us and shaping Post-industrial Knowledge economy , Time now for new Molecules and Atoms to again re-shape our life and usher in Post-Industrial Industrial innovation..

Note: All opinions expressed here are strictly personal.