The Coming Wave

Imagine standing on the shore of a vast ocean, watching an immense wave approach. This wave is not water but a metaphor for technology—an unstoppable force that has shaped human history in profound ways. From the earliest stone tools crafted millions of years ago to the printing press that democratized knowledge, technology has spread in waves, each building upon the last, transforming societies, economies, and even our very biology.

Consider fire, which not only provided warmth and protection but altered human evolution by enabling cooked food, which in turn allowed brain growth. Or the printing press, which caused the price of books to plummet by over 300 times, igniting literacy and the scientific revolution. Each wave follows a familiar rhythm: an invention initially limited and expensive becomes cheaper, more accessible, and ultimately ubiquitous, touching every corner of civilization.

But history also reveals a persistent tension: attempts to contain or resist new technologies often fail. Guilds smashed new looms, monarchs banned knitting machines, and empires delayed adopting the printing press. Yet, over time, demand and utility overwhelm resistance. Technologies find their way, often in unexpected forms. Even the most powerful states cannot indefinitely block the spread of useful tools.

Understanding this pattern is crucial. It tells us that containment—the ability to control or limit a technology’s spread—is not just difficult, it has been historically rare and often impossible. But the stakes today are higher than ever before. The coming wave promises power at a scale and speed unprecedented in human history.

As we prepare to dive deeper into this new wave, keep in mind the lessons from the past: technology’s momentum is vast, and its impacts ripple far beyond the intentions of its creators. The question before us is not if this wave will come but how we navigate its crashing force.