7 wonders

While we were backpacking over the 4th of July, we came up with a list of what we think are the biggest advancements of our world in our lifetimes.

These may not be the hanging gardens of Babylon or peace in the Middle East, but we think they're a big deal and they were fun to think and write about.

Feedback is welcome :)


1 - wikipedia 
Thinking about the colossal impact of Wikipedia is what inspired this list.  For many of the details in this post, as in daily life, I turned to .... Wikipedia.

Whether it's history, pop culture or computer science algorithms, Wikipedia is the first place I look for almost everything.  It isn't the last place and it isn't always trustworthy (On issues where there's a financial stake, like in the pharmaceutical industry, I've heard that people are paid to edit pages), but it it's free and enormous in scope.  It  now exists in 40 language and it is heroically collaborative and life-changingly empowering for people all over the world.  Wikipedia represents the best things about the internet.


2 - digitization of everything
It's now been 20 years since the first photo was posted to the internet (link).  Since then, digital music, videos, photos, books, news etc. have become the norm.    I remember learning about the card catalog in the elementary school library and it's amazing how much information storage and access has changed since then.  We save and share media in a totally new way, at unprecedented volumes.



3 - status of women
Women have more equality than ever before.  Yes, we still get paid an average of 17% less than men, but times are changing.  While I'm not terribly interested in the discussions of high powered women like Sheryl Sandberg (of Facebook) balancing work and family, I do think it's a huge deal that Yahoo just appointed a CEO Marissa Mayer) who is six months pregnant.

Women are distinguishing themselves in higher education and the workforce.  As of the 2010 census 29% of American women 25 and older have at least a bachelor's degree, compared to 30% of men.  Continuing the trend, women may well already have the advantage this year.  In the Great Recession, women lost far fewer jobs than men due to the demographics of different economic sectors (link).

Perhaps the most interesting thing I have read on the subject is that a global preference for boy babies over girl babies (via sex-preference abortions, etc.) is finally on the decline.  Obviously, a skewed ratio of men to women in a society is calamitous.  In South Korea and China as women become more successful, daughters are more welcome additions to families (link).


4 - democratization of music
From American Idol, to Justin Bieber to the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, professional music has opened it's doors more than ever before.  Opportunities exist for people who are talented enough (and for a few who aren't particularly talented, as well).

For those who might not know, Bieber went for posting homemade YouTube videos of himself singing at the age of 12 (in 2006) to being third on Forbes' 2012 list of the most most powerful celebrities in the world.

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra, consisting of amateur musicians who auditioned via YouTube from all over the world, has performed twice.  In 2011 the live concert was streamed by over 33 million computers and mobile devices.


5 - smart phones
With great power comes great responsibility, right?  Ubiquitous connectivity is good for a lot of things and bad for others.  We save time and we waste time.  My favorite thing is not getting lost.
On a more socially conscious level mobile phones have also connected people and disseminated important information to people who would not otherwise have access to the internet.  In some cases, like in remote medical clinics in India, phones save lives (link).

Mobile phones have also greatly increased the availability and affordability of assistive technology.  Speech recognition devices used to be so expensive that (blind or disabled) people needed insurance coverage to buy them.  Now they are affordable for most people and so popular that there are options.  Additionally, because they piggyback on mainstream devices, there is competition among manufactures and developers, making for better products.


6 - Amazon
This Seattle company represents the vast change in how we shop.  It might be superficial, but we can buy almost anything (yes, more than just books) online now.  It has changed the whole marketplace, in ways that are mostly good, I think.  Things move fast, so try to keep up.


7 - the Arab Spring

I know a lot less about this last wonder.  Time will tell just how lasting the impact of the popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, .etc., etc., (and even Iran) will be.  People who had not had a political voice in generations have found one.