The Loss of the Stable State
The Reith Lectures
Rate of Technological Innovation
The time required for the diffusion of major technological innovations has been decreasing over time, with examples such as the steam engine taking 150 to 200 years to penetrate the market compared to the laser, which took 8 to 10 years. The rate of change has been exponential throughout history, but the absolute levels of technology have been increasing. It's suggested that technology has reached a point where it interacts with human and social limits, similar to being in a closed chamber with doubling carbon dioxide levels leading to suffocation after the third doubling.
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