First Industrial Revolution[edit]

Picture of the "
Puffing Billy" steam engine taken in the
Science Museum in London.
The
First Industrial Revolution took place from the 18th to 19th centuries in Europe and America. It was a period when mostly agrarian, rural societies became industrial and urban.
[4] The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the
steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution.
[4]
Second Industrial Revolution[edit]
The
Second Industrial Revolution took place between 1870 and 1914, just before
World War I.
[5] It was a period of growth for pre-existing industries and expansion of new ones, such as steel, oil and electricity, and used electric power to create mass production. Major technological advances during this period included the
telephone,
light bulb,
phonograph and the
internal combustion engine.
[6]
Third Industrial Revolution[edit]
The Third Industrial Revolution, or the
Digital Revolution, refers to the advancement of technology from analog electronic and mechanical devices to the digital technology available today. The era started during the 1980s and is ongoing.
[7] Advancements during the Third Industrial Revolution include the
personal computer, the
internet, and
information and communications technology (ICT).
Fourth Industrial Revolution[edit]

1983 Industrial Robots KUKA IR160/60, 601/60
The Fourth Industrial Revolution builds on the Digital Revolution, representing new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even the human body.
[8]The Fourth Industrial Revolution is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields, including
robotics,
artificial intelligence,
nanotechnology,
quantum computing,
biotechnology,
The Internet of Things,
3D printing and
autonomous vehicles.
In his book,
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Professor
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the
World Economic Forum, describes how this fourth revolution is fundamentally different from the previous three, which were characterized mainly by advances in technology. These technologies have great potential to continue to connect billions more people to the web, drastically improve the efficiency of business and organizations and help regenerate the natural environment through better asset management.
[9]
“Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution” was the theme of the
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2016 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution holds unique opportunities to
improve human communication and conflict resolution