In this blog I will be analyzing the story of human progress is also the story of how we store, process, and transmit information. From the earliest days of civilization, we’ve created tools, systems, and ideas to make sense of the world around us—and over time, those tools have shifted dramatically from the physical to the digital.
Pre-Modern Era (Before 1500 A.D.)
| Year (approx.) | Object / Concept | Digital / Not Digital |
|---|---|---|
| 3400 B.C. | Cuneiform writing | Not Digital |
| 3000 B.C. | Abacus | Not Digital |
| 2500 B.C. | Papyrus scroll | Not Digital |
| 2000 B.C. | Bronze tools | Not Digital |
| 1500 B.C. | Sundial | Not Digital |
| 800 B.C. | Greek alphabet | Not Digital |
| 600 B.C. | Coinage | Not Digital |
| 400 B.C. | Plato’s philosophy | Not Digital |
| 100 B.C. | Antikythera mechanism | Not Digital |
| 100 A.D. | Roman roads | Not Digital |
| 400 A.D. | Codex (book format) | Not Digital |
| 800 A.D. | Carolingian minuscule | Not Digital |
| 1200 A.D. | Mechanical clock | Not Digital |
| 1450 A.D. | Printing press (Gutenberg) | Not Digital |
Early Modern Period (1500–1800)
| Year (approx.) | Object / Concept | Digital / Not Digital |
|---|---|---|
| 1590 | Microscope | Not Digital |
| 1609 | Telescope (Galileo) | Not Digital |
| 1623 | Mechanical calculator (Schickard) | Not Digital |
| 1670s | Binary system (Leibniz) | Not Digital (conceptual precursor) |
| 1750s | Steam engine | Not Digital |
| 1791 | Telegraphy concepts | Not Digital |
Industrial Age to Early 20th Century (1800–1945)
| Year (approx.) | Object / Concept | Digital / Not Digital |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | Jacquard loom | Not Digital (proto-digital control) |
| 1822 | Difference Engine (Babbage) | Not Digital (mechanical computing) |
| 1837 | Telegraph (Morse) | Not Digital (analog electric) |
| 1876 | Telephone | Not Digital |
| 1879 | Light bulb | Not Digital |
| 1890 | Punched card tabulator (Hollerith) | Not Digital (data representation) |
| 1927 | Television | Not Digital |
| 1936 | Turing machine (concept) | Not Digital (theoretical) |
| 1943 | Colossus computer | Digital |
| 1945 | ENIAC | Digital |
Modern Era (1990–Present)
| Year (approx.) | Object / Concept | Digital / Not Digital |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Linux operating system | Digital |
| 1995 | Amazon.com | Digital |
| 1997 | DVD | Digital |
| 2001 | iPod | Digital |
| 2004 | Digital | |
| 2007 | iPhone | Digital |
| 2010 | iPad | Digital |
| 2012 | Smartwatch | Digital |
| 2016 | Deep learning boom | Digital |
| 2020 | COVID-19 contact tracing apps | Digital |
| 2022 | ChatGPT | Digital |
| 2024 | Spatial computing (Apple Vision Pro) | Digital |
Source: ChatGPT 4.0
Prompt: Make me a large list of objects or concepts (from 3400 B.C. to modern) as digital or not digital. Use ideas such as the iPhone, laptops, operating systems, wearable tech, and more.