Map of underwater internet cables. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Advancements in technology have dramatically changed the ways we connect across the world. From faster transport to the invention of the internet, we can now connect across the world at incredible speeds. Read through the resources below to learn more about connecting to the world and some of the barriers to this connection.
This article looks at interconnection infrastructure in the IT world and how its essential to the future of business.
In this map of underwater cables that connect the internet, in addition to seeing the cables, you'll find information about "latency" at the bottom of the map (how long it takes for information to transmit) and "lit capacity" in the corners (which shows how much traffic a system can send, usually measured in terabytes). You can browse a full zoomable version here.
Many claim that the IT revolution has reduced the importance of geographical proximity. People no longer need to meet each other physically, and with the emergence of the new technologies it would be possible to think of a world with no geographical barriers (Green and Ruhleder 1995, Farazmand 1999). Recent evidence has, however, shown that this is not always the case. Read through this article to learn more.
On average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas. Read through this website to see how geographical distance creates a barrier for accessing healthcare in remote Australia.
Whether by land or by sea, humans have always sought to traverse the earth and move to new locations. The evolution of transportation has brought us from simple canoes to space travel, and there's no telling where we could go next and how we will get there. This article is a brief history of transportation, dating from the first vehicles 900,000 years ago to modern-day times.
The transport revolution of the 20th century was incremental when compared to the wide-ranging transport technologies that emerged in the 19th century. The invention of bicycles, trams, trains, ocean-going steamers and cars dramatically changed our capabilities as humans. In this extract, Dr Maxwell Gordon Lay FTSE, author of The Harnessing of Power: How 19th Century Transport Innovators Transformed the Way the World Operates, explains that the ability to routinely travel long distances quickly was not an important human need, and received little evolutionary priority. In other words, humans evolved in a “low speed world”.
OECD has recently analysed the impacts of globalisation on transport levels, the consequences for the environment, and the policy instruments that can be used to limit any negative impacts for the environment. The key findings from this analysis are presented in this brief.
Powered transportation was developed less than 250 years ago, but it is hard to imagine life before ships, trains, cars and airplanes. With the invention and adoption of modern transportation, standards of living of people around the world radically increased because for the first time trade was easier, safer, faster, more reliable and convenient.
Since the dawn of time, humans have developed tools and technology to assist in the pursuit of our goals. Large shifts in technology have resulted in large shifts in social structures, and how individuals both contribute to society and make a living. Read through this article to learn more.
This article is a great look at how fast rates of air travel is increasing, and what it means for people and their connection to place and each other, as well as the environment.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, both economically and socially, technology adoption remains one of the defining factors in human progress. Read through this article to learn more.
The internet has had a massive impact on almost all aspects of life, linking various technologies so that information can be distributed and accessed effortlessly from anywhere. Read through this report to learn more about how this aids in development.
Since the 1990s when the internet began to be commercialised globally, the debate on how to close the digital divide has attracted widespread attention. In this Policy Brief, G20 Insights review the literature on the digital divide in emerging economies with a view to explaining: 1) how internet connectivity promotes social and economic inclusiveness, efficiency and innovation; 2) why the physical access to the internet alone is insufficient to capture the full benefits of digital technology and what other social conditions should be considered; and 3) how to further connect the unconnected population.
The Northwest Passage – a water route through the islands of northern Canada connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans – a treasure that explorers had sought for centuries. The quest began as a search for a shorter shipping route between Europe and Asia. But, with each ship and life lost during the 300 year search, explorers seeking the Northwest Passage were also on a hunt for glory. Read through this website to learn more about how the Northwest Passage helped overcome physical geographic barriers to connectivity.
The Northwest Passage has long been considered one of the most important marine paths in history, shortening the distance between Europe and eastern Asia by thousands of miles. This passage, once explored and tackled, also bridged these faraway lands to the eastern United States and the Canadian North. Although the passage has always been integral in shipping valuable mineral resources from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Arctic and Canadian Islands, it’s never exactly been smooth sailing. Read through this article to learn more.
This article takes an in-depth look at the history of the internet and how it has changed the world.
The Internet is still relatively young and yet the connectivity has already produced long-lasting effects. It all started with a cable plugged into the phone line, and now we possess the entire world in the palm of our hand. Read through this article to see 10 ways that the internet has completely changed how we live.
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