A conference by Sergi Valverde within the frame of the SFI Workshop Major Transitions in Natural, Synthetic and Artificial Evolution.
When looking at the history of technology, we see that all technologies are not of equal importance. Only of a few technologies have the potential to start a new branching series (for example, by increasing diversity), have a lasting impact in human life and became turning points. These technological transitions correspond to times and places in the past when a large number of novel artefact forms or behaviours appeared together or in rapid succession.