We are in the early innings of a Second Machine Age—one relying on fewer people and more technology—yet we’re largely educating students for a bygone era. The (First) Machine Age, which is typically bracketed by the introduction of the automobile in the late 1880s and the invention of the transistor shortly after WWII, led to significant advancements in production and manufacturing. Machine Age advancements were enabled by choreographed human leverage, such as assembly lines (mass production, leading to consumerization) and steel-framed building construction (skyscrapers, leading to greater urban development).

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