Paradigm Shifts

All radical changes we have learnt, those since the beginning of the universe up to this moment, have triggered new establishments and awareness. Whether on a macro or micro level, all devastation and development indicate the end or beginning of a chain of changes. It is not easy to adapt to radical changes. You can be either among those who stand aside and watch the devastation and innovation brought on by change or, backed by knowledge, among those who adapt fast to and even administer change.

The term, “Paradigm Shift” was first used by American physicist and science historian Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) in his book titled “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” published in 1962. According to Kuhn, science does not progress as a continuous accumulation; on the contrary, it advances through revolutionary breakthroughs causing great interruptions or even ruptures of information (Kuhn, 1982: 75-105).

In his renowned representation, Thomas Kuhn emphasizes that things that were once regarded as ducks in the science world transform into rabbits in the post-revolutionary new world (Kuhn, 1991: 118).

The 1771 Industrial Revolution, 1829 Steam Age, 1875 Steel and Engineering Age, 1908 Age of the Automobile, Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Mass Production and 1971-2010’s Age of Information and Telecommunication can be recounted as examples of transformations that triggered or led to the emergence of revolutionary new technologies in the last 250 years. In 2010, we stepped into the age of renewable energies and intelligent networks. The queries we will consider are:

– How long will this current age last?
– What awaits us in 2XXX?