EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY J LAKE Britannica Educational Publishing IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
From camels and rafts to rockets and submarines transportation technology has grown and devel oped alongside human civilization At its most basic level the purpose of transportation is to move people and goods more easily or across greater distances than would be possible on foot But through the ages vital communications have also gone hand-in-hand with advances in transportation including the royal messengers running thousands of miles along the Inca foot highway five hundred years ago as well as today’s jet-setting elites and governmental envoys carrying briefcases with billion-dollar trade secrets and negotiations to end armed conflicts From ancient times transportation technology changed slowly or in spurts By the 1800s however steam-powered machines helped people span dis tances like never before More efficient diesel and gasoline-powered engines dominated the 1900s followed by electric and computerized transportation technologies in our own time Not all people have equal access to transpor tation technologies however Wealthier citizens can afford the most up-to-date private cars although major cities are in desperate need of affordable and responsible public transit for people of all income 4 INTRODUCTION
A mug-sized model of an early wheeled cart The use of wheels helped carry people crops and supplies farther and with less effort than ever before aiding in the evolution of farms and towns levels as well as for people with disabilities Moving further into the twenty-first century transportation technology must balance speed and efficiency with more holistic concerns such as environmental sus tainability and more equal distribution and access 5
