The paradox of progress

Blue Ray

This notion is revealed against the backdrop of an analysis of previous technological advances. As soon as any know-how reaches its maximum development – there is a downturn, a direct downward trend without any chance of staying on top and enjoying great results. A prime example is Blue-Ray discs, which at one time were a real technological breakthrough in the field of laser recording on a circular vinyl record. The name says it all – the blue laser. The part of the light that can be physically seen is quite small: the spectrum is from violet to red, and everything beyond that is called infrared radiation, essentially energy in the form of heat.

If you look at the reverse side, everything beyond the violet spectrum is ultraviolet radiation, which is known to all as harmful to humans. It is what gives people sunburn. Theoretically speaking, an ultraviolet laser with increasing intensity and shorter wavelength should produce more X-rays, just as a violet laser should record more information on a record due to the increased density of the recording. But in practice, it is different: UV and X-rays cannot bounce off planes, mirrored surfaces and pierce them at all because of the extremely short wavelength. It is capable of causing a burn if it passes through the skin.

The paradox of progress justifies its formulation: the discovery of the wavelength spectrum and the accompanying physical phenomena overwhelmed the development of Blue-Ray technology at the time it reached its peak. But one must also consider the hidden processes of technology progression. It may well be that someone simply doesn’t want to let the technological discoveries go to the masses, leaving the majority with only a fraction of what are called the latest scientific advances.

the paradox of progress, Tesla

Take the manufacture of light bulbs, trainers and car parts. What they have in common is a lifetime, pre-measured by the manufacturer and the engineers behind them are large corporations which have no interest in the mass diffusion of certain technologies. What is the evidence? The answer is simple – where is the wireless electricity that Nikola Tesla discovered years ago? If this technology had been introduced en masse, there would hardly be any need to pay electricity bills and check monthly meter readings today.