History's Most Misunderstood 'Magic' Technologies

Technologies that, like early AI, were initially perceived as miraculous or divine before becoming mundane infrastructure.

The top 3

  1. The Telegraph (19th Century): Initially viewed as 'near-telepathy' and a supernatural bridge between worlds, it was later reduced to standard telecommunication infrastructure.
  2. Early Electricity: Marketed in the late 1800s as a 'vital force' or medicinal cure-all with magical properties, eventually maturing into standard domestic utility.
  3. The Internet (Early 1990s): Promoted as a 'Global Brain' that would end conflict and democratize truth, later evolving into a polarized and complex economic ecosystem.

Sources

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