Moore’s Law…Over A Century

It’s mind boggling to think about the changes that have occurred in the past 100 years, and that the pace of change is forever accelerating.

At the start of 1907, consider:

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years;

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub;

Only 8 percent of those homes had a telephone;

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11;

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. and only 144 miles of paved roads;

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph;

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California;

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union;

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower;

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year;

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year; a dentist $2,500 per year; a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year; and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year;

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home;

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no accredited college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government as “sub-standard”;

Sugar cost four cents a pound;

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen;

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo;

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason;

Five leaded causes of death in the U.S. were:
– Pneumonia and influenza
– Tuberculosis
– Diarrhea
– Heart disease
– Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars – Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet;

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30;

There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet;

There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day;

Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school;

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help;

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years!

How did all this happen? What is possible if we put our minds and will to it? Why should we be positive and optimistic about the future?

Putting aside partisan considerations in the spirit of the common heritage we share as Americans, this quote from a few remarks made recently by U.S. Senator Barack Obama: “Alongside our famous individualism, there is another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we are all connected as one people … it is that fundamental belief – I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper – that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family … there is not a liberal America or a conservative America; there is the United States of America. There is not a black America or a white America or a Latino America or an Asian America: There is the United States of America.”

We should all recognize, at the start of 2007, that much is possible in the years ahead and that we are in control of our destiny.

Best wishes to you and all close to you for a healthy and prosperous New Year.