I think humanity as a species is only just beginning to advance technologically. I grew up right when the world wide web was taking off, and at some point in my adult life realized that my generation is the first of its kind. The first for which a chatroom containing American, Japanese, French and Nigerian participants engaging in a realtime conversation from all corners of the globe is not only possible, it's normal.

I had to step back for a moment and realize that just 10 years before I was born, such a feat was technically possible, but required massive planning and a high degree of skill involved in all participants.

100 years prior, it was impossible.

The rapid exchange of information afforded by this technological advance is utterly disruptive, and our society is still figuring out what to do with ourselves now that we're no longer separated from each other by huge stretches of travel time and long delays in information exchange. I must wonder, then, if this is the turning point in any global civilization? The part where the intelligent beings on a world can actually work together to solve problems at such a larger scale than any individual can observe.