Exploring the Black Box Technology, Economics, and History [Hardcover]

This book presents a unique account of how technological change is generated and introduced into economic activity.Presenting a unique account of how technological change is generated and improved technologies introduced, this text implies that such changes are often path dependent because they tend to be so strongly influenced by the sequence of events from which a new technology has emerged.Presenting a unique account of how technological change is generated and improved technologies introduced, this text implies that such changes are often path dependent because they tend to be so strongly influenced by the sequence of events from which a new technology has emerged.This book presents a unique account of how technological change is generated and the processes by which improved technologies are introduced into economic activity. The central theme of the book is the idea that technological changes are often path dependent : their form and direction tend to be influenced strongly by the particular sequence of earlier events out of which a new technology has emerged. Individual chapters explore the particular features of new technologies in different historical and sectoral contexts.List of figures; Preface; Introduction; Part I. Dealing With an Uncertain Future: 1. Path-dependent aspects of technological change; 2. Charles Babbage: pioneer economist; 3. Joseph Schumpeter: radical economist; 4. Technological innovation and long waves; Part II. Technology in Context: 5. Economic experiments; 6. Why in America?; 7. Can Americans learn to become better imitators?; 8. Critical issues in science policy research; Part III. Sectoral Studies in Technological Change: 9. Energy-efficient technologies: past and future perspectives; 10. Innovation in the chemical processing industries; 11. Telecommunications: complex, uncertain, and path-dependent; 12. Understanding the adoption of new technology in the forest products industry; 13. Scientific instrumentation and university l£Á