By The Editors The Information Age is the era shaped by information and communication technologies—and therefore by information-based industries.  It started in the mid-1970s in association with the Digital Revolution, and partially overlaps with the Space Age, which started in the late 1950s with the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite.  The Information age has been characterized by widespread optimism about the ability of technology to solve most of the world’s challenges—for example food security, environmental degradation, economic growth and social inclusion.  However, we now know that technology, by itself, cannot provide solutions to these challenges. One of the recognized fathers of the Information Age is the scientist Norbert Wiener,…

By The Editors On October 4, 1957, the 184-pound Sputnik 1 was successfully launched by the Soviet Union and entered Earth’s orbit.  Sputnik 1 was the world’s first artificial satellite, only 56 centimeters (22 inches) in diameter, orbiting the Earth in 96 minutes.  Its launch ushered in what is now called the “Space Age“, a new era characterized by a variety of political, scientific and technological achievements accompanied by very rapid changes with profound societal implications. During the 1960s, the Space Age led to an environmental revolution.  Indeed, the Space Age has been pivotal in shaping how we perceive our planet.  Marina Benjamin, author of “Rocket Dreams: How the Space Age Shaped Our Vision of…