Progress takes many forms

Recently, while on a flight, it struck me that in 1950 we were still flying on DC3s and other piston-engined planes. By the mid-1960s we were usuallu travelling on modern jet aircraft. Today, 40 years later, we are still on planes which look little different. Yet as in so much, the technology under the skin has changed enormously. Jet engines are far more efficient and quieter, pilots "fly by wire," and avionics have changed beyond recognition. On the ground, cars have been transformed by technology and consumer electronics would seem like science fiction to people 50 years ago. We routinely see TV pictures from the farthest corners of the world, we carry digital music with us. Medical science has transformed the way we live and die.

There is every reason to believe that the next 50 years will see even more accelerating change. All we can do is wonder if humans can adapt and change fast enough.