Comment There can be only one! (Score 1) 540
There really is/was only one industrial revolution. There doesn't seem to be any point in water down what was already a fairly arbitrary definition. Hunanity has been popping out revolution after revolution for the past 20k years (or more). Steel really changed things for humanity. So did animal husbandry, So did mass communication. So did fire. So did interchangable parts.
The industrial revolution is when industrialization changed things for us in a significant way. Just because we had another advancement that changed humanity doesn't mean we ditched industrialization and then re-invented it again. Pick a new label already.
Look at the laundry list that makes up IR #2. Are you kidding me? Even 'Dance Dance' qualifies as it's own revolution.
Seems to me this is one of those convesations people have when they are baked out of their mind (NTTAWWT).