RUNNING HEAD: GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURE 1
Discussion Board 1: Information Age David
S. Saunders
School of Business, Liberty University
Busi 604 International Business
Dr. Angela Peterson
June 29, 2025
Key Term and Why you are interested in it
The term that I have selected is the “Information Age.” There has been a tremendous
advancement in technology in the past 50 plus years. The Information Age is an integral part of
all aspects of the global economy as well as social media, and telecommunications. Companies
such as Amazon, Expedia, Travelocity, Air BnB have come about because of the Information
Age. Social Media companies such as X (Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) were also a part of the
Information Age, as well Google, Microsoft, and voice over internet telecommunication
companies such as Vonage. Distributors, banks, travel-related companies, shipping companies,
as well as all types of businesses now rely on the Information Age.
Information Age history and definition 1970-1999
The term Information Age is defined as “the period beginning around 1970, and it is
noted for the abundant publication, consumption, and manipulation of information, especially
by computers and computer networks (The Free Dictionary by Farlex, 2025). Although the
Information Age can be traced back prior to 1970, this will be the starting point for major
advancements. From 1969-1970 until the end of the 20th century, the following
milestones/advancements were achieved in the Information Age:
•1969/1970: The UNIX operating system was developed, and this system allowed the use
of multitasking (Newton, Spooner, Spooner, Gassen and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1971: Intel developed the first microprocessor chip (Newton, Spooner, Spooner, Gassen,
and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1972: The optical laserdisc was developed by Philips Electronics and MCA Universal
(Newton, Spooner, Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1974: MCA and Philips Electronics developed the videodisc encoding format (Newton,
Spooner, Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1975: The Altair 8800 was the first commercially successful personal computer, and it
was developed by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) (Newton,
Spooner, Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1977: RadioShack introduced the first complete personal computer (Newton, Spooner,
Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1984: Apple introduced the MacIntosh computer (Newton, Spooner, Gassen, and
Kolkemo, 2025).
•1987: The HyperCard was developed by Mr. Bill Atkinson (Newton, Spooner, Gassen, and
Kolkemo, 2025).
•1991: Over 450 works of literature were successfully stored on one CD-ROM (Newton,
Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
•1997: The RSA (Encryption and network security software) was developed and
implemented (Newton, Spooner, Gassen, and Kolkemo, 2025).
Information Age milestones 2000-2024
The following major advancements in the Information Age have occurred since 2000:
•Internet and digital connectivity via broadband and 5G networks replaced the dial-up
connection to the internet (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•The development of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik
Tok have had a major impact in the Information Age (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•2007: The development of the I Phone as well as smartphones (World Economic Forum,
2023).
•The development of mobile apps on all cellular devices has created new advancements
in all aspects of business and life (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•Advancements in AI and machine learning have become a mainstream technology
(World Economic Forum, 2023).
•The development of autonomous systems such as self-driving cars, drones, and robotics
powered by AI (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•Innovations in healthcare such as the Human Genome Project have enabled medical
treatment based on one’s genetic profile for diseases such as cancer (World Economic
Forum, 2023).
•The development of telemedicine (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•Advancements in biotech and pharmaceuticals such as mRNA technology and vaccine
development (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•Renewable energy advancements (World Economic Forum, 2023).
•The development of electric vehicles, i.e. Tesla, Rivan, and others (World Economic
Forum, 2023).
•The development of private spaceflights such as Space X (World Economic Forum,
2025).
•Scientific research on the International Space Station (World Economic Forum, 2025).
•The development of quantum computing (World Economic Forum, 2025).
•The development of blockchain technology. (World Economic Forum, 2025). An example
of this technology is bitcoin.
Major Article Summary
The article summary that I reviewed dealt with the recent scientific and technological
advancements in the Information Age that are being driven by the Internet of Things, Machine
Learning, and AI in the space exploration industry. The article also discusses how these
technological advancements are being distributed by computing and data technologies.
Additionally, these advancements have been of great service to the space industry. A prime
example of this is the successful Mars landing of NASA’s Perseverance Rover on February 18,
2021. Recent developments in IoT for space/non-terrestrial environments are expected to
provide major advancements and benefits soon.
The Information Age has provided technological advancements in astronomy, satellites,
telecommunications, computing capabilities, and reusable rockets and spaceships (Kua, Loke,
Arora, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). Furthermore, space exploration is no longer
dominated by government initiatives, as provide companies as well as private aerospace
companies are the leaders in the advancement of space technology and exploration (Kua, Loke,
Arora, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). For example, in 2021, Virgin Galactic founder Sir
Richard Branson, and Blue Origin founder Mr. Jeff Bezos both travelled into space, and these
two examples opened the possibilities for commercial space travel soon (Kua, Loke, Arora,
Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). Additionally, Mr. Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first private
company to launch a spacecraft to the International Space Station (Kua, Loke, Arora, Fernando,
and Randweera, 2021).
The article also discusses how advancements in the Information Age have developed
inter-planetary communication. Inter-planetary communication is now enabled by deep space
networks, such as NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (Kua, Loke,
Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). This network is operational on three ground stations in
California, Spain, and Australia. This technology is enabled by satellite communications.
Additionally, aerial networks have been developed in the last 10 years to provide a layer
between ground and space networks (Kua, Loke, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). These aerial
networks are served by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, otherwise known as UAVs. Some examples
of these types of vehicles would be airships, tethered ballons, and drones.
Ground networks or terrestrial IOT networks have been developed with the use of
satellite ground stations. These networks are supported by terrestrial telecommunication
networks such as 5G networks, optical networks, wireless local area networks, edge devices,
and IoT gateways (Kua, Loke, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). Sea networks have been
developed with the use of sea ships, submarines, underwater sensors and other types of
maritime communication equipment (Kua, Loke, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021). An example
of this technology is the tracking of shipping containers and then transmitting the sensing data
from remote marine locations to a core network (Kua, Loke, Fernando, and Randweera, 2021).
The amazing advancements in space travel and space communication are only going to
increase over the next 50 years. Due to the advancements in AI and other technologies, space
travel to Mars seems to be more of a possibility, as well as space tourism, and the experiments
that are or will be conducted in space will certainly help discoveries in other areas such as
medical issues. Finally, advancements in robotics and defense weaponry from the threats of a
military attack by one of our enemies will be implemented as well.
Discussion (A)
The article that I discussed dealt with the advancement of technologies in the Information
Age. The Information Age has seen the establishment and successes of companies that did not
have any infrastructure (Marquerie, 2020). Information and technology companies have
replaced industrial giants as some of the largest companies in the world. For example, Google is
now more valuable than General Electric (Marquerie, 2020). Most of the top ten companies in
the world are technology companies.
The advancement in the global AI market includes technologies such as machine
learning, image processing, natural language processing, and speech recognition will have a
market value of more than $191 billion in 2025 (Marquerie, 2020). There have been numerous
advancements in this field, and it is gaining popularity rapidly. There is some concern that AI
could impact on employment that humans currently do, but this is still an open area for
discussion. AI, machine learning and deep learning technologies are being used by companies
all over the world. There are five areas that must be looked at to run a successful company in
the Information Age, and they are:
•The building of customer relationships (Marquerie, 2020).
•The ability to learn from business peers (Marquerie, 2020).
•The ability for a company to be flexible and agile (Marquerie, 2020).
•The ability to use technology to advance your objectives (Marquerie, 2020).
•Market your business on social media (Marquerie, 2020).
There are numerous opportunities in the Information Age, and it is important to stay up to date
on all the developing technologies so that they can be used properly. Several issues with AI
need to be addressed in the way it is used, and the use of AI must be monitored closely by the
government so that this does not happen.
Discussion (B)
When I was researching articles that were related to my paper, I reviewed two articles
that dealt with space exploration and space policy in the Information Age. The first article dealt
with space policy. In this article, the issue of technological development since the end of the
Cold War was discussed, and how advancement in technology has changed the geopolitical
landscape.
With the rise of other powers since the end of the Cold War, i.e. China and India, space
policy is becoming more competitive. At the same time, there is a growing concern about how
advancements in information technology that is used in space will affect the global environment
(Gabrynowicz, 1992). Additionally, there is a concern about how the numerous participants in
space exploration will advance in the Information Age. Finally, there is a concern about how the
free flow of information will be used between countries, and will there be any interdependence
(Gabrynowicz, 1992). One other item that was discussed in this article was the feasibility of
future space exploration to Mars and beyond, as well as how will private space exploration be
used.
The second article I reviewed dealt with the Information Age and the next big
advancements in space exploration. With technological breakthroughs in the Information Age,
several areas in space exploration are being worked on. The article discusses several topics
about this issue and goes into detail about these possibilities and what technological
advancements have assisted in these possibilities and what the future holds for them as well.
The first area the was discussed was human travel to Mars and its colonization. This
issue is being worked on by companies like Space X, as well as NASA (The Scientific World,
2024). I One of the most talked-about goals in space exploration is human colonization of Mars.
This vision, spearheaded by companies like SpaceX and endorsed by government space
agencies like NASA, could fundamentally change the human race's future. SpaceX’s Starship
program is aiming to send humans to Mars in the mid-2030s, and its goal is to establish a self-
sustaining colony on Mars (The Scientific World, 2024). There are several technological issues to
work on such as human survival on Mars, radiation, and how life support systems will work in a
foreign environment (The Scientific World, 2024). However, advancements in biotechnology, AI,
and materials science are making this possible in the future (The Scientific World, 2024). NASA
is working on a program to return humans to the Moon and establish a presence there (The
Scientific World, 2024). This is being seen as a deploying station to go to Mars in the future.
The next issue discussed was advancements in spacecraft propulsion. The main issue at
the current time is the speed at which a spacecraft can travel, as it can take months to reach
Mars, and further travel is a distant dream at the current time (The Scientific World, 2024).
However, there have been advancements in propulsion technology that look to reduce travel
times and open new exploration possibilities (The Scientific World, 2024). The main one is ion
propulsion. For example, NASA’s Dawn mission is using this technology to create a more
efficient thrust (The Scientific World, 2024). Another area of advancement is nuclear
propulsion. NASA is working on this with the use of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP)
technology which could reduce the travel time to Mars (The Scientific World, 2024). The last
area in propulsion technology being looked at is solar sails. This method of propulsion is being
considered for interstellar travel (The Scientific World, 2024).
Another issue reviewed was asteroid mining and space resources. Asteroids contain
resources such as water, metals, and rare earth minerals. The ability to mine these resources
could support long-term space missions, and this would reduce the cost of launching materials
from Earth, and even kickstart a new space-based economy (The Scientific World, 2024). For
example, water from asteroids can be split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel, and this
would turn asteroids into “gas stations” for spacecraft (The Scientific World, 2024). Companies
like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries are working on this issue. NASA is also
working on this issue as well.
Space tourism and space commercialization were also reviewed. This area was once the
exclusive area of NASA and other space agencies around the world. However, companies such
as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are working on this, and their goals is to bring
civilians to the edge of space, as well as into orbit, and then missions to the Moon and Mars
(The Scientific World, 2024). In 2021, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic launches commercial
passengers into suborbital flights (The Scientific World, 2024). SpaceX has transported
astronauts to and from the International Space Station, and they have sent tourists into orbit for
several days on the Crew Dragon spacecraft (The Scientific World, 2024). Companies like Axiom
Space and Orbital Assembly Corporation are planning to construct commercial space stations
that could host tourists as well as private astronauts (The Scientific World, 2024). Finally,
companies like SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are aiming to provide global
internet coverage with the use of large satellite constellations (The Scientific World, 2024).
Finally, the Bible discusses space exploration and technological advancements in the
following passages from the Bible:
•2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) states the following: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (Bible Gateway, 2025).
•Genesis 4:22 (NIV) states the following: “Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all
kinds of tools out of bronze and iron” (Bible Gateway, 2025). This passage shows that
ingenuity can provide advancement.
•Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV) states the following: “What has been will be again, what has been
done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun (Bible Gateway, 2025).
REFERENCES
Bible Gateway. (2025). 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV). Retrieved on August 20, 2025, from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203:16&version=NIV.
Bible Gateway. (2025). Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV). Retrieved on August 20, 2025, from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes%201:9&version=NIV.
Bible Gateway. (2025). Genesis 4:22 (NIV). Retrieved on August 20, 2025, from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%204:22&version=NIV.
Farlex-The Free Dictionary. (2025, Aug. 18). Information Age. Retrieved from:
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/informationage.
Gabrynowicz, J. (1992, May). Bringing space policy into the Information Age: Earth Observations
and the care ethic. Space Policy. v8-2. Pp. 167-175. Retrieved from:
https://doi.org/10.1016/0265-9646(92)90040-3.
Kua, J., Loke, S., Arora, C., Fernando, N., and Randaweera, C. (2021). Internet of Things in Space:
A Review of Opportunities and Challenges from Satellite-Aided Computing to Digitally-
Enhanced Space Living. Sensor. 21 (23):8117. Retrieved from:
https://mdpic.om/1424-8220/21/23/8117.
Marquerie, C. (2020, May 22). Success in the information age: five tips for a flourishing
company. Retrieved from: https://www.drivinginnovations.i.e.edu/success-in-
the information-age-five-tips-for-a-flourishing-company/ .
Newton, J., Spooner, R., Spooner, A., Gassen, J. & Kolkemo, E. (2025). The Information Age.
Retrieved from: https://TheInformationAgeus-history.com/pages/h3974.html.
The Scientific World. (2024, September 20). The Next Big Advancements in Space Exploration:
Key Missions and Technologies. Retrieved from:
https://www.scientificworldinfo.com/2024/09/the-next-big-advancements-in-
space exploration.html .
World Economic Forum. (2023, Feb. 27). This timeline charts the fast pace of tech
transformation across centuries. Retrieved from:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/02/this-timeline-charts-the-fast-pace-of-
tech transformation-across-centuries/ .
