Innovation # 2: Microprocessors
Since their invention in 1970, microprocessors have had a massive impact on the world.
The reaches of the microprocessor are now global and impact many lives in some way, shape or form.. Without it, generating the massive quantities of information that we now possess would be impossible―microprocessing made possible the mass-market computer and thus enabled information sharing on a large scale by allowing the Internet to be used on a broad level. The microprocessor has sped communication, information gathering, and information generation so significantly that it effectively led to the Information Age. The artificial shrinking of time and space through the widespread use of the computer (and thus the microprocessor) can be seen as an extension of globalization's widespread effect on our world; as a result of the microprocessor, our world is more connected and interdependent than ever. The microprocessor has in-fact led to a Macro conception of the world where the public domain is bigger than ever, and humans of vastly different backgrounds convene on a global medium.
Innovation 3: Commercial Air Travel.
The most physical and obvious of the globalizing agents has been the advancement of Commercial Air Travel since 1969. The power of flight literally transcends any other mode of transportation and links anywhere to anywhere else. Flight, although currently in danger, has increased a 6 billion person diplomatic program, as every passenger on an international flight becomes an ambassador for their home nation. It has increased ties to family, friends, strangers, and any new experience your wallet can afford. Besides personal travel, commercial planes hold various other capacities integral to saving lives such as food transport. Commercial air travel is the safest transport per passenger mile of any mode of transportation and far and away breaks and distance limit that personal transport proposes. The world shrunk as a result of air travel and despite some recent incidents, the diplomacy air travel creates has no doubt created a more inter-connected, safer, less naive world.
Innovation # 4: The Marshall Plan.
This groundbreaking diplomatic humanitarian effort named after George Marshall was the first of its kind to provide essential state building aid to war-stricken foreign territories. It's importance was magnified by the fact that the rise of the subsequent war, World War II, had been at least partially caused by failure to halt the declining state of German affairs. The Marshall Plan, in its airlifts to Europe, arguably prevented the rise of hostile regimes across the continent. More importantly, however, is the precedent it set for rescue efforts of struggling, failing, and failed states. Suddenly, nations worldwide saw that they had a vested interest in making sure that struggling states did not become failed states, and that failed states did not further regress into hostile regimes. As the United States, we began to see our fortunes rise and fall with the tides of others, to some degree, as did other nations with us. This newly-discovered interdependency between states worldwide is one way in which globalization has peeped its head into global affairs; we now dole out carrots as often as we do sticks. The Marshall Plan's innovation in diplomatic efforts set the precedent for rescue organizations, like the IMF and World Bank, to give rescue packages and loans to nations on the brink.
Innovation # 5: Direct Relay Communications Satellite.
While Sputnik had already been launched by the soviets as an acceleration of foreign hostility, the satellite innovation that broke down borders was the first Direct Relay Communications Satellite, Telstar, launched by AT&T. This innovation which breached the troposphere was a globalizing agent, and a potentially "galaxizing" one. On our third rock from the sun the Communication satellite has allowed many of today's other foremost inventions to become even better. Television, Telephone, radio, and GPS, have all been created or had a second coming due to satellite expansion as Satellites can now beam data for communication nearly instantly to any location on the globe. Aside from the increased connection between every earthling, these direct relay satellites have even reduced the light years of the expanding galaxy. Space based solar power and space exploration from imaging and probes all rely on this technology.
