We are entering the age of demonetization. This is what happens when we see things pushed down towards a zero marginal cost. All of this tied to digitization.
There is another field that we are seeing a lot of progress that is providing similar effects. The world of chemistry is seeing advancements that is pushing the prices of items down. This will only grow in the years to come.
We recently got a report about a paper released that created electricity out of the air.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst create a device that uses a natural protein to generate electricity out of air.
As reported today in Nature, the laboratories of electrical engineer Jun Yao and microbiologist Derek Lovley at UMass Amherst have created a device they call an "Air-gen." or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere.
"We are literally making electricity out of thin air," says Yao. "The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7." Lovely, who has advanced sustainable biology-based electronic materials over three decades, adds, "It's the most amazing and exciting application of protein nanowires yet."
phys.org/news/2020-02-green-technology-electricity-thin-air.html
The team believes the currency technology can power small devices. Over the next couple years, the goal is to scale the technology to be able to power larger devices.
This is just another example of how things are changing. We know there are billions of small devices around the world that are sucking power, most from the main power grid. How does this affect the energy companies if a large portion of these devices are powered "off grid"? Also, look at the impact as compared to solar and wind installations that use natural resources.
Over the last couple decades, automation really harmed the workers of the world. The ability to automate, or the threat, have kept wages suppressed. This really helped to increase corporate profits as productivity rates shot through the rood yet wages were stagnant.
It is becoming evident we are at a turning point. The next decade will see a paradigm shift across many industries. Let us use the automobile as an example. What happens when car ownership is swapped out for rides. This is going to cross the entire transportation sector.
Thus, money spent will be decreased although efficiency will be greatly increased as vehicles are used instead of spending most of their time idle.
We are seeing something similar in retail. As more is shifted to online, the cost per sales is reduced. Online plus warehouse space/personnel/shipping is less then in store with expensive retail/personnel. We see the efficiency increased because online shopping is available 24/7.
Artificial Intelligence is only going to push this concept to another level. With the spread of technology, especially with it moving out to the edges, we are seeing more variables entering the picture. All of this will result in downward pricing pressures across most industries.
Ultimately, we are going to see a radical paradigm shift occurring. I believe the idea of a prosumer is going to take over. We will likely see the DAO structure used for more businesses. This will put more people in the position of having a stake in the platforms they use.
No matter what results, it is going to be a major impact on businesses.
If you found this article informative, please give an upvote and resteem.
Image from article linked.
Posted via Steemleo