# Is the automobile the biggest change agent of the 20th century? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271 "2021-07-26T18:21:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wavyonwheels](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wavyonwheels/32/17969_2.png) [@wavyonwheels](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wavyonwheels)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/41 "2021-07-29T21:52:06Z")
Estes is ‘interested’ too. There could be a breakthrough but the articles sound like a lot of fluff to me. > [@jtsanders](#): > > The Space Force is interested in using fusion power in new satellites. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/42 "2021-07-29T22:07:39Z")
Nuclear power has already been used in spacecraft. Anything that goes to the outer reaches of the solar system or beyond can’t generate enough solar power to work properly. > **[The History of Nuclear Power in Space](https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-nuclear-power-space)** > > Explore the history of nuclear power systems in U.S. space exploration -- from early satellites to the moon, Mars and beyond. ---
**Author:** ![wavyonwheels](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wavyonwheels/32/17969_2.png) [@wavyonwheels](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wavyonwheels)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/43 "2021-07-29T22:49:42Z")
And some of those are still going strong! Fission will be around for a while. Fusion cold or hot is still only a dream. Just hope the tech will be shared when it is available. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/44 "2021-07-29T22:50:32Z")
> [@bing](#): > > my FIL was involved in rural electric Mountainous Colorado, early 1900’s, nearly every small town with a small river or stream had its own hydroelectric power plant. Only served that one town, no connection town to town. Typically they’d build a small diversion dam upstream, then the water went into a pipeline that would run along a ridge 1/3 mile or so, then straight down to the building that contained the generator. Those small generators aren’t used now, but in many towns you can still see the remnants of their original electrical system. I always wondered who it was that ran the generator stations? How could the town find someone w/that sort of electrical engineering training in the early 1900’s? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/45 "2021-07-29T22:57:05Z")
> **[Nuclear Fusion: World’s First Ever Reactor To Be Tested This Summer](https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/30296/20210325/nuclear-fusion-scientists-to-test-the-world-s-first-ever-reactor-this-summer-to-combat-energy-crisis.htm)** > > Nuclear fusion experiments at the Joint European Torus are a necessary dress rehearsal for the mega-experiment. > **[Fusion startup plans reactor with small but powerful superconducting magnets](https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/fusion-startup-plans-reactor-small-powerful-superconducting-magnets)** > > Commonwealth Fusion Systems announces site for compact reactor Hopefully closer than 30 years. More than just a theory. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/46 "2021-07-30T00:43:08Z")
Developing widely distributed AC electric power lead to radio, sound recording, television, electronic management of data. Water power was very local and required water flowing and downhill drops. Electricity made lights possible so people could work 24 hours a day, air conditioning, elevators, factories wherever you want. No one could have manufactured cars in volume without electricity. ---
**Author:** ![Jules-Rosen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@Jules-Rosen](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jules-Rosen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 11:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/47 "2021-07-31T11:24:33Z")
Some things you might want to consider on the list at this really are Unions, the telephone, internet, radio, TV, the interstate highway system allowing people to go from New York to LA in less than a week instead of stagecoaches. Public libraries brought to you by Mr Carnegie. Public education for all regardless of need. I would also have to say one of the biggest changes no one else will think of is the anti-discrimination laws pass back by Congress, allowing People regardless of color need your religion to eat get on a bus and go to school where they want ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/48 "2021-07-31T18:02:03Z")
Might also include discovery of the white blood cells in about 1908 that changed lives. (1908 Nobel Prize to a Russian for discovering cellular immunity.) ---
**Author:** ![Ralph-66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Ralph-66](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ralph-66)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/49 "2021-08-03T22:05:00Z")
The heat pump/refrigeration system to enable long term food storage and translportation ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271/50 "2021-08-04T02:28:38Z")
The electric grid was the biggest agent of change. Almost everything else mentioned would not exist without the electric grid. It is going to be a major player in the 21st century as well because most of the transmission grid (aka “long haul” grid) that connects the smaller local distribution grids and power plants together is in need of a major overhaul to DC instead of AC. AC was designed for the distribution grid. Westinghouse and Tesla did not even envision that we would try to connect the distribution grids and power plants together. AC does not work well for that, DC is far more efficient. New design power plants will also be added in the 21st century, like metal cooled nuclear reactors and maybe even fusion reactors. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-the-automobile-the-biggest-change-agent-of-the-20th-century/178271.md?page=2)