Numbers don't lie: a moore's law-for bombs: the rising power of destructiveness is, unfortunately, the most impressive metric of modern technology

Abstract

The rising number of components on a micro-chip is the go-to example of roaring innovation. Intel's first microprocessor, the 4004, released in 1971, had 2,300 transistors; half a century later the highest count surpasses 50 billion, for the Apple M1 Max—an increase of seven orders of magnitude. Most other technical advances have lagged behind: During the entire 20th century, maximum travel speeds rose less than tenfold, from about 100 kilometers per hour for express trains to 900 km/h for cruising jetliners. Skyscrapers got only 2.4 times as tall, from the Singer Building (187 meters) to the Petronas Towers (452 meters).