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Internal combustion engine developed
Cultural lag theory
Innovation: the first commercially applicable four stroke internal combustion engine was perfected by Nikolaus Otto -
Period: to
Idea of the automobile is experimented with throughout Europe
Cultural lag theory
Diffusion: the car is being produced throughout Europe by many different manufacturers 1880s -
Period: to
Independant human mobility increased
McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media
Any major medium enhances or accelerates a certain process or thing: the automobile enhanced human travel and mobility -
Car production becomes commercially viable
Cultural lag theory
Discovery: the internal combustion engine was put to use in cars whose use was made widespread by Henry Ford’s innovation of the assembly line 1913 -
Period: to
The horse and buggy is rendered obsolete
McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media
The new medium tends to render obsolete another process or thing: the automobile renders the horse and buggy obsolete 1920s -
Period: to
The road trip becomes popular
McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media
Any major medium retrieves some process or thing that had been previously obsolete: the automobile revives the spirit of exploration and travel with the dawn of the road trip -
Period: to
Car racing is born
McLuhan’s 4 Laws of Media
Any major medium, when pushed to its extreme, flips into something entirely new: the automobile is developed into high performance race cars