Space time compression refers to the speed of transportation making places “closer” together in terms of social distance. In this free response answer it will highlight examples how technological advancements have connected people and places around the globe and also show the relation to distance decay and friction of distance.
The internet has connected us to over millions of different sites and has allowed us to communicate almost instantly to anyone in the world. With the increase in social media sites and applications, using an application like Facebook, a person from the United States can instant message (IM) to their family member in Australia and “catch up” versus having to write a letter and take 6-7 business days to arrive. With Friction of Distance it would difficult for a person in the “old times” to write to someone in a different far away country, especially overseas. It would take much energy and effort to get a letter from the United States to Australia; first you would have to use the Pony Express then send it overseas and take it one month to arrive.
Today the evolvement of transportation has surpassed any sort of transportation back in the ages. With cars, trains, jets, cruise liners, the ability to transport or travel is faster than ever before. The first earth tracks were created by humans carrying goods and often followed game trails. Now they have major highways and motored vehicles. Distance decay is decreased because of the amount of tourism in the world. It allows other people from different places in the world to interact with one another.
The Essay on Transportation in the 19th Century
During the first half of the 19th century, improvements in transportation developed rather quickly. Roads, steamboats, canals, and railroads all had a positive effect on the American economy. They also provided for a more diverse United States by allowing more products to be sold in new areas of the country and by opening new markets. Copied from ideas begun in England and France, American roads ...
With technological advancements in transportation and communication it has allowed many people and places to have greater interaction because of space-time compression.
