Humankind has observed three industrial revolutions in the past 260 years. The first recognised James Watt as the typical pioneer, inventing the steam engine in 1760 which helped with performing tasks previously carried out by hand. The second revolution, between 1870 and the first World War, was inspired by the prolific inventor Thomas Edison with electric light, the telephone, and many machine advances which paved the way for mass production. The next era placed focus on digital changes resulting in computers and the birth of the internet in the second half of the 20th century.