Information

There has never been more information freely available than there is now. It is so abundant that many people find themselves drowning in it - it's finding useful and accurate information that has become important. We are now at a phase of civilisation where information costs almost nothing to reproduce or transmit.

One significant aspect is that information can describe physical artifacts that can be communicated to automated machines which can then manufacture this new item, alleviating the need to transport material goods long distances to the end user – most of the journey will effectively be spent as information being transmitted at the speed of light. (See section on turning virtual designs into physical objects).