Columbus Day

Today is the 520th anniversary of the first sighting of land in the New World by Christopher Columbus' three ship fleet.  It is, therefore, a good candidate for the birthday of the modern world.  Congress, in its wisdom, celebrates Columbus Day some other time.

In that five and a fifth century span, the balance of economic and political power has shifted to the New Workd, with the emergence of one superpower and dozens of other nations on the European model that usurped native political structures.  In Columbus' time, China was probably the most advanced power on Earth.  Those who followed Columbus fairly quickly established a world dominated by European powers that explored when China pulled back into itself, however.  That Europe-centric world eventually gave way to a global society led by the United States.

Where will the leading human power be in another five centuries?  Maybe on Earth... but perhaps it will be a relatively young, technologically sophisticated, extraordinarily rich society based beyond Earth, active on several worlds-- maybe even spreading to the stars.