Throughout history, humans have consistently used the dominant technology of the day to describe processes in nature. These are limiting but also very fruitful. The individuals who capitalized on these technologies applied to human services became very wealthy.
1. Mechanical Clockwork → Body as Machine
Era: 17th century (Descartes, Newton)
Framing: The body was modeled as gears, levers, and pressure systems.
Effect: Medicine began to rely on anatomy, dissection, and mechanics (e.g., heart as pump). Early physiology and surgery became possible.
2. Steam Engine → Mind as Pressure System
Era: 18th–19th century (Freud, early psychology)
Framing: Emotions were like steam needing release- “catharsis,” “pressure,” “valves.”
Effect: Mental health theories developed around internal conflict and energy flow, birthing psychoanalysis.
3. Telegraph/Electrical Network → Nervous System as Wiring
Era: 19th century
Framing: Nerves seen as electrical wires transmitting signals.
Effect: Neurology and electrophysiology formalized. Influenced cybernetics and feedback models.
4. Information Theory/Computation → DNA as Code
Era: Mid-20th century onward
Framing: Genetic code as information to be written, read, transmitted.
Effect: Birth of bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and programmable life. But also reductionism- ie ignoring epigenetic or physical contexts.
5. Quantum Mechanics → Brain/Consciousness as Superposition
Era: Late 20th century (pop science, not formal biology)
Framing: Mind as a quantum system-superposed states, entanglement.
Effect: Sparked speculative fields like quantum consciousness; few hard results, but reframed philosophical debates.
So, who got rich?
1. Body as Machine (Clockwork/Mechanics) — 17th c.
→ Industrial Result: Anatomy, surgery, and prosthetics became technical professions.
Winners:
- Andreas Vesalius (1540s): Codified human anatomy for surgeons—early influence.
- Ambroise Paré: Military surgical instruments, prosthetics (ie mechanical limbs).
- 19th-century scalers: Laennec (stethoscope), Lister (antiseptics), and medical tool manufacturers (ie Bausch + Lomb in 1853).
Wealth Vector: Surgical devices, hospitals, early medical schools.
2. Mind as Steam Engine (Hydraulic Psyche) — 19th c.
→ Industrial Result: Talk therapy, psychiatry, and pharmaceuticals treating "bottled pressure."
Winners:
- Freud: Monetized theory via lectures, patients, and book sales.
- Pharmaceutical giants: Roche, Pfizer, Eli Lilly later scaled chemical emotion regulators (ie Prozac).
Wealth Vector: Therapy, mental health clinics, neuropharma.
3. Nervous System as Telegraph/Wiring — Late 19th c.
→ Industrial Result: Electrophysiology, prosthetics, neurology tools.
Winners:
- Galvani and Volta: Early electro-stimulation → foundational.
- Medtronic: Scaled pacemakers, neurostimulators (founded 1949).
- GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers: Medical imaging (EEG, MRI).
Wealth Vector: Electrodiagnostics, bioelectronic interfaces.
4. Genes as Code (Computation) — Mid-20th c.
→ Industrial Result: Genomics, synthetic biology, diagnostics.
Winners:
- Illumina: DNA sequencing monopoly.
- Genentech: Engineered insulin, monoclonal antibodies.
- Twist Bioscience, Ginkgo Bioworks: Programmable biology at scale.
Wealth Vector: Platform biotech, data-driven therapies.
5. Immune System as IDS (Cybersecurity) — 21st c.
→ Industrial Result: Cancer immunotherapy, TCR design, antigen discovery.
Winners:
- Moderna, BioNTech: Immune-based mRNA pipelines.
- Adaptive Biotechnologies: TCR-based diagnostics.
- Altos Labs, Lyell, Gritstone: T-cell engineering startups.
Wealth Vector: Immuno-oncology, platform vaccines, adaptive immunity datasets.
The last one is probably filtered through my bias. It still holds some truth, nonetheless.