games-pc empire earth Manuel D’Utilisation

Empire Earth

An important consequence of the Scientific Revolution was the effect it had on people’s atti-
tudes towards science and technology.  There was a growing confidence that science could
accomplish anything.  This belief, more than actual scientific inquiry, helped to bring about
the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Age was principally powered by steam.  The steam engine found use in many
places, from factories to underground mines to ships.  In factories, the concept of standardised
products with interchangeable parts allowed manufacturing to become cheaper and more effi-
cient.  Firearms were among the first products to benefit from such mass production
methods.  Various design modifications further improved the quality of guns: breach-loading,
rifled barrels, and percussion-fired bullets all became standard during this period.

Several scientific breakthroughs made major impacts on civilisation.  In medicine, the germ
theory of disease was highly influential.  Pasteurisation and antiseptics, which kill micro-
organisms, contributed to the near doubling of life expectancies over the next 150 years.
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, coupled with Gregor Mendel’s work on heredity and genetics,
made possible a deeper understanding of the diversity life on Earth.

Electricity, previously a scientific curiosity, found its first practical applications in the
Industrial Age.  Once the first electric batteries and generators were invented, electric power
became available to perform all sorts of feats.  The electric motor was developed to convert
electrical energy into mechanical energy.  The telegraph, followed closely by the telephone,
revolutionised communications.  And incandescent light bulbs eventually replaced gas lamps
to light up the night.