The steam engine and the other associated technologies of the Industrial Revolution changed the world and influenced human history so much, that in the words of the historian Ian Morris, "... they made mockery out of all that had come before."
A máquina a vapor, e outras tecnologias associadas da Revolução Industrial, mudaram o mundo e influenciaram tanto a história da humanidade que, nas palavras do historiador Ian Morris, fizeram escárnio de tudo o que tinha vindo antes.