The 1600s was a time of considerable technological progress, dwarfed only by the progress made in the subsequent centuries. For the first time ever, it seemed that every generation inherited a significantly more modern life than the previous one. The modern world was beginning to dawn. The scientific method came to be embraced across much of the world, and breakthroughs in the sciences - particularly in astronomy, physics, medicine, mechanics, printing, and armament - led to rapid societal progression. Partly since most of these discoveries hailed from the Orient, the Asian empires were able to increasingly dominate the globe. By the end of the 17th century, this Asian domination would spread even to Western Europe.