Beyond Norms is What?

I can quite firmly say that a new era does not signify a new dimension, but is the vice versa possible? That is, can a new dimension be the start of a new era?
Looking back, lets take the case of Time. Please note that I have begun this statement with the phrase: "looking back". Time is a dimension, and it has definitely revolutionised our way of thinking. But is that the same as a new era or just a revolution, akin to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, in a more practical form? Here, by practical I am signifying a relative increase of 'in use'.
Pondering on this point, would there even have been an Industrial Revolution if we hadn't defined the quantity Time?? Does it change the intellectual capacity of a person if he knows the time? No doubt it increases productivity of an individual (minus the perpetual procastinators!), but humans would still work in the day and rest at night!

I think the basic problem is the misunderstanding of the word "era". The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as "A period of time characterized by particular circumstances, events, or personages".

I therefore do believe that new dimensions (not only scientific but also thought processes - take any of Newton, Einstein, Nash or even Alfred Sloan or Shakespeare for example!) would cause changes in eras, although the change may not be distinctly at a particular instant of time.

So we remain the question : If it weren't for the discovery of Time, would life have still gone on as usual? (I assume in this question that the technological, etc. advances may be at a much slower rate.) Then again is the era change just relative?

Ponder my firends, and rack thy nutty brains!