There’s a reason why humans are considered the most intelligent species out there. Even though we’ve lived on Earth for a short period of time, our advancements are like no other species. Here are some of the most important inventions that have shaped history.
The Wheel
Michal Stipek/Shutterstock: Wheel is the greatest invention of all time
When it comes to inventions, the wheel really got things rolling. Before that, humans were very restricted by how much and how far we could transport. Surprisingly, they were first used as potter’s wheels in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia.
Agriculture and commerce industries benefited the most from this development. Today we find wheels in everything from vehicles to turbines to clocks. They really are the hallmark of man’s innovation.
The Compass
The thirst for the unknown has always led us to faraway lands. Getting to these places, however, was not easy. Ancient voyagers used the stars to navigate, but that depended on the weather and other conditions.
The first compass was invented by the Chinese between the 9th and the 11th Century. It then passed on to the Europeans, giving them wealth and power, and fueled the Industrial Revolution.
While satellites and GPS have made the compass somewhat obsolete, one can’t deny the impact this invention has had on navigation.
The Printing Press
From a mere forty pages per day, we started to produce almost 3600 pages!Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440, the printing press changed the world as we know it.
It slowly spread to over 200 cities in Europe and thus was born the Printing Revolution.We have produced newspapers and books on a large scale.For the first time in history, knowledge became affordable and hence accessible to the masses.
The Telephone
Everett Collection/Shutterstock: Bell’s first telephone. Publicity photo ca. 1915-1925
While Alexander Graham Bell was the first to patent the phone, there were many inventors and pioneers who conducted similar work with success.
Bell was inspired by teaching and interacting with the deaf and called his first creation an ‘electrical speech machine’— a real breakthrough in the field of communication and global business.
The Airplane
Human beings were always fascinated by birds and their ability to fly. Some, like Leonardo da Vinci, believed that it was possible as long as we had the right apparatus. He produced more than 500 sketches of flying machines and birds.
Pero Mihajlovic/Shutterstock: The invention of flying vehicles
This dream was finally achieved by the Wright Brothers in 1903, and we’ve made a quantum leap since that first flight. Today you can simply book a ticket to any part of the world and be there in a matter of hours!
The Internet
Comdas/Shutterstock: The invention of internet
The United States Defense Department built a communications network in the 1960s called ARPANET or Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It helped to share data between nodes over long distances.
In the 1970s, scientist Vinton Chef developed ‘Transmission Control,’ which helped computers communicate with one another. Modern-day internet or the ‘World Wide Web’ as we know it was developed by Tim Berners-Lee, a computer programmer.
Imagining the world without the internet is impossible. Whether it’s information, communication, shopping, education, or dating, the internet is your one-stop destination for everything.
This global system is used by billions of people worldwide, and its invention cannot be credited to one person alone.
We’ve made it to the moon and beyond, and only time will tell what else is to come. The one thing that has stayed constant throughout history is man’s need to thrive and progress.
