Top 10 Inventions that Changed the World
As Edward Teller once said, “The science of today is the technology of tomorrow”. Here are, we believe, the top 10 inventions that actually changed the world. The world, as we know it today, is the result of a series of inventions that made living more convenient and the world a safer and healthy place to live.
Among all the scientific inventions, some carry more significance than others because of their impact on the world.
Here is the list of top 10 inventions that actually changed the world:
- Printing Press
- The Wheel
- Telephone
- Electricity and the light bulb
- Refrigeration
- Airplanes
- Computers
- Internet
- Satellite Navigation
- Vaccination
1. Printing Press:
Invented by Johannes Gutenberg- a german goldsmith, Printing press helped disseminate knowledge and information wider and faster than ever before. Writing and reading were no longer meant just for the rich. It made possible the creation of a global news network, encouraged literacy and books.
Due to the European Renaissance, many new ideas were flourishing and the printing press proved to be a catalyst in bringing social change particularly in Europe. As Martin Luther- the german religious reformer famously said: “Printing is the ultimate gift of God and the greatest one”. Thanks to the printing press, Martin Luther became the world’s first best-selling author as his critical work against the church was widely published and distributed.
The printing press also played an important role in the scientific revolution. Before the invention of the printing press, scientists and philosophers were separated by geography. With the new invention of the printing press, scientific knowledge and data were widely shared. That ultimately led to great progress in the field of science.
Also read: The World’s Largest Plane makes its Second Test Flight
2. The Wheel:
The wheel is one of the oldest inventions of human society and surely one of the most important ones. The wheel is believed to be invented in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) around 6000 years ago. Ancient archeological discoveries from Mesopotamia have a clear depiction of a wheel.
From cars to airplanes and watches, the wheel has a wide presence in today’s world. It has revolutionized transportation and industries. In the contemporary world, it is next to unimaginable to live without wheels.
3. Telephone:
The telephone is one of the greatest inventions of all time. Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in the late nineteenth century, Telephones quickly transformed into a necessary part of modern life after being a luxury item for a brief period. Graham Bell first called it the Electric Speech Machine.
The invention became widely popular and categorically revolutionized worldwide communication and global businesses. It could be called the parent machine of modern-day cell phones.
4. Electricity and the Light bulb:
Who can actually imagine life without a light bulb, television, internet, and other important electronic devices? None of this was possible without electricity.
Many people have contributed to refine the concept of electric current. Among them, Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday, and James Bowman Lindsay are the prominent ones. Thomas Edison took it to a whole new level after the invention of the light bulb. This was one of the important inventions in history and many scientific inventions owe it to electricity.
5. Refrigeration:
Refrigeration is a game-changer for food consumption. Before the refrigerator was invented, food would go bad very quickly and it was practically impossible to store food on a large scale.
The development of refrigeration took place around 1750 and onwards. The commercial refrigerator, as we know it today, was released in 1923 for household use. Now the refrigerator has become an integral part of every household.
6. Airplanes:
If we talk about the top 10 inventions that change the world, it is compulsory to add airplanes to this list. During the twentieth century, the world became more and more connected. Globalization has brought the world together, thanks to the invention and developments of Airplanes.
The Wright brothers practically demonstrated flying an airplane on December 17, 1903. Through further developments and refinement, airplanes became much more comfortable and fast.
Airplanes have become an integral part of the global economy, concerning both the transport of people and cargo. Today roughly a third of all international trade by value spends time in the air. Intercontinental tourism has also been made possible with constant developments in the airplanes.
7. Computer:
Computers are one of the most revolutionary inventions of all time. The first programmable computer was designed by British mathematician Charles Babbage between 1933 and 1971.
Alan Turing, who broke the enigma code in world war 2, modified the concept of the computer with the invention of his Turing Machine. From then on, computers, as we know them, are born.
Back in the early days of computers, it would cover an entire room. Nowadays one can carry a computer in the pocket. Computers have played a massive role in the operations of businesses and helped to get tough tasks done in seconds.
Also Read: Top Uses of Computer in Everyday Life
8. The Internet:
In our list of top 10 inventions that change the world, The Internet is on No. 8 because it is an essential part of modern life. From offices to homes and hospitals, the internet has a wide presence. Imagine how changed the world would be if there were no internet.
The internet as we know today was invented by Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf. They collaborated to develop a communication model through which data can be transmitted between multiple networks.
However, it was the invention of the World Wide Web by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee which made the internet more accessible. The internet has modified education, healthcare, businesses and even our day to day interactions.
Related Article: Uses of Internet in Our Daily Life
9. Satellite Navigation:
Global Positioning System or the GPS for short was developed by the US Department of Defence and became partially operational in 1955. The GPS uses 25 different satellites to provide location and time information anywhere on the planet earth.
Through a few clicks on your smartphone, you can find a full satellite view of any part of the world. So if you have a functioning smartphone, the GPS will provide details of each street and corner around the world.
GPS has a massive impact on how geography was learned.
Related Article: How Many Satellites Orbit the Earth?
10. Vaccination:
Vaccination was the invention that revolutionized civilization. Humans have faced many pandemics throughout history and millions of people were lost to diseases.
In the eighteenth century, Edward Jenner found out that if the people contracted the non-deadly cowpox, then they did not smallpox- a huge killer back in the eighteenth century. By this experiment, he invented the first vaccine for smallpox.
Edward Jenner is considered as the man who saved millions of lives. All the vaccines that are developed by scientists afterward are on the foundation of Edward’s discovery.
That’s our list of top 10 inventions in science that changes the world and our everyday life. We hope you like this post “Top 10 Inventions that change the world.” Please share this article on your social accounts, because sharing is caring.
Originally Published on Everydayscience Blogspot
