History has been a grand odyssey where man has invented miraculous things. The birth of technology has had humble beginning, but it has made us into the modern civilization that we are now. We pay tribute to the achievements of man by listing down the four greatest inventions in our history. Each one of these technologies pushed humanity forward and brought about a new era in its wake.
Wheel
Our greatest technologies had small beginnings, and it all began with the invention of the wheel. You may not think much of a wheel, but consider this. A wheel was a technology so simple that it was invented in 3500 B.C., but it was so undeniably elegant that we still use it today. Many of the ancient technologies have become obsolete; smoke signals, papyrus even the floppy disk which was only invented 40 years ago. But the wheel, which was invented 5000 years go is still relevant to this day. When it was first implemented, it brought about an agricultural revolution. Suddenly, tilling the soil and transporting crops became much less labor intensive, and it allowed people to become farmers and make a huge amount of food the increased our population.
Steam Power
Industrial revolution was an era of huge prosperity. It mainly started with England that began to grow it’s industries at a rapid pace through the uses of machinery. And powering all their machine was steam. Everything from factories, trains and even some houses where now using steam power. Its invention also caused a chain reaction, as many engineers came up with clever ways to use steam power for various uses. There are even records of some inventors who thought of using steam power to create robotic people who could replace workers in factories.
Atomic Bomb
There is a sense of foreboding terror that sits with the atomic bomb. The invention of this devastating weapon chilled the world as it was the first time we realized that we had the power the truly annihilate the Earth. However, the invention of the atomic bomb may have brought about more good than harm. For starters, it allowed physicists to confirm major theories in particle physics which lead to a deeper understand of quantum physics. Many new inventions soon followed such as electronics and radio therapy, which allowed the treatment of cancer.
In a more complicated manner, atomic bombs also changed world diplomacy forever. When countries wielded the power of the nuclear bomb, they began to open up channels of dialogue in fear of the other country using nuclear weapons. Many terms such as ‘nuclear deterrent’ came into play and soon we had to start cooperating with each or face nuclear apocalypse. The atomic era has shaped the world into the globalized system we live in today.
Internet
And finally, the invention that has been single handedly responsible for the revolution you and I are living in at this very moment. The internet has broken barriers and made the world into a smaller place. With it, there is no information out of reach or no interaction impossible. The web is a global network that has brought humanity one step closer to cultural atonement.
Author Bio: The writer of this article is Ana Camacho. She has been a writer on the vast topics of technology since the beginning of Midnightessays.com. Since the first time she worked for us, we have seen nothing but a sincere passion and enthusiasm of her craft. Melody is in love with technology and she loves even more to share it with other people.