Inventions that Changed the World 4 Flashcards
During 1969, shortly after the creation of ARPANET, experimental email transfers between separate computer systems began.
Before email, sending an important document overseas involves a chaotic process. Now communication is one click away. The first substantial use of email began in the 1960s. By mid-1970s, it had taken the recognized form. The present-day most of the official business communication depends on email.
Now, email is available on plenty of friendly web interfaces by providers such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. This excellent medium of communication is well adopted by millions of people.
internet
Unlike the bulb or the telephone, the Internet has no single “inventor.” Instead, it has evolved over time. It started in the United States around the 1950s, along with the development of computers.
Since the mid-1990s, the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on technology, including the rise of electronic mail, instant messaging, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls, and two-way interactive video calls.
World Wide Web www
The Internet is a networking infrastructure. Whereas the World Wide Web is a way to access information over the medium of the Internet.
The father of the World Wide Web is a British Computer Scientist, Tim Berners-Lee. While working as a software engineer at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, Tim noticed the difficulty in sharing information.
In 1989, this leads to a proposal “Information Management: A Proposal”. However, it was not immediately accepted.
By October 1990, three Tim laid the foundation to the web through HTML, URL, and HTTP technologies.
banknote or paper money
From materials like livestock to precious metals and coins, currency took various forms throughout history. Due to frequent shortages of coins, banks issued paper notes as a promise against payment of precious metals in the future.
The idea of using a light-weight substance as money originated in China during the Han Dynasty in 118 BC. Through travelers, Europe was introduced to this system in the 13th century.
The switch to paper money relieved governments during crisis time. Thus, it changed the face of the global economy with a vital step in a new monetary system.
credit cards
During the dawn of the 20th century, people paid for everything with cash.
The idea of credit cards started around 1950 by Ralph Schneider and Frank McNamara, founders of Diners Club, to consolidate multiple cards.
While technology continues to advance, the idea of paying for daily purchases with a card has now become the norm.
Telephone and Mobile Phones
“Mr. Watson, come here, I want you.” On March 10, 1876, these were the first words spoken by telephone inventor.
Alexander Graham Bell through his device to his assistant Thomas Watson. Telephone history conceivably started with the human desire to communicate far and wide. With the arrival of the mobile phone in the 1980s, communications were no longer restrained.
The clever invention of cellular network supported the revolution of the telephone industry. Starting from bulky mobiles phones to ultrathin handsets, mobiles phones have covered a long way so far.
John F. Mitchell and Martin Cooper of Motorola demonstrated the first handheld device in 1973.
robots
Robotic devices often perform complicated, repetitive, and sometimes dangerous tasks. The word Robot evokes various devices ranging from a cooking device to the Rover.
The word “robot” first appeared in R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), a play was written by Czech playwright Karl Capek in 1921. Coincidentally, the word “robotics” was also coined by a science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov in his short story “Runabout”, published in 1942.
Around 3000 B.C, human figurines were used to strike the hour bells in the Egyptian water clocks. This marked the first mechanical design. As the time flew, more designs and devices were evolved. But Robotics advanced scientifically in the 20th century.
The foundation to modern robots was laid in the 1950s by George C. Devol, who invented and patented a reprogrammable manipulator called “Unimate,” from “Universal Automation.”
In the late 1960s, Joseph Engleberger acquired the patent and modified them into Industrial robots. This effort made him “the Father of Robotics.” Who knows! Someday robots might outsmart us and make us completely technology dependents. They are truly inventions that changed the world!
guns
For some, guns might be a sensational invention while for others it might be a dreadful invention.
Weapons have been the primary tools since ancient age. But, it is an undeniable fact that the Guns have revolutionized the world.
The earliest usage of a firearm might have been in China during the 13th century CE. In earlier days, guns were fired by holding a burning wick to a “touch hole” in the barrel igniting the powder inside.
The first machine gun is the matchlock, which dates to 1400s. By the 12th century, the technology started spreading to Asia, followed by Europe.
The problem of loading and reliability was solved by the invention of a hand-driven machine gun called Gatling gun. It was invented by Richard J. Gatling during the American Civil War. As the tech continued to evolve, each following model became more deadly.
