We’ve seen so many technological advancements as species through the centuries of development and growth. Some have proven to be fantastic for us, while others, although made with a positive mind and for the benefit of humanity, turned out to be deadly.
Scientists and inventors from various regions and cultures affected our civilization at different times. Today, we live accepting these things as common. We don’t pay too much attention to how our laptops work, how our vehicles drive, and how the pills for headache work.
We’ve come so far in the past two or three centuries. So many things have changed, but what are the most significant tech breakthroughs during these times? We created a list of the six ultimate advancements. Some might argue that many inventions are missing, and that’s the beauty of discussion, exchanging opinions, and science. Here’s our list.
1. Paper
The first appearance of paper dates back more than 2,000 years ago. It was invented in China and is arguably the greatest invention after the wheel, which, as you may notice on this list, goes without saying. We take the wheel to be normative from which everything started.
Paper is the most important invention as it helped humanity reach the fastest growth possible. Before it, people shared their thoughts on rocks and wood, which was hard to carve and share.
Paper is lightweight, and you can write easily on it. It helped scientists and inventors write their achievements and breakthroughs and let others continue and improve. With paper, humanity managed to create a continuum of ideas and research, allowing us to grow where we are now.
2. Electricity
Many great scientists contributed to the invention of electricity and changed our lives entirely, from having street lights to powering our computers to walking in the dark using the most advanced Ledlenser powerful flashlights – all these thanks to the invention of electricity.
From William Gilbert to Michael Faraday to Nikola Tesla, in the past 400 years, this invention grew from knowing that it exists to driving our society almost entirely. Things started with small experiments and grew to Tesla setting up a huge power generator at Niagara Falls to power the entire New York City.
3. Penicillin
Scientists claim that one of the richest and most developed civilizations areas on the planet existed in the Brazilian rainforests, where millions of people thrived before the Spanish colonists came. The diseases the Spanish carried with them wiped out this civilization leaving no trace. Millions died because of germs and viruses previously unknown to these parts.
Over the ages, bacteria, and viruses continuously killed millions worldwide. With the invention of penicillin, all this changed. Now, these diseases are easily treated with just a few shots. The human lifespan almost doubled thanks to this invention.
4. Vaccines
Along with penicillin, another medical breakthrough is the vaccine. Although highly controversial at the moment, vaccines have proven to save billions of children through the last century. In the 1800s, the child mortality rate was around 45%, and today it is 3.4%.
Some diseases that wiped out entire generations were easily solved by applying the vaccine. Two of these diseases are entirely eradicated and are considered historic – smallpox and rinderpest. Many are also almost non-existing in western countries, allowing parents to never worry about the safety of their children.
5. Internal-combustion engines
The internal-combustion engine is valuable for people who constantly work in trade and travel. Just a few centuries ago, everyone had to walk between cities or ride a horse to get there. With the invention of steam engines, we saw boats and trains moving at high speeds, only for the development to travel by plane.
This is all thanks to the invention of the internal-combustion engine, which uses fuel and air mixed to provide enormous power and last long enough for transportation devices to move across great distances without refueling.
6. The internet
Finally, maybe the biggest invention of them all – the internet. Electricity evolved to provide so many different uses-cases, only to become what we know it is today – an essential tool for making us enjoy life, unlike any other generation before us.
With the invention of the internet, every human on this planet got the chance to learn and adapt within hours. An age-lasting problem was solving problems quickly for humans; now, the internet contains all answers in one place. From making fire to developing an atomic bomb, the internet has all the answers.
Conclusion
These are arguably the most important tech advancements throughout history. A wide list would fit more than 100. This list of six points quickly drives us from the beginning of the first civilizations to modern-day humans hooked to online information. It’s a wild journey humanity had, and it obviously won’t stop here. The best is yet to come.
