12 Inventions that changed the world

Innovation has always been a part of humanity. The spark of creativity has accompanied us for hundreds of years, although we frequently seem to forget how far we have come.

Human creativity has traveled along a path of constant advancement, from the earliest times when our forefathers fashioned sharp-edged tools by hitting rocks against the ground to the modern marvels of Mars rovers exploring far-off worlds. 

While some inventions were the result of a single eureka moment, many of the most revolutionary discoveries were the result of several creative minds working together over many years to refine and improve concepts. 

We dig into the stories behind 12 inventions that changed the world. Keep reading to learn about these fascinating creations.

Top 12 inventions that changed the world

1. The wheel

Life was pretty different from what we know before the invention of the wheel. The distance humans could move over land was severely constrained until this fantastic creation came to place around 3500 B.C.

You may read: Deepfakes: Identifying and Addressing Synthetic Media 

The most challenging aspect of inventing the wheel was not the wheel itself. According to David Anthony, an emeritus professor of anthropology at Hartwick College, things became challenging when it came time to attach a stationary platform to the rolling cylinder. Who would think we would end up with the cars we have nowadays?

2. The printing press

If we talk about the inventions that changed the world, we definitely have to talk about the printing press. 

This magnificent creation was attributed to German inventor Johannes Gutenberg, and it is thought that this ground-breaking invention took place between 1440 and 1450. 

The development of the hand mold, a unique process that made it possible to quickly produce enormous amounts of metal moveable type, was a key element of this invention. 

Despite earlier experimentation with metal moveable type by inventors in China and Korea, it was Gutenberg who mechanized the process and revolutionized printing. His invention made it possible to efficiently transfer linseed oil and soot-based ink from the movable type to paper.

This brilliant use of movable type meant a quantum improvement in the rate of book reproduction, ushering in a period of knowledge distribution that had never before been possible. It was possible to quickly and broadly disseminate information for the first time in history.

3. Penicillin

One of the most well-known inventions that changed the world is without a doubt this one. In his lab in 1928, the Scottish researcher Alexander Fleming discovered a Petri dish full of bacteria with its lid inadvertently ajar. The sample had developed mold contamination, and wherever the mold was present, bacteria had died. 

In the following two decades, chemists purified the antibiotic mold, which turned out to be the fungus Penicillium, and created the medicine penicillin. Penicillin treats a wide range of bacterial illnesses in people without endangering the patients.

4. Compass

In the past, mariners relied largely on celestial navigation, which involved utilizing the stars to direct their ships. This approach had several drawbacks, however, as it was inefficient during the day and on cloudy nights, making long-distance travel dangerous when away from the safety of the coastline.

The Han dynasty, which ruled China from the second century B.C. until the first century A.D., is when the compass first appeared. Lodestone, a naturally occurring magnetic iron ore whose alluring qualities had been studied for years, was used to make an ancient compass. Surprisingly, this magnetic wonder did not discover its actual purpose in navigation until the Song Dynasty, which ruled during the 11th and 12th centuries.

This discovery fundamentally altered our understanding of Earth’s topography and enabled worldwide exploration and the rapid growth of international trade. The compass has a lasting impact on human knowledge and the development of history and is still an essential instrument in today’s society.

5. Light bulb

This is one of those inventions that changed the world that managed to remain in our brains forever. Its development changed it all. Before its invention, humans relied solely on natural light. was removed by the development of the light bulb, which allowed us to be productive day or night.

Several inventors contributed to the creation of this ground-breaking technology throughout the 1800s, but Thomas Edison is recognized as the primary inventor because in 1879 he developed a fully operational lighting system that included a generator, wiring, and a carbon-filament bulb similar to the one above.

6. Telephone

Many innovators made important advancements in the field of electronic voice transmission, and as the use of telephones increased, many of them started legal proceedings to defend their intellectual property rights. 

On March 7, 1876, a Scottish inventor named Alexander Graham Bell accomplished the ground-breaking feat of obtaining a patent for the electric telephone. Bell’s patent application marks an important turning point in history.

Bell’s ties to his family had a significant influence on the development of his invention. His father, a speech elocution teacher, specialized in instructing the deaf in verbal communication. Similar problems with hearing loss plagued his mother, a talented pianist, in her senior years.

You may also read: Is Disney World moving out from Florida? 

7. Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine, one of the inventions that changed the world, operates by harnessing the energy generated from burning fuel, resulting in the release of high-temperature gas. 

This expanding gas exerts force upon a piston, setting it into motion. Through this process, chemical energy is effectively transformed into mechanical work, thus defining the essence of combustion engines.

The evolution of the internal combustion engine into its modern configuration transpired during the latter part of the 19th century, following decades of dedicated efforts by numerous pioneering scientists and engineers. 

This innovation played a seminal role in ushering in the Industrial Age, ultimately enabling the creation of a diverse array of machinery, including contemporary automobiles and aircraft.

8. Contraceptives

Contraceptives, including birth control pills and condoms, have not only ignited a sexual revolution in developed nations by permitting individuals to engage in sexual activity for pleasure rather than purely for procreation but have also significantly reduced the average number of children per woman in countries where they are prevalent. 

This decline in family size has translated into an enhanced quality of life for modern families, enabling them to provide better for each child due to fewer mouths to feed. On a global scale, contraceptives are contributing to a gradual stabilization of the human population, a trend expected to continue through the end of this century. Moreover, specific contraceptives, such as condoms, play a vital role in curbing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

The practice of natural and herbal contraception has an extensive historical lineage, dating back many centuries. Condoms, often referred to as ‘sheaths’, have existed in various forms since ancient times, however, it was in the 19th century that the rubber condom as we know it today was developed. 

In contrast, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for the first oral contraceptive pill in 1960. By 1965, over 6.5 million American women were using the pill.

In contemporary times, scientists are continually pushing the boundaries of contraceptive innovation, with some research laboratories even striving to develop a male equivalent of “the pill”. 

9. Internet

This, among the other inventions that changed the world, is probably one of the most important in recent decades.

The internet stands as a vast, worldwide system of interconnected computer networks that serves billions of individuals across the globe. Its origins trace back to the 1960s when a group of computer scientists employed by the U.S. Defense Department’s ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) undertook the task of constructing a communication network known as ARPANET, which laid the foundational groundwork for the internet we know today. ARPANET, a precursor to the modern internet, harnessed a groundbreaking data transmission technique termed “packet switching”. 

This innovation was pioneered by computer scientist Lawrence Roberts, building upon prior research by fellow computer scientists.

In the subsequent decade, the 1970s, the evolution of this technology continued under the guidance of scientists Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf. They played a pivotal role in crafting the essential communication protocols for the internet, namely the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), as elucidated by researchers. 

It is common practice to acknowledge Kahn and Cerf as the architects of the internet for their contributions to its foundational structure.

10. Nails

Although this might not be one of the first inventions that changed the world that comes to mind, this significant innovation has its roots extending over 2,000 years into the ancient Roman era and was made feasible through the development of metal casting and shaping techniques by humans. 

Prior to this advancement, the construction of wooden structures relied on the intricate and labor-intensive process of interlocking adjacent wooden boards.

Until the late 1700s and early 1800s, the prevalent practice involved the use of hand-wrought nails, where a blacksmith would heat a square iron rod and manually shape it on all four sides to form a pointed nail, as outlined by the University of Vermont. 

However, the emergence of nail-making machinery occurred during the transition between the 1790s and the early 1800s. Technological progress in nail production continued unabated, particularly after Henry Bessemer devised a method for mass-producing steel from iron. 

11. Concrete

Roman civilization is regarded as one of the earliest societies to use concrete in construction projects, and concrete use in architectural undertakings may be traced back to them. Roman architects used a concrete mix made of volcanic ash, lime, and seawater to build bathhouses and famous sites like the Colosseum and the Pantheon’s dome. 

Unbelievably, many of these historic structures not only still stand today but also continue to be in fantastic shape, which speaks volumes about the resilience of Roman concrete.

12. Magnifying glass

The inception of the magnifying glass can be attributed to Roger Bacon, a Franciscan friar and scholar at Oxford University, who introduced this optical device in 1268. Often recognized as “Britain’s first scientist”, Bacon’s work on the magnifying glass was built upon prior research conducted by Muslim scholars.

Nevertheless, the utilization of optical tools can be traced back to an even earlier period. Historical evidence suggests that as far back as 700 B.C. individuals in ancient Egypt had observed that they could enhance their vision by peering through crystals.

These were our top 12 inventions that changed the world. Of course there are many more out there that also deserve recognition as they have molded the reality as we now know it.

Keep reading: Yakutia 50 degrees below zero: How is life in the coldest city in the world?