Top 10 Inventions that redefined life for humanity: Part 2

In my opinion, there are 10 particular inventions that dramatically changed life for mankind.

After seeing my classmates 10 inventions, I realized that I left out a few very important creations. My original set included the laptop, telephone, cellphone, and automobile. Although these were also quite important inventions, I chose to replace them with written language, anesthesia, refrigeration, and penicillin, as I now see that these three inventions had a larger impact on humanity than the previous three I had before.

I kept my inventions in historically chronological order. Now that I’ve added written language to the mix, my invention lists spans over a larger period of human history. The progression of man’s innovation has really been quite fascinating!

1. Written Language – The first written language was developed in Mesopotamia in 3200 BC. Written language was detrimental to human history, as it facilitated record keeping for both financial and social interactions, while also making it possible for us to record our present events, aka, what latter generations would refer to as history.

2. The Toilet/Sewage System -  Although notoriously nicknamed the “crapper” because of its improvements by Thomas Crapper, the toilet was actually first invented by an Englishman named John Harrington in 1596. If it weren’t for this brilliant Englishman’s idea, our world may quite literally be full of crap.

3. Electricity - Although William Gilbert is known as the “Father of Electricity,” the actual inventor of electricity was Otto von Guerick, who created a machine that produced static electricity in 1660. Thomas Edison did not invent electricity nor the light bulb, he merely made a better version of the light bulb. Regardless, these men all established the foundation for an idea that would quite literally 

light up the world. Without electricity, thousands of latter inventions may have not been possible.

4. The Steam Engine - Invented in 1698, the steam engine is a technological advancement that lead to future combustion engines and other mechanical innovations. Our modern, high-tech world would be a very different place if the steam engine were never invented. In its time, the steam engine facilitated the industrial revolution, urban development, and transportation. Thanks the steam engine, manufacturing, agriculture, and mining also benefited in efficiency.

5. Anesthesia – Developed in 1846 by John Collins Warren, anesthesia has made surgeries a lot more efficient. Before anesthesia, various medical procedures that were meant to improve one’s health could actually kill us. Anesthesia has definitely increased the life expectancy of individuals undergoing surgery, and on a larger scale, helped advanced medicine and spur other medical creations.

6. The Airplane - Although most of us erroneously credit the Wright brothers with the invention of the airplane, it was actually Richard Pearse who invented the first airplane in 1902. Although his plane only flew for about 350 yards, Pearse’s creation would transform transportation for later generations. The airplane is nidispensible in our world today, as individuals like me would not be able to travel from the OC to SF in a matter of minutes and would not be able to receive important correspondence, such as medications or orders from Amazon.com, if it weren’t for Pearse’s airplane.

7. Refrigeration – In 1805, a brilliant man named Oliver Evans designed the first refrigeration machine.  The refrigerator has also been detrimental to man’s nutritional needs: we can now store our food, transport different types of agricultural products and livestock over long distances without worrying about the food rotting.

8. Penicillin – Created in 1928 by Alexander Flemming, penicillin was the first antibiotic of human history. The creation of penicillin definitely spurred the establishment of future antibiotics. Without antibiotics, many of us would die due to the most trivial of things. A paper cut or diarrheal disease could very much end our lives. Thanks to antibiotics, our life expectancy and ability to fight off diseases have increased tremendously.

9  The Computer - John Mauchly is credited with creating the first computer in 1946. His invention would also become indispensable to humanity, as computers have expanded and improved several areas of human life: technology, education, infrastructure, and entertainment.

10. The Internet - The internet is one technological advancement that has simultaneously helped and harmed humanity. Seemingly a blessing, the internet has allowed billions of people to connect within seconds, to see each other despite miles of separation, and to share all kinds of information without any stamps. Still, the internet has hurt society, as younger generations prefer to communicate online over speaking in person. Whether for better or worse, the creation of the internet is attributed to J. C. R. Licklider, who wanted to create a network of computer systems that could be interconnected so that he could connect 3 separate systems in Santa Monica, UC Berkeley, and MIT in 1958.