My all time top ten greatest inventions of all time are listed here, not in order of importance, as inventions in different areas of society have have their own merit, so it is just a list of very handy things to have been invented.
1) Paper – this invention has 1,000’s of years of history, beginning with the ancient Egyptians. Paper has a wide variety of uses beyond it original intention of writing. Storage of our history and knowledge in the form of million of books, newspapers, journals, official documents would not exist without its invention. Can you imagine William the Conqueror commissioning 1,000’s of people in 1085 to go out and register over 13,000 settlements in the English Counties without being able to write it all down on paper!
2) Plastic – although it has become the bane of our lives in terms of it disposal in our delicate environment, it has to be said the invention of this light weight, durable material, that can be moulded into practically anything, is up their with the greats! From piping to transport water to our homes, to covering our floors, enabling us to store things neatly, and to carrying our shopping home . . . its uses are countless.
3) electricity – this probably needs no explanation, it is something that is taken for granted just to function in a modern society. I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this, without it.
4) Internet – This tool has taken social interaction into another dimension. Myself like millions of others have probably never been in contact with so many people before, sharing ideas and knowledge, reaching out for inspiration, just feeling part of a global community.
5) vaccinations – In the middle ages untold millions died from the plague. Only centuries ago people died from cholera, smallpox and other infectious diseases. Smallpox, in fact being the first disease where people tried to prevent it by inoculating themselves with a similar infection, to trigger the body to defend itself. The word vaccination was first used by Edward Jenner, who inoculated patients with cowpox in 1796 to prevent smallpox. Nowadays, a wide variety of vaccinations are available and millions of lives have been saved. It is still the most effective method of disease prevention.
6) Radio – The interaction of electricity and magnetism creating a radio frequency that can be converted into something audible through a box has always been a fascination to me.
7) Motor engine – Mobility has exposed us to an incredible incite into our world, it has allowed us the freedom to explore and experience life beyond our “backyard”.
8) mobile phone – like the internet this form of communication has opened the world up to a new kind of social interaction.
9) Time – We meet our friends for lunch at 12:30. I have a hair appointment at 3:45. I have to get up and go to work at 8:30 am. . . Our lives are not only guided but controlled by time. As society has become more developed and diverse the need to compartmentalize our days and nights is more and more important, without the invention of a formal time system we would be relying on individual perceptions of timekeeping.
10) Cat’s eyes – This is probably a bit of an odd one to put in. But, living in a country where we don’t have them on most roads, in my opinion, they are one of the best safety devices ever invented. Invented by Percy Shaw in 1933, they are basically a rubber dome with two reflective glass spheres, used to mark the centre of the road. Such a simple concept that has saved countless lives.
