The most important inventions of all time

Condoms, compasses, printers, phones, light bulbs . are the most important inventions of all time by the expert group of Life's Little Mysteries magazine.

1. Wheel

Before the invention of the wheel in 3500 BC, the development of human society was greatly limited due to difficulties in transportation. The wheeled trailers have created favorable conditions for agriculture and commerce because it makes it easy to move goods from one place to another, limiting the loss of human strength and strength. of the. Today, it is used in all areas of life, from clock manufacturing to turbine engines.

2. Dinh

It is not exaggerated to say: without the appearance of nails, human civilization will surely collapse. This important invention dates back to ancient Rome, associated with the name of Greek scholar Archimedes in the 3rd century BC and became popular after humans developed the ability to cast and shape metal.

In the past, the construction of wooden buildings had many difficulties because it had to match the edges and grooves on each piece of wood together. Therefore, the introduction of the screw helps this work become softer.

3. Compass

The ancient sailors used to rely on stars to find the direction for their boat, but that method could not be applied during the day or in cloudy nights.

However, that was no longer an important issue when the Chinese invented the first compass around the 9th to the 11th centuries. It was made from magnet stones, a magnetized iron ore. nature. The compass allows sailors to find a safe way, contributing to the development of the shipping industry and at the beginning of the era of human discovery.

4. Printer

German engineer Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printer around 1440. It revolutionized the printing industry, allowing for the rapid creation of huge numbers of books. Thanks to new books and newspapers, there is transmission and retention of human knowledge. Twenty million books were printed in Western Europe in 1500.

5. Internal combustion engine

An internal combustion engine is a type of heat engine that creates mechanical work by burning fuel inside the engine. The models of internal combustion engines were applied in the second half of the 19th century. It opened a new chapter in the industrial era, allowing the birth of many important inventions such as modern cars and aircraft.

6. Phone

Although there were many inventions that pioneered the transmission of voice with electronic devices, Alexander Graham Bell was the first to receive a patent for the invention of the phone in 1876. It is an important factor in the global trade and communications revolution.

7. Light bulbs

Light bulbs change the world by allowing people to conduct activities at night. According to historians, among those who were instrumental in creating incandescent lamps in the 1800s, Thomas Edison was credited with being the main inventor because he created a perfect lighting system, including generator, wiring and carbon fiber bulbs in 1879.

Since then, human sleep patterns have gradually changed. Instead of going to bed when it is getting dark (because it's hard to do anything in the dark) and sleeping continuously until morning, people now spend about 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

8. Penicillin

This is one of the most important findings in human history. In 1928, at the laboratory of Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, a dish of food that was not covered was filled with Petri bacteria.

Especially, where mold is present, the bacteria are all killed there. This antibiotic mold is called the Penicillium fungus. And in the next two decades, scientists have successfully investigated Penicillin, used to treat bacterial infections. Penicillin began to be mass-produced in 1944.

9. Contraceptive devices

In addition to oral contraceptives, condoms and other forms of contraception have created a sexual revolution. Accordingly, the 'relationship' between men and women is now not only for reproductive purposes but also significantly reduces the average number of children per woman. As a result, the quality of life in each family is significantly improved. Meanwhile, on a global scale, contraceptives help the population gradually slow down and may stabilize by the end of the century. The use of condoms also limits the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Condoms began to become popular in the 18th century, while birth control pills were invented in the late 1930s by a chemist called the Russell Marker.

10. Internet

The Internet - a global information system of interconnected computer networks - is now familiar with billions of people worldwide.

Although many people contributed to it, the invention of scientist Lawrence Roberts is more noted.

In 1960, a group of computer experts working for ARPA's Research and Development Project Agency of the US Department of Defense built a communications network connecting computers in the agency, called ARPANET. That is the precursor to today's Internet.