10 Watershed Inventions

10 Inventions That Changed the Course of History

1.  The Internet (Late 1960s) - Developed due to building tensions during the Cold War, the internet provides humankind with an unlimited collection of information that can be accessed by anyone. In addition, it has paved the way for exponential economical, social and intellectual growth by providing ever-growing resources promoting a start-up culture.

2. Paper (Han Dynasty, China) - Paper is a watershed in history because it allowed for colossal quantities of information to be created and stored in an easily accessible fashion. Originally made from papyrus and other reeds, paper helped inventors save information to create new inventions; I see paper as one of the world's father inventions.

3. Refrigeration (1805) - Refrigerating food changed the way food was produced and sold on a global scale. As a method of food preservation, refrigeration cut costs and amplified efficiency of production all over the world.

4. Internal Combustion Engine (1859) - The internal combustion engine is a machine that works by burning fuel in order to create massive amounts of kinetic energy to be used for motive power. Invented in 1859, this engine allowed for the production of automobiles, airplanes, and other forms of transportation that spurred our modern age of globalization.

5. Lightbulb (1870) - The lightbulb is a device that transmits electrical currents through a wire, using up energy by transforming it into heat and light. This invention led to the widespread development of electricity conduction and ultimately every technological invention that exists today.

6. Antibiotics (1940s) - Made accidentally by Alexander Fleming in the 1940s, antibiotics changed the course of history by decreasing the rate of death due to infectious disease by twenty-fold. This invention is pivotal, even in today's medical world.

7. Wheel (3500 BCE) - As one of the six simple machines of the world, the wheel is fundamental in practically every field of work. The wheel enabled an effective method of transporting goods, which spurred global trade and lead to the development of cars, turbines, clocks and more.

8. Nail (200 BCE) - Despite being such a basic product, the nail was the linchpin in modern construction and global development. The nail allows for multiple objects to be held together firmly; this invention is one of the primary reasons why human civilization was able to develop at such an exponential rate.

9. Sliced Bread (1928) - Bread, the most universally consumed good and one third of the average American diet, is a staple product for basically every culture in the world. In 1928, Otto Rohwedder invented a machine designed to slice bread into pieces. This invention lead to a widespread revolutionary development in the food industry.

10. Television (1927) - I consider television to be one of the greatest inventions of all time because it is a device that possesses both great educational value and entertainment. It allows humankind to keep up with the world through news sources while also creating a network of consumers who use it for various methods of entertainment.