Presentation. Scientific Inventions. 9th grade

Scientific Inventions

“ The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” ―  Nikola Tesla

“ Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle,  A Case of Identity

Human inventions and technologies have shaped civilizations and transformed life on the Earth.  As expectations and capabilities evolve, each new generation possesses its own set of innovative thinkers.

Right from the invention of the wheel to the development of Mars rover, several inventions are revolutionary.

Most major inventions don't have one inventor. Throughout the years, many innovative inventors have had their hand in both the elevation and evolution of an invention.

Here is a list of our top picks of revolutionary  inventions that changed the world :

• Wheel

The wheel stands out as the OG of engineering marvels and one of the most famous inventions that influenced numerous other things. This primitive technology made it easier for all of us to travel. From the archeological excavations, the oldest known wheel is from Mesopotamia, around 3500 B.C. As a result of advancement in the new and innovative design of wheels, industrialization could take root.

The wheel serves a vital purpose in our lives, and we couldn't imagine the world without them.

2. Compass

Created for spiritual and navigational purposes, the earliest compasses were most likely invented by the Chinese in around 1050 BC. It was made of lodestones, which is a naturally magnetized iron ore.

The invention of the electromagnet in 1825 led to the development of the modern compass.

The invention of the compass certainly helped modern navigation more than our GPS-needing culture could understand.

3. Automobile

Although the foundation to the modern car year was laid in 1886 by German inventor Karl Benz, Cars did not become widely available until the early 20th century.  Henry Ford   innovated  mass-production techniques that became standard, with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. However, he certainly wasn't the only person to develop the horseless carriage.

The history of the automobile reflects a worldwide evolution. Dozens of spin-off industries blossomed creating thousands of new jobs. Oil and steel became two well-established industries.

Vehicle production and sales are one of the major indicators of economic status. Moreover, it influenced the technological advances in petroleum refining, steel making, paint and plate-glass manufacturing, and other industrial processes.

4.  Steam Engine

Thomas Savery patented the first practical steam engine in 1698. It was one of the greatest inventions made by a man making him one of the people who has changed the world.

Later in 1781, James Watt  patented  an improved steam engine and went on to fuel one of the most momentous technological leaps in human history during the Industrial Revolution.

During the 1800s these engines lead to an improvement in transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing industries.

Later, the steam engine’s basic principle set the stage for innovations like internal combustion engines and jet turbines, which prompted the rise of cars and aircraft during the 20th century.

5. Concrete

Concrete is one of the most widely used man-made material. It's a composite material composed of rough composite bonded together with a fluid cement which hardens over time.

Most concretes used are lime-based, asphalt concrete, and polymer concretes. Earlier, Limestone was used as a crude cement. As the materials and combinations improved, modern concrete was invented.

One of the key ingredients of concrete is cement. The foundation to cement was laid in  1300 BC .

Middle eastern builders coated the outside of their clay fortresses with a thin, and moist burned limestone, which chemically reacted with gasses in the air to form a hard, protective surface.

Around  6500 BC , the first concrete-like structures were built by the Nabataea traders or Bedouins in the southern Syria and northern Jordan regions.

By  700 BC , the significance of hydraulic lime was known, which led to the development of mortar supply kilns for the construction of rubble-wall houses, concrete floors, and underground waterproof cisterns.

By  3000 BC , the Egyptians were using early forms of concrete to build pyramids.

In  1824 , the most used Portland cement was invented by Joseph Aspdin of England.  George Bartholomew  had laid down the first concrete street in the US during  1891 , which still exists.

By the end of the 19 th  century, the use of steel-reinforced concrete was developed. In  1902 , using steel- reinforced concrete, August Perret designed and built an apartment building in Paris. This building a wide admiration and popularity to concrete and also influenced the development of reinforced concrete.

In  1921 , Eugène Freyssinet pioneered the use of reinforced- concrete construction by building two colossal parabolic-arched airship hangars at Orly Airport in Paris.

6. Petrol

Without gas, there wouldn't be the  first industrial revolution  in the automobile industry.

Gasoline is a fuel derivative of oil, which is shortly called “gas” in the United States and “petrol,” in other places around the world.

To be more specific, petrol is a transparent, petroleum-derived liquid that is used as an essential fuel in internal combustion engines.

Petrol is the natural by-product and the invention here we are talking about is the numerous processes to improve the quality.

Do you know, gas was initially discarded?

During 1859, in Pennsylvania, Edwin Drake dug the first oil well and refined the oil to produce kerosene. Although the distillation produced gas, he discarded it as he was unaware of it. Until 1892, the prominence of gas wasn’t recognized. The first gas pump was manufactured by  Sylvanus Bowser  On September 5, 1885.

The year 1970 gained attention towards environmental protection .

7. Railways

Railways is a mode of transport which can carry a large number of passengers with ease of comfort and/or heavy loads to long distances.

Modern trains history is around 200 years old, which revolutionized the way we travel. Distant lands become possible, industries are powered with an infinite amount of raw materials. Earlier mode of transport was carts pulled by animals.

During 1500 -1800, wagonways were common in Europe, which was used in mining. After the invention of the Steam engine, more researchers were carried out throughout the world for a better design.

The commercial appearance of train networks came in the late 1820s, and the pioneer in that field was inventor  George Stephenson , with his design 'Rocket', the most famous early railway locomotive. This gained rapid expansion across newly acquired lands. In 1821, Stephenson was appointed as an engineer for the construction of the Stockton and Darlington railway, which was opened as the first public railway in  1825 .

The grand success of “Rocket” and opening of the Stockton to Darlington railway line energized railway industry. Railways reached another important chapter in the history, with the invention of Diesel Engine.

8. Airplane

On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright  achieved  the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane.

While flying machines had been dreamt up since da Vinci's time, the Wright Brothers became the biggest successes. Beginning with gliders, the duo laid the foundation for modern aeronautical engineering.

Additionally, new business boomed along with a number of people being trained to fly planes. The possibility to fly over thousands of miles in less time would not have been made possible if the aircraft were not invented.

9. Fire

Though fire is a natural phenomenon, its discovery marked a revolution in the pages of history.

All thanks to our ancestors for leading us to the controlled use of fire which helps us from colorful lighting to delicious cooking. In addition, the biography of various landscapes was altered by fire.

Ancient people might have become acquainted with fire derived from natural sources. Later came the processes of making fire artificially.

This remarkable  control of fire  happened during Early Stone Age by Homo erectus. The earliest evidence comes from Kenya region. Although fire could have been used about 1 million years ago, evidence of cooked food is found from 1.9 million years.

From the past to the present Fire has been in rituals, agriculture, cooking, generating heat and light, signaling, various industrial processes, cremation, and as a weapon or medium of destruction .

10. Nail

The sophisticated human life would not have been possible without the invention of a small nail. They provide one of the best clues in determining the age of historic buildings. 

Prior to the invention of nails, wood structures were built by geometrically interlocking adjacent boards. The invention of nails goes back to several thousand years and was possible only after the development of casting and shaping a metal.

Around 3400 BC , Bronze nails were found in Egypt. According to the  University of Vermont , the hand-wrought nails were a norm until the 1790s and early 1800s. By 1913, 90 percent of nails produced in the U.S. were steel wire nails.

Other types of nails include pins, tacks, brads, and spikes with wire nails being popular.

11.  Tools

The usage of tools started 2.6 million years back in Ethiopia.

Anthropologists believe the use of tools became an important step in the evolution of mankind. Earlier materials such as sticks and stones made tools.

The invention of machine tools advanced the industrial revolution.

Imagine how would we build or maintain previous innovations without a handy hammer.

12. Light Bulb

The energy we use today at home and office is a bright idea from more than 150 years ago.  

Pioneered in the early 19th century by Humphry Davy, electric lights developed throughout the 1800s and was one of the most influential, great inventions of all times.

Edison and Swan  patented  the first light bulb in 1879 and 1880. In the mid-1980s, CFLs hit the market. But the drawbacks such as high cost, bulky, low light output, and inconsistent performance made them less prominent. Currently, LEDs offer the best energy savings on the market.

However, the invention of the bulb electrified new businesses. It also led to new energy breakthroughs such as power plants, electric transmission lines, home appliances etc.

13. Electricity

Electricity has become the basic need for day to day life. It's been there around all along but the practical applications to effectively use it was invented. Although many use electricity, how many of you know the evolution of electricity?

Alessandro Volta discovered the first practical method of generating electricity.

1831   is marked the year of major breakthrough for electricity. A British scientist Michael Faraday discovered the basic principles of electricity generation.

The electromagnetic induction discovery revolutionized the energy usage.

Street lights were some of the earliest attention gaining equipment. With the rise in electricity usability, now it stands as a backbone of modern industrial society.

With increased mobility, human life has become dependent on electricity.

In recent years, scientific and technological developments have drastically changed life on our planet as well as our views both of ourselves as individuals in society and of the Universe as a whole.

Today, science and technology are closely related. Many modern technologies such as nuclear power and space flights depend on science and the application of scientific knowledge and principles. Each advance in pure science creates new opportunities for the development of new ways of making things to be used in daily life. In turn, technology provides science with new and more accurate instruments for its investigation and research.

Technology refers to the ways in which people use discoveries to satisfy needs and desires, to alter the environment, to improve their lives. Throughout human history, men and women have invented tools, machines, materials and techniques to make their lives easier.

Of course, when we speak of technology today, we are looking at it in a much narrower sense. Generally, we mean industrial technology, or the technology that began about 200 years ago with the development of power-driven machines, growth of the factory system, and mass production of goods that has created the basis for our modern society. Today we often say that we live in an age of science and technology. According to one estimate, 90 % of all the scientists who ever lived, were alive and active in the 1970-s. This increased scientific activity has brought new ideas, processes, and inventions in ever-growing amount.

The scientific revolution that began in the 16th century was the first time that science and technology began to work together. Thus, Galileo, who made revolutionary discoveries in astronomy and physics, also built an improved telescope and patented a system of lifting water. However, it was not until the 19th century that technology truly was based on science and inventors began to build on the work of scientists. For example, Thomas Edison built on the early experiments of Faraday and Henry in his invention of the first practical system of electrical lighting. So too, Edison carried on his investigations until he found the carbon filament for the electric bulb in a research laboratory. This was the first true modern technological research.

In a sense, the history of science and technology is the history of all humankind.