Technology Changes and Inventions in the 20th Century
There were so many technological advances and creations in the twentieth century it is nearly impossible to count them all. The twentieth century brought with it color television, the slinky, advances in medicine, the hoola hoop, and many other inventions. The technological changes in the twentieth century are critical to the advances we continue to make and they laid a concrete foundation for inventions of the future.
A few interesting inventions of the twentieth century:
> 1901-Hubert Booth invents the vacuum cleaner
> 1902-Willis Carver invents the air conditioner
> 1903-The Wright brothers invent the first gas motored and manned airplane
> 1906-William Kellogg invents Corn Flakes
> 1910-Thomas Edison motion pictures
> 1919-Charles Strite invents the Pop Up toaster
> 1922-Frederick Grant Banting invents insulin
> 1927 -Edward Haas III invents Pez Candy
> 1932-Edwin Herbert Land-Polaroid photography
> 1933-Frequency modulation (FM) invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong
> 1944-The kidney dialysis machine invented by Willem Kolff.
> Synthetic cortisone invented by Percy Lavon Julian.
> 1950-First Credit card (Diners) invented by Ralph Schneider
> 1965-Kevlar invented by Stephanie Louise Kwolek.
> 1967-The first handheld calculator invented.
> 1973-Gene splicing invented
> 1997-The gas-powered fuel cell invented
(About, Inventors, nd)
Airplanes
What began as the Wright Cycling company resulted in a dramatic change in the way our world moves. In 1903 the first gas powered and manned airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers. Other flying machines and gliders had been created at that time; however, they all lacked the controls necessary to allow the pilot to direct the aircraft properly. After years of testing different types of wings in flight tunnels the Brothers had finally created their first controlled air craft: a glider in 1902. Continuing on their quest for flight and with assistance from their mechanic Charlie Taylor the brothers built a gasoline engine that was light enough and yet powerful enough to propel an airplane. In 1907 after several attempts to sell to them the United States Army Signal Corp purchased a plane from the Brothers (First to Fly, 2002).
The invention of the airplane caused many changes in our world. The world became an easier place to travel through and no longer were people relegated to automobiles which were invented in 1886. Thanks to this step made by the Wright Brothers we now have companies such as United Parcel Service and Fedex that carry our packages overnight to our chosen destinations. In addition to this the face of war was undeniably altered as the ability to fly was an enormous weapon and has been in use since the creation of the plane.
Media
In 1933 the FM radio was created and with it the boom for radio and media programs. While AM radio had existed since long before, FM allowed for clearer reception and with this the idea of talk shows began. The radio brought the nation together as they sat and listened to reports of the war, riots, and famed radio shows.
Radio changed the world, it kept the people informed and connected through very difficult times and volatile.
Fertilizer
In 1913 Chile was supplying the world with 56% of its fertilizer. Many countries were concerned with this as, if war broke out their ability to farm would be all but eliminated without the fertilizer. Two men from Germany were responsible for discovering how to make syntehitc amonia. By 1934 Chile was only supplying 7% of the worlds fertilizer (Pafko, 2000). With nations able to supply their own fertilizer farming was able to regain some footing. After many meetings, fundraisers, and permit applications the first ammonia nitrate solid fertilizer plant was opened in the United States. This was another giant step for farmers and people within the United States.
Advancements
By far the technological advance with the biggest impact on our world is the ability to fly. Travel, shipping, research, and even business meetings have become much easier, faster, and more accessible with the ability for flight. The airline industry is a world wide industry and while sadly failing in many ways at the moment they are a large part of the revenue generated for their respective countries and in some cases the only source of revenue. The airlines allow for faster more convenient travel which means better explorations of other countries as well as better ability to communicate in some ways. We (as a society) use carriers such as FedEx to ship documents to other organizations by overnight air regularly. Airplanes are used for traveling, shipping, research, and war. Airplanes have been used in wars as methods of transport as well as weapons such as in 9-11. The impact of flight is undeniable; bombs have been dropped with them as well as food and supplies. Without the ability for flight we would be still be traveling by road or ship which would make imports more expensive, exports more expensive, and the ability to travel to new territory much more difficult.
The twentieth century was a time of immense change for our society. We experienced many social changes such as women’s right to vote and desegregation. Our society underwent many changes as did our technology. The ability to create insulin continues to make diabetes a more manageable disease, being able to create our own fertilizer assured we would not starve as a country and the ability to fly changed how we live in ways we do not even recognize. The twentieth century was a time of turmoil, change, and success for our world with the advancements we made socially and in technology.
References
About (nd) Inventions in the Twentieth Century, Mary Bellis Retrieved December 12, 2005 from http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa010500a.htm
Pafko (2000), Figure 4: Nitrogen: Food or Flames, Retrieved December 13th, 2005 http://www.pafko.com/history/h_s_n2.html
First to Fly, 2002, The Wright Story, Retreived December 14th, 2005 from
