5 More Important Inventions from the 20th Century
We recently spent some time looking at five of the most important inventions of the 20th century, and as promised, we have five more inventions that have massively impacted our society. It’s hard to say where we would be without these inventions, though one thing is for sure, we’d be worse off. If you think you have the next great invention percolating in your brain, but you need some help bringing it to fruition, you need assistance from experts. Call Glober Design to learn how we can help you with every step of making your dream a reality — from patents to design and manufacturing, and everything in between.
-Tanks
In the midst of World War I, trench warfare caused a lot of problems for soldiers and resulted in many casualties. The British Army sought to create a way to overcome these issues, and thus developed an all-terrain armored vehicle, now commonly referred to as a tank. Though the original tank was crude and unreliable, it changed the tide of the war. When World War II came around, tank design had received a significant overhaul, bringing them closer to the warfare mainstay it is today. Early designs utilized many different methods to allow them to move, from tractor chassis to a motorized center with a rotating frame. The US-developed caterpillar tracks became the standard, as it allowed for better traction in muddy conditions.
-Antibiotics
From machines of mayhem to miracles of medicine, the impact that antibiotics have had on our lives can’t be understated. It might surprise you, but as recently as the early 20th century found us in constant danger from illnesses that could be potentially fatal. When Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, it changed medicine forever. In the years after that, more antibiotics were developed and in conjunction, death from bacterial infection became incredibly rare. This led to a longer expected life-span and a massively reduced mortality rate. From outright eliminating the threat of smallpox and typhoid to making venereal diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis easy to treat, antibiotics changed lives worldwide.
-Television
If you went back to 1928 and told people who bought the original mechanical televisions what it would become, they’d probably look at you like you were insane. Shortly after World War II, the electronic form of television was introduced, utilizing cathode ray tubes. It wasn’t long after then that color television became possible in 1953. Becoming a stable of suburban homes of the 60s, the television changed many things, from how we get our news to how we’re entertained.
Over the years we’ve seen the evolution from CRT to HDTV to 4K, and along the way, it has brought about many more changes. Without the TV, the video game industry likely wouldn’t be the multi-billion dollar industry it is today and movies would still be limited to running within theatres. Whether you consider it your dinner buddy, your childhood babysitter, or just where you watch your stories, the TV changed the world in ways we’re still learning.
-Internet
While the computer changed a lot on its own, from rendering the typewriter obsolete to making handwriting a thing of the past, it wouldn’t have become as important as it is today without the advent of the internet. Starting in its nascency at the beginning of the 70s, the growth of the internet was exponential. As more and more people got personal computers, it became more possible to create an interconnected network between them that allowed for communication on a scale previously thought impossible. If you think about how the airplane made our planet smaller, allowing us to fly from New York to London in just six hours, the internet made it even smaller, bringing us within seconds of each other.
From the way it changed how business is done, allowing us to buy and sell just about anything we can think of within a few clicks, to staying in touch with old friends, the internet has been incredibly impactful. With our cell phones connected to the internet now, we’re seconds away from having an answer to a question while we order our dinner. Gone are the days of arguments at the bar over whether that actor was in that movie since you can easily check it with the device in your pocket. What will be most interesting is the effect the internet has on a generation that doesn’t know a world without it.
-Radio
Before the internet and TV, it was the radio that started the media revolution. Not only did it allow for the easy transmission of public broadcasts, changing how we get our news, it also introduced us to new music on a scale previously unthought of. Would the music industry have become what it did without the impact of the radio? It’s doubtful. Although you might think of the radio as that thing in your car that keeps you awake on a long drive, it’s actually the forefather to many things we use on a daily basis, including wireless phones.
There have been so many inventions over the years that have entirely changed how society operates and improved our lives. But what will be the next big invention that changes everything? Do you think you have that budding idea that changes the world? Call Glober Design today to get help in bringing your idea to life. Whether you need help with patents or you want assistance in securing licensing for a product, we can help.