World Changing Technology Advances Continue to Advance

Many writers approach the question of technology advances that changed the world by starting at the dawn of history. By taking the reverse route, looking from modern times backward, some of the roots of work done in earliest time progressed through to today to continually improve and alter human lives around the world. Unlike ideas, technology consists of practical applications where the seeming impossible barriers to progress fell away before ingenuity. The dedicated work of inventors and scientists working together to apply concepts made progress possible and has led to the lifestyle we know now. Here is a short history of the technological advances I found changed the world:

Technological Advances in Rocketry Made Space Development and World Communication Accessible

Growing out of the Chinese development of controlled gunpowder used to propel a container in AD 1150, the study and development of rocketry exploded in World War II to eventually place the first satellite, the Sputnik, in space in October of 1957 and the development of ICBM missiles for launching nuclear attacks.[1] Satellites augment land based communication systems for telephone and internet as well as provide geographical information used in a growing pool of applications.

Technological Advances in Aircraft Design Made Travel Inexpensive and Quick

Although a first model airplane was flown by Father Laurence de Gusmao in 1709, without the combustion engine, the aircraft design sketched by Sir George Cayley in 1799 showing forces of lift, drag and the tail surfaces that control pitch and yaw never went very far. What the Wright brothers in the accomplished in the early 1900s was the harnessing of the force provide by the aircraft engines proving controlled sustained flight was possible. Aircraft development was spurred by World War I and II and by racing communities. The rapid development of flight controls, retractable landing and takeoff gear, hardening the frame, aerodynamics of the wings and tail, weight carrying capacity, passenger compartments and use of electronics has allowed people to reduce travel times, increase communication and opened up remote places to other travelers. [2]

Technological Advances in the Silicon Chip Made Computing Cheap and Inexpensive

When the transistor was discovered by Walter H. Brattain, William Shockley and John Bardeen with a Nobel Award in 1956 followed by the integrated circuit by Texas Instrument's team working under Jack St. Clair Kilby in 1958, computing devices became much more inexpensive to build. With the ability to change the state of material with an electric charge, information could be stored and circuits could be built to perform logic and mathematical operations. Out of the simple electronic devices, computer architectures provided the means for conveying instruction sets, storing memory, talking to devices has lead to the explosion of internet applications, system applications, and hardware.[3]

Technological Advances in Medicine Production Made Illness Less Mortal

Until the discovery of the microscope, doctors were required to work on a trial and error basis, never knowing the root causes of disease. With the advent of the microscope, doctors and scientists could see viruses, bacteria, and other causes of disease and study the effects of drugs on their effects in order to build the first vaccines and medicines that targeted the disease causing organism to fail. Since the discovery of the structure of DNA by Crick and Watson in 1957, doctors have developed the ability to produce medicines on a large scale using computerized and provide them to the general population, increasing the population's longevity.[4]

Technological Advances in Optics Changed the Laws of the Universe

An Arab Alhazen documented the law of reflection in 1000 A.D, studied the mirrors and documented the human eye. Later work by Roger Bacon (1215-94) initiated the use of lenses for correcting vision and by spectacle maker Hans Lippershey who applied for the patent for the telescope on October 2, 1608, and by Zacharias Janssen who invented the microscope, helped establish the world we know now.[5] Optical devices have extended into the micro world to the point that we can study the particles of atoms and DNA and extended our vision beyond our solar system to the point we can see other galaxies, determine the chemical composition of space objects and develop an understanding of the age and development of the universe.

Technological Advances in Electrical Power Improved Food Quality and Opened Land for Development

Early studies of electricity and magnetism included William Gilbert in 1544-1603, Andre Marie Ampere 1775-1836, Michael Farady (1791-1867) eventually led to Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan developing practical lights powered by electric current. Edison's power plants grew into today's grid of connected sources of electricity including steam powered turbines run by nuclear power. Electrical applications blossomed to produce refridgeration, lighting, television etc.[6]

Technological Advances in the Engine Replaced Heavy Labor and Manpower Requirements

The automation of weaving and spinning equipment using the steam engine developed by Thomas Newcomen in 1702 lead to technology advances in cloth making including the development of the fly shuttle by John Kay in 1733, the water frame by Richard Arkwright, and the cotton gin by Eli Whitney. Later development of the internal combustion engine and diesel engines led to wide spread use of automobiles, airplanes, trains and submarines. [7]

Technological Advances in Printing and Paper Production brought Education to the Masses

Printing on paper was developed as early as 600AD by the Chinese, but it was the development of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 that led eventually to books printed in native languages and their wide spread accessibility to the general population. [8]

Technological Advances in Metallurgy Shifted the Power Infrastructure of Society

Mining copper, gold, tin, lead and other minerals led to the ability to cast metals and thereby create weapons from as early as 8000BC with evidence for copper casting found in 6500BC, the introduction of smelting, followed in 4500BC and of bronze alloys in 3500BC, followed by the wrought iron and cast iron eventually leading to the Bessemer process of making steel in 1856. Latest metallurgy development have been with aluminum, titanium and eventually the use of carbon nanotube technologies. Metallurgy processing aids the creation of weaponry since they are needed to contain explosive materials.[9]

Technological Advances in Mechanical Objects Led to City Life

The earliest technology developed included the potter's wheel about 4000BC, the lever, the pulley, the plumb line, and combining them, the Persian wheel that pulled water from wells. These devices were used to move loads heavier than a person could, to develop buildings, and to develop trade.

General subject resources for each point were:

[1] Roger Handberg, Zhen Li, "Chinese Space Policy", Routledge, 2007

[2] John Batchelor, Chris Chant, "Flight: The History of Aviation", Gallery Books, 1990

[3] New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, New York Times Company, 2007

[4] Gary Zweiger, "Transducing the Genome", Macgraw-Hill, 2000

[5] Eugene Hecht, Alfred Zajac, "Optics", Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1979

[6] New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, New York Times Company, 2007

[7] R. R. Palmer, Joel Colton, "A History of the Modern World", Alfred A. Knopf, 1978

[8] New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, New York Times Company, 2007

[9]New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, New York Times Company, 2007