Throughout the history of mankind, there has been a special place reserved for those forward-thinking few whose inventions have not only been a success and well received but have gone on to change the world.
Anything you use today is something that somebody invented. It’s a boggling thought when you actually think about it.
But out of them all, which inventions have had the biggest impact on the world?
Let’s take a look at the top ten inventions that changed the world.
1. Cars
Take a look around right now. There is a strong probability that there will be at least a handful of cars. When Karl Benz first came up with the concept of the automobile back in 1886 he could never have imagined the impact his idea would have on the world.
Where would we be without cars? Their production is not only one of the largest industries in the world, but their continued development has impacted others also.
- Petroleum refinement
- Steel industry
- Plate-Glass manufacturing
Would we still have Tesla and would Elon Musk be the world-changing figure he is today without Benz and later Henry Ford having the fortitude to see their vision come to life?
2. Steam Engine
Before cars, there was one other mode of transportation that revolutionized the world. Arguably one of the best inventions of all time, the steam engine was a game changer like no other.
Patented in 1698, the steam engine went on to be the driving component behind one of the largest changes in human history. The industrial revolution.
Without the steam engine, we would have had neither the combustion engine or the jet engine, the two of which power the two most popular modes of transportation the world over.
3. The Plow
Something of an unknown entity, evidence of the plow can be traced back to the early days of man, but it’s invention was a game changer for us as a species.
It allowed us to make the jump from hunters and gatherers to cultivators. It allowed us the chance to develop agriculture and even to this day the plow, albeit in larger and more advanced capacities, a staple of the farming industry.
In turn, the ability to grow crops and cultivate land led to people coming together to form communities. Communities that grew and expanded into early civilization. This makes the plow one of the most important inventions in history.
4. The Wheel
Another of the most important inventions and one we still rely on heavily to this day is the wheel.
It’s interesting to think that while the Ancient Egyptians invented many great things, and used logs to roll the stones for the pyramids, they never invented the wheel.
Can you imagine our world today, or any of the key events that have occurred should the wheel not have been invented?
5. The Printing Press
One of the greatest inventions in history has to be the printing press. An argument could be made that it was not necessarily an invention, but rather a remodeling of the existing machine, but it does not change the facts.
Certainly one of the most important inventions for the lower classes at the time, for the printing press was directly responsible for bringing books into the mainstream.
The ability to essentially mass produce books with a printing press meant books were no longer an item for the rich to possess. Without it, we would not have seen the ebook revolution that is thriving today.
6. The Airplane
From the early sketches of Da Vinci to the first machines of the Wright brothers, all the way through to the non-stop cross the world flight from Sydney to London. The has been no other invention that has revolutionized travel in such a way.
Yet, had it not been for those early dreamers, whose belief in the concept of flight, the world would have remained a vast and mysterious place.
7. The Lightbulb
So many of the best inventions of all time were not necessarily ideas plucked out of the vast nothingness of a genius mind, but rather a clever and well thought out enhancement to an existing product. Changing it enough to be something new.
The lightbulb revolutionized the world we live in. Not merely by offering us an easier option to candles and gas lamps, but because it helped to create an entire infrastructure that still thrives to this very day.
8. Transistors
There is not a single piece of electrical equipment around today that would be possible without the advent of the transistor.
First conceived in 1926, and recipient of 3 novel prizes three decades later, the transistor was the first step towards the modern computerized generation we have become today.
9. Antibiotics
Could you imagine a world where there were no antibiotics?
From the workbenches of Koch and Pasteur in 1877 through to Flemmings accidental breakthrough, penicillin in 1928 the world has become an infinitely safer place.
Modern medicine would not be the wonder it is today had it not been for the hard work of these genius minds, intent on creating a way of making people’s lives better.
10. Internet
Society thrives on information. The good, the bad and the ugly side of it all Knowledge is power and the ability to gain and share knowledge is crucial for the survival of a species.
What really makes the internet the greatest invention of all time is that we are still witnessing its evolution. It is a relatively new concept and one that is growing more and more each day. We have the ability now to learn more and faster than ever before.
It would be impossible to list every industry or every business sector that has been impacted by the advent of the internet. It is a global phenomenon that is equal to no other.
The Best Inventions That Changed the World Have Not been Invented Yet
The best thing about world-changing inventions is that the next big thing could be just around the corner.
There are a great many inventions not mentioned in the list, and many of them more from the modern age, but for good reason.
Without these earlier inventions that changed the world early on paving the way for the acceptance of creative thinkers, many of the things we take for granted today would not exist.
Check out some of our other blog posts for more interesting insights into the world around us.
