Major inventions that impacted mankind in the 20th century
Steam engine: promoted the development of the entire industrial revolution
Traditional horsepower or water power cannot provide the energy needed for the industrial revolution Power, the development of steam engine energy brought a more efficient and powerful power to the world. Although the ancients had already begun exploring this aspect in the 2nd century BC, it was not until Watt's steam engine came on the market that the commercial value of the steam engine was truly opened. Many historians consider the development of the steam engine to be one of the most important inventions of the Industrial Revolution, as it led to the development of the metallurgy, coal mining, and textile industries. The emergence of the steam engine and the mechanization of the textile industry increased the amount of iron used in industry. Since Britain is rich in iron ore and coal mines, the increase in demand stimulated improvements in iron smelting technology and coal mining, while accelerating the pace of industrialization. The steam engine train that appeared in 1804 and the steam engine ship that appeared in 1807 greatly improved transportation conditions and assisted the development of the Industrial Revolution.
Telephone: Opening a new chapter in the history of human communication
"Mr. Watson, please come here immediately, I need help!" This is Alexander, the inventor of the telephone, on March 10, 1876 ·The first sentence successfully transmitted by Bell through the telephone, the telephone was born, and the history of human communication opened a new chapter.
Humanity’s dream of wireless communication was realized in 1973 in New York, USA. At that time, the world's first practical mobile phone was large in size and weighed 1.9 kilograms. It was a veritable "big brother". Today, 26 years later, the world's smallest mobile phone was born. It was only as big as a pager and much lighter than the first generation mobile phone.
1964 was another important turning point in the history of human communication. In the summer of this year, thousands of viewers around the world watched the live broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics in Japan via satellite for the first time. This is the first time in human history that people can watch things happening thousands of miles away at the same time through TV screens. In addition to sighing at the wonderful and spectacular opening ceremony and various competitions of the Olympic Games, people are also amazed at the progress of science and technology. This is all thanks to the geostationary satellite invented by Harold Rosen.
In the summer of 1969, the prototype of the international Internet appeared in the United States. It consisted of four computer websites, one at the University of California and the other three in Nevada. In 1972, experimenters sent the first email on the experimental network for the first time, which marked the beginning of the integration of the international Internet with communications. In the 1990s, the international Internet began to be used for commercial purposes. In 1995, the development of the Internet reached its first climax, and this year was called the International Year of the Internet. Driven by the wave of electronic commerce, the impact of the international Internet on human society will be even more profound in the 21st century.
Cars: Carrying the Times forward
Cars have changed the entire transportation situation of mankind, and owning the automobile industry has become a symbol of every powerful industrial country.
The automobile has gone through such a history: in 1771, the Frenchman Guineau designed a steam engine tricycle; in 1860, the French Renault manufactured a car engine fueled by coal gas; in 1885, the German Ford and Daimler each completed a locomotive equipped with a high-speed gasoline engine and a three-wheeled vehicle equipped with a two-stroke gasoline engine, and successfully commercialized them; in 1908, the American Ford used a flow-type production line to mass-produce low-price, high-safety, A fast Model T car. The popularization of automobiles began; in 1912, Cadillac launched an electronic ignition starter, which made women fall in love with automobiles; in 1926, Daimler-Benz, the world's first automobile manufacturing company, was established; in 1934, the A front-wheel drive car was launched; in 1940, the war caused many car manufacturers to cease production, and European car manufacturers began to turn to the production of military vehicles; in the 1950s, Germany's Volvo's shell sedan became the most popular car once it was launched; in 1970 In 2000, Japanese cars became popular in Asia. Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan's ultra-high-tech small cars invaded the European and American markets, rewriting the monopoly situation of European and American brands.
In fact, the invention of the automobile has greatly improved human mobility, broadened human horizons and pursued freedom in the 20th century. Of course, the development of the automobile industry has also brought about problems such as the road network occupying land resources, air pollution and high fares, but in any case, cars do carry mankind forward and move forward.
Television: the "devil" created by human beings themselves
Modern people can go a day without eating or drinking water, but they cannot go a day without television.
The idea and theory of television appeared as early as 1870. In 1884, German inventor Paul Nipkow designed a fully perforated "scanning disk". When the disk rotates, the small holes break the scene into small dots, and these small dots are then converted into electrical signals. A receiver at one end recombines the signal into a crude image that is identical to the original image. In 1926, Scotsman John Baymond built an imaging camera using Nipkow's "big disc".
The real producers of television with stable pictures were Vladimir Zorikin, who immigrated to the United States from Russia, and Philo Farnsworth, who was born in Utah, USA. At the 1939 World's Fair, the world's first truly clear television was launched, and television was truly born.
Moon landing: a big step in the history of human spaceflight
American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said when he landed on the moon: "For a person, this is only a small step; for a person, it is only a small step; "This is a big step forward for mankind" is firmly engraved in the hearts of people on earth.
At 4:00 pm on July 20, 1969, 500 million TV viewers around the world saw the "Dark" picture. A voice from outer space came from deep in the picture: "Houston, this is the Sea of ??Tranquility." Base, the Eagle module has landed!" Next, the two astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin on the American "Apollo 11" moon landing spacecraft asked the Houston Space Center: "We don't want to rest for four hours, we want to land right away. "Moon." Houston replied: "Agree to go to the moon immediately!" Then, with his back facing outward, Armstrong slowly began to climb down the nine-step ladder. 500 million people around the world saw this scene.
The moon landing is indeed a major advancement in human aerospace technology, because as Colonel Cernan, the last man to land on the moon, said: "Looking at the earth from the moon, I can't see any national borders. I feel that the earth is a whole, and my whole mind is broadened."
Computers: Hope for the Future of Humanity
On February 4, 1946, the U.S. military and government departments. representatives and famous scientists crowded into a room at the University of Pennsylvania. When an army general gently pressed the button, the machine that occupied three entire walls immediately lit up. People applauded warmly and cheered loudly: "ENIAC is alive!" and congratulated Chief Engineer Eckert. "ENIAC" is the world's first computer.
Gene: cracking the eternal code of life
More than 10 years ago, the scientific community predicted that the 21st century would be a century of genetic engineering. What is the main history of human genetic engineering? In 1866, the Austrian geneticist Father Mendel discovered the genetic rules of organisms; in 1868, the Swiss biologist Friedrich discovered that there are two parts in the cell nucleus: acidic and protein. The acidic part became what became known as DNA; in 1882, German embryologist Walter Fleming discovered when studying salamander cells that the nucleus contained a large number of divided linear objects, which later became chromosomes; in 1944, American researchers proved that DNA is the genetic material of most organisms, not protein; in 1953, American biochemist Watson and British physicist Crick announced that they had discovered the double helix of DNA, laying the foundation for genetic engineering. Basics; in 1980, the first genetically modified mouse was born; in 1996, the first cloned sheep was born; in 1999, American scientists deciphered the sequencing map of the 22nd group of human genes; future plans are based on genetic maps Targeted medication is given to relevant illnesses.