It is pretty safe to say the many tools invented in the past 250 years have made our lives so much easier. So many resources we use daily were once novelty items for previous generations. I would guarantee that most people take basic inventions for granted and don’t even think twice about them.
I dare anyone to take a step back and look around at all the technology we are surrounded by and tell me you don’t feel the same way I do.
1. The Wheel
Is the wheel the most popular invention of all time? It has to be! Imagine trying to travel or transport building materials without a wheel. It sounds almost impossible. Wheels are the basis for the modern-day automobile and are used in various other machinery. Virtually any modern machine uses wheels and gears to function. It is hard to imagine a world without the invention of wheels.
2. Compass
I know people who have lived in the same city for a decade but still need help going to the grocery store. Imagine how lost these people would be if they had to rely on compasses to navigate their way. Luckily, the great explorers of centuries past could use these devices to discover new lands that we now call home. The invention of the compass led to road maps, which led to GPS, one of the only ways modern drivers can find their way around town without getting lost.
3. Batteries
The evolution of the modern battery has changed the way we use electronic devices. They removed the need to be tethered to a wall outlet. The mobilization of electronic devices has continued throughout the years. Batteries are vital as they are still being made for electric cars, which may be the future of vehicles and transportation.
4. Concrete
Concrete is definitely an invention that we take for granted nowadays. The use of concrete makes building structures and roadways much easier than the ways of the past. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust a traffic jam of cars on an old wooden bridge. If we learned anything from the three little pigs, it is that buildings made out of sticks and straw will not keep us safe. We need concrete!
5. Hammer and Nail
How many times have you used a hammer and nail and not stopped to thank it for its existence? Think about how hard it must have been to build a structure without these little tools. Back in the day, homes were either held up by rope or a sloppy combination of sludge and rocks. The simple yet fascinating invention of nails helped humans build more durable and safer homes without living in hardened globs of mud.
6. Antibiotics
Modern medicine has made the world a lot less scarier than it once was. People used to die from common sicknesses that were treated with a pill at the local pharmacy. Imagine waking up with a sore throat and just accepting that you are going to die a miserable death in the corner of your cave. Nowadays, I have a bottle of pain relievers in my car because I get minor headaches occasionally.
7. Refrigerators
In 2024, refrigerators are a basic appliance in every modern home. It’s hard to fathom not having a way to keep our food fresh. However, the modern home fridge did not come into existence until 1927. Before that, you had no way to keep food fresh. Coming home after a long day of tending the farm to a warm beer must have been rough! But seriously, we take for granted the benefits and convenience of having these appliances in our homes.
8. Microwaves
Like the refrigerator, microwaves helped change how humans kept and stored food. The invention of the microwave made it possible for leftovers to be easily heated up and eaten the next day. It helps save costly food from going to waste. Microwaves might be one of the most important innovations of all time because they have been helping feed people who can’t cook for 50-plus years.
9. ATMs
With the invention of debit and credit cards, having cash on hand is less necessary than it used to be, but ATMs were a ground-breaking invention. Before they were a standard machine, you had to physically enter a bank if you needed access to your money. What were you to do if you needed $100 bucks, but it was after hours? You either wrote a check, or you were out of luck. ATMs made it so much easier to take control of our finances, and they are so common now that we take them for granted.
10. Light Bulbs
Turning on and off your lights at home is such a daily practice that we take for granted how easy it is for us to have light. Our ancestors used to have to burn lanterns or candles to be able to see in the dark. What did you do at night if you didn’t have oil or a fire source? Just sit there in the dark? Now that I stop and think about it, fire is also a pretty good invention.
11. Printing Press
The printing press is an important invention because it gave humans access to information in a printed form. Without this invention, there would be no mass-produced books, magazines, or newspapers. Nowadays, we have digital printers, but the printing press paved the way for these modern technologies.
12. Telephones
The telephone has evolved a ton throughout its lifetime. The early days of the phone helped shrink the world, making it possible to talk to a person on the other side of the planet. That led to phones being a staple in businesses and homes; almost everyone has one in their pocket now. A person can be contacted and communicated within an instant. The younger generations who never knew what it was like to not have that connectivity most likely take this for granted.
13. Cameras
Anyone with a cell phone has access to a camera these days. If you are anything like me, you might have over 1,000 photos on your phone at any given time. Think about how foreign a concept that would be as little as 30 years ago. In the 1990s, we had to wait a week to see if our selfies turned out okay. Getting a roll of 25 pictures back and only a few turning out okay was one of the worst feelings in the world. Now we have 200 photos of our pets sleeping!
14. Automobiles
Automobiles have been around for over 100 years now, but the advancements and durability of the modern car are something I feel we take for granted. The introduction of the car allowed humans to live in the suburbs and commute to the big city for work. This helped expand cities and allowed people to live in bigger houses on bigger plots of land. Cars are still the main source of daily travel, and it is hard to imagine life without them.
15. The Internet
There might not be a more important invention than the Internet and the World Wide Web. The web has shrunk the world more than any other invention ever created. It allows us to share and store information from anywhere in the world. Almost every aspect of our modern lives has been affected by the internet. Stop and think about how you would function in 2024 without its services. I google how to do something at least twice a day. I would be lost without the internet, and most people would.
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