From my list of top-10
inventions, I will elaborate on the wheel, the “original” world-changing
invention. As simple as the wheel seems today, it is the very basis of movement
and has a variety of applications across multiple areas of society and industry.
The World Before the Invention
Although the wheel has been such
an important invention, the wheel (specifically as a means of transportation)
was actually invented at a relatively late point in human history, in the
Bronze Age. By this time, human beings were already planting crops and herding
domesticated animals. Before wheels, humans used logs to move large loads
around. The main problem with this was that many rollers were required and
keeping the logs on course required effort. The wheel as a form of
transportation developed out of the need for faster transportation and the idea
of using less material.
The Significance of the
Invention
Initially, the wheel was used for
domestic purposes, such as for irrigation, milling, and pottery making.
However, over time with better tools and techniques, the wheel gave people a
number of benefits across many time periods. Wheels made transportation and
trade happen much more easily than otherwise. This led to the constant
expansion of civilizations and greater mobility that facilitated trade and
eventually led to the invention of railroad cars, automobiles, and other
products. Wheels also became smaller-scale components in more fine technology
products starting in the Industrial Revolution, including as gears in clocks.
The Improvement over the Past
Once the wheel was invented and
the wheel-and-axle system was refined to a greater extent, transportation of
people and goods became much easier, especially over long distances. Prior to
the wheel being involved in transportation, the potter’s wheel helped improve
people’s lives and expand geographical settlement. People could create vessels
to carry water so they did not have to live next to a water source.
Why I Picked the Wheel
Think about this – no wheels
exist in nature. Throughout history, most inventions were inspired by the
natural world. The idea for the pitchfork came from forked sticks, and the
airplane from birds – but the wheel is 100% the first human innovation. The
wheel has enabled so many more inventions and has made humans’ lives much
easier and much more efficient.
Link to my YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/u1YL39miXvI
Link to my YouTube Video of my slides of my Top 10 Inventions That Changed the World: https://youtu.be/97J2P5cGFvc
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