|THE DEN|
Television
Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell took the first step in the chronology of television history in 1873 when he discovered the existence of electromagnetic waves capable of transmitting television and radio signals.
On the other hand, its development continued in 1884, when Paul Nipkow designed the Nipkow disc, which according to the newspaper El Mundo "is considered the first television system in history". In 1924, the first broadcast of television history took place via the Nipkow disc.
But over the last century, its development has been marked by a series of changes that have influenced the history of mankind and made possible the development of television as we know it today. Here is how this all has happened;
1926: Birth of electronic television
Engineer John Logie Baird succeeded in transmitting the first long-range images on a television screen, marking the birth of electronic television. It took place in the Alexander Palace broadcast tower in north London. His puppet, known as old puppet Bill, was the first being to appear on a television screen.
1950: Arrival of Color Television
After a decade of work, testing, and demonstration, color television emerged, which got possible by tinting the images.
1960: Satellite Television
Telstar 1, known as the first telecommunications satellite, is launched into space. Thus satellite television was born. In order for satellite television to work, the satellite dishes that are still in
use had to be installed.
In the mid 1980s, studies began that would lead to the creation of digital television after the appearance of family computers. The development of high-definition television began in the
1990s.
In 1997, Plasma technology was implemented to design and market the first flat panel television. Afterwards, after years of study, and trial and error, the first 3D TV was officially
launched in 2010. Then in 2012, Smart TVs appeared, identified as the first Smart TVs capable of connecting themselves to the internet.
Now television can do a lot more stuff compared to before. We can watch at least 200 channels ,play games ,watch 3D television, go online and what not. At the same time technology is changing over time and so is television. I believe in the future, television will transform a lot compared to what it is now.
Telephone
One of the great inventions in the history of mankind, without which we would currently be unable to live, is the telephone. In the popular imagination, Graham Bell has always been the
inventor of the telephone, but in recent years the trend has changed and Antonio Meucci has been given this credit.
In 1849, Meucci made various copper wire connections between himself and a patient. One end was inserted into the patient's mouth while he performed the same operation in another room. There was a fourth terminal attached to a magnet that caused a discharge. Next up was improving the quality of transmission and reception, so he worked on many prototypes until he achieved what we know as the teletrophon, the device he used to communicate with his wife.
But Meucci didn't patent his invention since the Italian inventor didn't have a lot of money to pay for the patent. Although later in 1872, he gathered some pennies and patented it annually
In 1876, British inventor Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent for the telephone. It didn't take Meucci long to figure this out, and he asked his attorney to file a lawsuit with the Patent Office, as the Italian inventor had already patented his invention, albeit annually.
A little later, thanks to a friend working in Washington, Meucci discovered that all documentation relating to Meucci's patent had been lost, so there was no proof that the telephone patent belonged to Meucci before Graham Bell registered it. That’s how we know Graham Bell as the father of the telephone. In 1892, Bell inaugurated the 1,520-km (944-mile) telephone link between New York City and Chicago.
The first wireless call happened in 1973 thanks to Martin Cooper, an engineer at the telecommunications company Motorola. In the years that followed, technological advances
allowed the development of the first mobile phone models that made it possible to communicate from anywhere. At this point, the call could have a maximum duration of 30 minutes.
From there, by the 1990s, there were already countless brands selling cell phones. Some were more compact and even had a cover to protect them from bumps. The next great addition to mobile devices was the color screen. But it was not until this century that the first phone appeared with a built-in camera that made it possible to take photos. Then came text messages and multimedia messages (which could contain images and sound). In 2007, up to 1.9 trillion messages were recorded worldwide.
In 2007 when the first iPhone model was introduced, it revolutionized the world. Apple's phone contained the touch device, web browsing, and other service applications. This
completely changed the term “mobile phone”: it was no longer just used for making calls or sending messages, but could do many other things.
By the year of 2010, virtually all smartphones had a touchscreen and an internet connection. The world of mobile phones is constantly changing and evolving. Recent developments include smartwatches connected to mobile phones, curved screens, or waterproof devices.
Air Conditioner
Air conditioning came from the United States thanks to this electrical engineer who specialized in heating systems while working for the Buffalo Forge company - a company that
manufactured heaters and various ventilation elements. The first prototypes of this device, which relieved the hot flashes of millions of people, were made in 1902.
Willis Carrier laid the foundation for the machine when he was looking for a solution to the problems that moisture and heat were causing for one of his customers, the owner of a Brooklyn print shop. Now, we know it today as an air conditioner: a device that draws in warm air from rooms and converts it into cold air using refrigerants.
But before that, there were many other attempts. The Chinese and Romans already mitigated high temperatures by incorporating water-based systems into their constructions.
Scientist Michael Faraday also worked on it, introducing ammonia as a cooling element. It progressed, but ammonia was not highly recommended.
What Carrier accomplished was eliminating the moisture generated by the water and introducing products that humans could breathe into the mechanism. In its early days, Carrier
used Faraday's ammonia and other chemicals.
Today, this discovery is explained as, "a mixture of fluorocarbons, chemicals that absorb large amounts of heat when converting from a liquid to a gas," are used. A metal circuit, a fan and a compressor complete the game.
By the time the technique was found to work, Willis Carrier had lost his job at Buffalo Forge and teamed up with six other people to start his own company, Carrier Engineering Corporation.
Starting from an investment of $32,600, the company managed to export its idea all over the world. To do this, they had prestigious customers and found their best allies in cinemas to promote their devices.
Established as a mass consumer product in developed countries, it has progressed to the point where even companies like Chevrolet were putting air conditioners in their cars.
Consumers have started to worry about the energy and economic costs involved. There are those who prefer not to use it due to its harmful effects on the environment while some experts have already pointed out that due to the increase in the earth's temperature, it will be difficult to live without it in some areas.
Cars
Joseph Cugnot was a French engineer who developed one of the first vehicle prototypes with a three-wheeled chariot in 1771, used exclusively for the military at the time. On the other hand, other people like Etienne Lenoir were also working on this aspect. However, today's conception of the automobile as an industry dates back to the late 19th century, mainly by Karl
Benz, as he had already capitalized and sold several cars to the public in 1889.
Karl began his mobility experiments in 1877, this was a "motor car", a motorized tricycle patented until 1886 with a maximum speed of 16 km/h. Bertha Benz, the wife of Karl Benz, accomplished a historic feat for the industry. On July 3, 1888, he and his two sons made the first long journey in Germany in a car, from Mannheim to Pforzheim, using the motor car to demonstrate the vehicle's reliability and strength.
The Benz Motorwagen had a 0.9 hp engine and a top speed of 16 km/h, very important numbers for the tools and advances of the time. Other names like Gottlieb Daimler and
Wilhelm Maybach were also working on their vehicle.
Later came the phase of the 20th century, which was marked by all industrialization movements in the big cities. By this time, car use was becoming more common.
Peugeot also started its foray into this field as the marque manufactured 5 units in 1891, later in 1899 Oldsmobile increased its numbers significantly by assembling 400 cars in just 6 months, with the numbers increasing again each time.
The beginning of the 20th century was an economic turning point in the automobile industry, in the United States, this sector was becoming increasingly important for society and governments.
Detroit became the first capital for early companies like Oldsmobile. In the course of 1900, Benz developed into one of the most important manufacturers with an annual production
of 2,500 units.
The importance of the later years fell to Henry Ford with the mythical Model T, which went into mass production on August 12, 1908, one of the first steps towards more universal access
to the automobile.
The sales process, as well as the expansion of the infrastructure of the automobile industry, drove forward by leaps and bounds because by 191, 60,000 vehicles had already been sold in the United States, most of them with steam or electricity. During this time, the legal problems of patents for internal combustion engines began, in which Henry Ford won a historic lawsuit in this regard.
At this point, the industry begins to gain importance in the economic sphere as production numbers increase due to the advancement of cities. However, two historic and unfortunate
wars were approaching, so this sector also had to make progress during the First and Second World Wars.
Car design changed drastically after World War I, however, this industry was also affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this period, the aesthetics were sleek, with chrome and white body details. One of the most famous cars was the Ford V-8.
Then came World War II which created further problems for this industry, however, there were advances in terms of design innovations and engine components. From the 1950s, brands began to consider more segments, and Volkswagen began a complicated import process into the US with the Beetle. Later other options like Toyota, and Nissan were added to its international expansion.
Today, we find ourselves in a modern era of the automotive industry, with a technological focus on the future. We are currently experiencing a new automobile 'revolution', with
electrification and, in it, the transition towards hybrid, bi-fuel, and electric vehicles, among other drive and power technologies. Without any doubt, the car has been changing constantly since the beginning with more power and safety features.
Internet
The invention of the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and computer revolutionized the world of communications and paved the way for mankind's greatest invention: the Internet. The invention of the Internet changed the way people lived. Instant access to information led to the opening of new channels of communication around the world.
In August 1962, J.C.R. Licklider developed an interconnected network to see if it could offer a global service from any database. From that moment he was appointed Director of IT at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) based in the United States.
Years later, the first document related to the network was produced, entitled 'The Theory of Packet Communications'. This explained how it is possible for the information to be transmitted through interconnected networks. But it wasn't until 1968 that a much more specific network was defined and structured: the Internet.
The first computer network was created by the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) managed by the Department ``DOD” (USA) as a means of communication for the various agencies in the country.
This action piqued the interest of Robert Elliot Kahn, who, along with Vinton Cerf, invented the TCP/IP protocol, a technology for transmitting information over the Internet, in 1983.
By 1992, the Internet Society was founded by the US Department of Defense and became so widespread that it led to the appearance of the first virus and personal computer.
Years later, in 1995, Internet Explorer came along, an opportunity that gave way to great releases; Research sites, blogs, music download programs, etc.
Nowadays, the internet is an integral part of our lives as it is an essential element of our daily life and makes things a reality that we thought impossible just a few years ago, such as speaking to a person on the other side of the world; the convenience of watching a movie, downloading a book and shopping online on our mobile devices; make new friends and
reconnect with those of the past; and even more incredible was the thought of being able to study online, things that are completely normal for us today.
Electricity
Electricity is so present in our daily lives that we tend to think of it as a fundamental necessity. But do you know how it became possible?
The first documented contact with electricity took place in ancient Greece when Thales of Miletus in the 5th century BC. saw that, after vigorously rubbing a small piece of amber, it
acquired the property of attracting small particles. This phenomenon later became known as static electricity. Also, electricity owes its name to its Greek philosopher, as it derives from the Greek word elektron, which means amber.
Three centuries later, Theosphrates was the first to conduct a study of electricity, documenting various related phenomena.
Then a century later, in 1752, American scientist Benjamin Franklin demonstrated that lightning is a phenomenon of electrical nature, a kind of giant spark. This observation,
coupled with von Guericke's insights into sharp objects, enabled him to invent the lightning rod. It was a pointed pole that, placed on buildings or ships, protected them from the
effects of electricity from clouds.
In the 18th century, the experimental work that began in the previous century was accelerated. Other effects were soon discovered and new paraphernalia developed while new concepts were defined, an essential preliminary step in understanding electrostatic phenomena.
We owe the Englishman Stephen Gray for the discovery of electrification by influence, consisting of the possibility of electrifying a body at a distance, without direct contact, as well
as the distinction between conductive bodies, which allow electricity to spread, and insulating bodies, which inhibit this transmission.
Later, Alexander Volta's research in the 19th century allowed him to develop the first chemical cells capable of storing electricity. This is how he invented the battery. Names like Faraday, Ohm, Ampere, or Morse made their progress in the same century.
Already at the end of the century, personalities such as Edison or Tesla emerged, who with their research changed the course of history and made electricity the central axis of our lives.
Airplane
Currently, the airplane is one of the most popular means of transport out there. However, the concept of the airplane has only been around for two centuries. Before that time, men and
women tried to navigate the air by imitating the birds. Then in 1842,Englishman William Samuel Henson designed and patented the first airplane. It was equipped with propellers, a
steam engine, and a fixed wing.
In 1848, John Stringfellow, a friend of William Samuel Henson, built a small airship based on his designs. However, it was unsuccessful because it only flew for two or three seconds.
Thereafter, the French engineer Clement Ader is considered the inventor of the airplane since in October 1890, his device, which he named Éole, flew 50 meters. It was also a failure because it crashed on landing.
However, engineers and inventors did not give up and continued to study how to build the airplane that would take off, fly and land without problems.
In 1901, After two unsuccessful flights by the German inventor and physicist Gustave Whitehead, finally, The first successful manned powered flight is believed to have taken place on August 14 in Connecticut (USA).
Later, on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made their first successful manned flight. They tested a twin-propeller biplane and managed to fly a distance of 260 meters and 59 seconds in the air.
Most aviation historians believe that the Wright Brothers met the criteria to be considered the inventors of the first successful airplane before Santos-Dumont because the Wright Flyer was heavier-than-air, manned and powered, able to take off and land under its own power and controllable along three axes. That’s why the Wright brothers have been considered the
inventors of aeroplane and not whitehead; even though he was first to fly.
Moreover, the oldest airline is KLM, the Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij voor Nederland en Koloniën (Royal Airline for the Netherlands and Colonies). It began operations in 1919 and in 1920 operated the first commercial flight from Amsterdam to London.
Back then, the cabins weren't closed, so the planes flew low. After World War II, cabin pressure systems were developed. And development has not stopped since then.
Steam Engine
Scottish engineer James Watt presented the first steam engine in 1769. However, the origins of the steam engine go back many centuries where water vapor could be used to move things was illustrated by Heron of Alexandria, a 1st-century Greek inventor, who wrote a treatise describing the machine called an aeolipile which basically consisted of a sphere into which he
had put water and a pair of injectors located in opposite directions.
The water inside was heated, and as the steam came out of the holes, the ball spun. However, it was considered one of the useless oddities that scientists make and was mainly used as a
toy to impress the staff.
But it can be said that it is the forerunner of antiquity that came closest to what we know today as the steam engine. The power of steam was known long before the appearance of the first efficient machines in modern times.
Thus, at the beginning of the Christian era, the Hellenistic scientist and engineer Heron of Alexandria describes devices that use the power of steam to automatically open the doors of
a temple or operate a small turnstile.
In the 17th century, people began to understand the concepts of vacuum or atmospheric pressure and the behavior of gases. And soon there was an attempt to use the power of the vacuum to harvest energy.
The first attempt concerned a system to pump water out of the mines. Vapor was introduced into a tank and allowed to cool until it condensed.
This created a negative pressure inside, through which the pit water could be sucked in through a pipe. There was a system of pipes, valves, and tanks, and sometimes they used to explode. Everything worked systematically, but it wasn't very efficient.
Later, in 1701, Thomas Newcomen managed to get a system using steam, valves, pistons, and cylinders to work.
This idea was also to remove the water from the mines, but in this case, the machine used the power of steam along with a counterweight to move a piston up and down. This was connected to a pump that raised the water.
The problem with these systems was that you had to heat to create temperature and then cool to create a vacuum. Thus, most of the steam's energy was used to get lost.
This detail was noticed by a Scottish engineer, James Watt. He found a way out of this problem and thus initiated the industrial revolution. Watt introduced some improvements to
some existing machines that made poor use of steam power, which was key. One consisted of a metal rod connecting the piston to a wheel.
Thus, a back and forth movement was transformed into a circular movement. But the best part was adding a space for the vapor to condense. By then, the cylinder where everything happens has been heating up and cooling down, wasting time and efficiency. The separation allowed James Watt to keep the steam engine working at the same temperature. This multiplied the efficiency and made it fully effective.
These wheels, turning, propelled by the power of steam, began to move things: locomotives, looms, pumps, ship's wheels, and indeed all nascent European industry and later global industry. For a long time, people used animals first, and then the power of water and wind. But this was the first time they manipulated matter and turned water into vapor for energy.
Nuclear Bomb
Like many other great or here we can say terrible inventions of mankind, the Nuclear bomb has no single author but is the result of diverse efforts and investigations. Many of them
occurred within the framework of World War II (1939-1945). However, two theoretical physicists, one German and one American are often cited as pioneers: Albert Einstein and
Robert Oppenheimer.
As a famous author of relativistic physics, Einstein laid the theoretical foundations of what later led to the nuclear bomb or atomic bomb with his special theory of relativity published in
1905 and above all with his well-known formula E = mc2, i.e. the energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.
This formula enabled the feat of turning mass into energy and energy into mass, which is basically what happens in atomic bomb reactions: an atom is "split" and part of it is turned into
free energy.
Later in the 20th century, various physicists in Nazi Germany cultivated their knowledge of atomic nuclei. Among them were the physicist Niels Bohr, who theorized nuclear fission, but also Otto Hans and Lise Meitner, who developed neutron bombardment of atomic nuclei to discover elements heavier than uranium.
Many of these scientists had to flee their country because they were of Jewish descent. This is how this knowledge made its way to the United States, where other scientists such as Enrico Fermi, Richard Feynman, and John von Neumann were also able to contribute to the so-called Manhattan Project: the American attempt to develop an atomic bomb before the Nazis did.
The Manhattan Project was led by one of the most privileged scientific minds in the United States: Robert Oppenheimer. It was in the desert of Los Alamos, New Mexico, where on July
16, 1945, the first atomic bomb in human history, codenamed Gadget ("Artifact"), was detonated.
That's how the most destructive and lethal device invented by mankind for the destruction of mankind. Oppenheimer himself is said to have recalled the verses of the holy book of Hinduism, the Bhagavad-gita, upon seeing what they had achieved: "Now I
become Death, the destroyer of the worlds."
Light Bulb
The lightbulb is one of the most important inventions for the progress of civilization. In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison first showed the world the electric lamp with a bulb that was on for
48 hours. A few months later Edison presented in his laboratory a circuit of 40 lightbulbs which he switched on and off, astonishing all the people who came to see this new
invention.
Just a month after the presentation, on January 27, 1880, Edison received the patent for the lightbulb. The controversy came at the time because there were other earlier inventors
who were shown to have invented lightbulbs before Edison. Some of these characters were Joseph Swan, Humphry Davy, and Henry Woodward who could prove that they had made
inventions very similar to Edison's.
In 1809, Humphry Davy connected a carbon filament to the two poles of a battery to generate light. Davy's invention didn't work as well as Edison's lightbulb, but the number of years that
elapsed between the two inventions must be taken into account.
Years later, Warren de la Rue, an English chemist, exchanged the carbon filament Davy had used for a platinum filament connected to two electrical poles in a glass body. La Rue's
creation worked better than Davy's contraption, but it was expensive to produce, making commercialization impractical.
All of these advances led British physicist Joseph Wilson Swan to invent the lightbulb. Swan received the patent in 1860, but only in Great Britain, and was not recognized worldwide as the inventor of the lightbulb. It could be said that Edison only improved upon Swan's invention, with the British physicist being the actual inventor of the lightbulb.
Another person that needs mentioning when explaining the invention of the lightbulb is Nikola Tesla, who is often forgotten when it comes to the invention of the lightbulb. Tesla was the
one who discovered alternating current, which greatly extended the life of lightbulbs.