418 Inventions and Discoveries That Changed Human Life

Author: (American) Rodney Carlisle
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This is an encyclopedic history of invention and discovery. The book divides human inventions and discoveries into six periods and examines them within the context of broader social impacts. Organizing important inventions in this manner, rather than simply listing them, requires a chronological concept. Here, some explanation of the book and its organizational principles is provided. In his classic work Technology and Civilization (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1934), Lewis Mumford called ancient inventions like fire and clothing "primitive technology." He pointed out that these ancient arts are part of human heritage, with most invented in prehistoric times. He referred to the period from the late 18th century to the entire 19th century as the "old technology period," while "new technology" refers to the era of mutual promotion and development between science and technology. He believed this period began in the 19th century and continued until the early 1930s, when he wrote and published the work. We find Mumford's classification highly forward-looking, so we divided the periods based on his ideas but avoided obscure terminology. This encyclopedia divides scientific discoveries and technological inventions into six periods or eras:
1. Ancient Times to Antiquity (8000 B.C. - 330)
2. Medieval Times to the End of the 16th Century (331 - 1599)
3. The Age of Scientific Revolution (1600 - 1790)
4. The Age of Industrial Revolution (1791 - 1890)
5. The Electrical Age (1891 - 1934)
6. The Atomic and Electronic Age (1935 - )