ReWire: Living Faithfully in a Technological World | Page 15
SESSION ONE
General Information
TOP 50 INVENTIONS IN HISTORY
In the November 2013 technology issue of The Atlantic, the magazine listed the top 50 greatest inventions since the wheel (according to a panel of 12 scientists, historians and engineers). Many of these
ground-breaking inventions are second nature to us in today’s world, but as we consider how our use
of technology shapes our lives, they are helpful to remember. They are:
50. The combine harvester, 1930s.
25. Alphabetization, first millennium B.C.
49. The assembly line, 1913.
24. The telephone, 1876
48. The lever, third millennium B.C.
23. The sextant, 1757
47. The nail, second millennium B.C.
22. The green revolution, mid-20th century
46. Anesthesia, 1846
21. Nuclear fission, 1939
45. Television, early 20th century
20. The pill, 1960
44. Air-conditioning, 1902
19. Industrial steelmaking, 1850s
43. The abacus, third millennium B.C.
18. The automobile, late 19th century
42. Paper money, 11th century
17. The compass, 12th century
41. Rocketry, 1926
16. The personal computer, 1970s
40. The sailboat, fourth millennium B.C.
15. The airplane, 1903
39. Oil drilling, 1859
14. Gunpowder, 10th century
38. Scientific plant breeding, 1920s.
13. Refrigeration, 1850s
37. Cement, first millennium B.C.
12. Sanitation systems, mid-19th century
36. The steam turbine, 1884
11. Nitrogen fixation, 1918.
35. Oil refining, mid-19th century
10. The steam engine, 17