Where We Came From
The stroke of a rock against another rock gave early humans the idea of stone tools. Man started designing stone tools for hunting, farming and even for protection against wild animals. Stone tools were also responsible for the very first discovery of fire. When man discovered ways to generate and control fire, it opened an entire new horizon of capabilities. For the very first time, humans were not scared to travel in the dark. It also opened an entire set of gastronomic options in the form of cooking. Humans for the first time were able to survive the cold. They started building shelters to protect themselves and they had fire to illuminate their interiors and keep themselves warm.
The invention of wheel was another ground breaking revolution in the path to evolution of mankind. Man started travelling long and far. This is the time when the explorer instinct took charge in humans. Humans were brandishing their reasoning skills. People living at different locations, interacted with each other. They started having a whole new perspective of how the world was working. The more they saw, the more they learnt which contributed to a raised IQ. The wheeled carts made it possible to carry more belongings for longer distances. This eventually led to the birth of trade and commerce. Of course, the wheels and carts became much sturdier with the invention of the nails. With nails, humans built one sturdy construction after another. This led to the invention of massive ships that allowed man to sail across the seas.
With all the innovations that had been made till then, man was able to learn many things really fast. With the invention of paper, came the invention of books. Maps do require an honourable mention here. Of all the writing materials that were available back then, paper really withstood the test of time. Man started jotting down all his learning to share them with those he met and with those he didn’t. The Printing Press further boosted the rapid dispersion of knowledge across the globe. Innovations were being made around the globe. People found out about events and personalities from far different places. The scenario was set for more innovations. People were getting inspired.
We can safely say that the 18th and the 19th century were the centuries of innovation. They brought about technical, social and cultural revolutions in the journey of evolution. The light bulb for instance was one such notable invention. With the invention of the incandescent light bulbs, gas and fuel powered streetlights were replaced by the longer burning bulbs. People actually started having a night life. Factories started introducing the night shifts with the help of the bulbs. In order to bring the bulbs to common households, power generators and power distribution networks were devised. People started receiving electricity in their homes. With the advent of electricity, came the many home appliances at homes. Women were less tied up with their household chores and were more involved in the societal matters. This led to the concept of working women. Countries started having more workforce and hence increased production. Art and culture boomed. Many women came to fore during that period. Many social changes took place during this period. However, the biggest contribution to the widespread changes in the world came from the invention of engine. The internal combustion engine gave rise to the automobiles and people had faster mode of transport. The world was actually starting to get smaller in size. This introduced the concept of weekly and monthly journals and magazines that were published and distributed to far off places. People were getting weekly and monthly updates of the events occurring around the world. The scientific world was taking huge leaps in medicine, physics, chemistry and philosophy.
With the advancements in the communication systems in the form of Telephone, Television and Telegraph; came the need for advanced analytical processing systems. Thus, was born the computers. In a few years, the internet was born which took our world to the Digital Age that we see today.
Where we are heading to
Well, predicting from all the scenarios that have occurred till now, we can safely say that all the future innovations would be based on the advancements in the networking technology. From interconnected vehicles to smart homes, internet is going to play the most vital role in the lives of all living and non-living beings on this planet. Transportation & Logistics is set to become faster and cheaper with advancements in fuel, vehicles and infrastructure.
With the rise in population and limited resources, advanced methods of food cultivation and its sustenance would dominate the research and the commercial fields of our future.
