The history of inventions was born more than 10 centuries ago. 10,000 years of inventions and creations of the human being, of the so-called Homus Sapiens. This book traces the history of the most important inventions and discoveries that have happened throughout the centuries, this work defines in an extended and very complete way the definition of all those creations that some geniuses created in their day. From the most remote antiquity, those stone tools created in the era of the Cromagnon man, to the most advanced cybernetic and digital technologies of our time. As an author, I realized when writing this book, that although we think we know almost everything, we do not really know almost anything...

A guide to ancient accomplishments and inventions unearths the origins of modern creations, including computers in ancient Greece, plastic surgery in India in the first century B.C., and a postal service in medieval Baghdad

Recounts the history of 100 of the most significant 20th century inventions Imagine your average day without zippers, airplanes or vacuum cleaners, without your clock radio or your personal stereo, without photocopiers. All of these devices were invented within the last hundred years and have since transformed our daily landscape. Drawing on The British Library's vast and comprehensive collection of patents, this handsomely illustrated book recounts the history of 100 of the most significant inventions of the century, decade by decade. From the photocopier to the Slinky, from genetic fingerprinting to the Lava Lamp, from the ballpoint pen to the fuel cell, Inventing the Twentieth Century is an informative, illuminating window onto the technology of the twentieth century. It's the perfect gift book for every inventor and tinkerer in your life!

A unique A-to-Z reference of brilliance in innovation and invention Combining engagingly written, well-researched history with the respected imprimatur of Scientific American magazine, this authoritative, accessible reference provides a wide-ranging overview of the inventions, technological advances, and discoveries that have transformed human society throughout our history. More than 400 entertaining entries explain the details and significance of such varied breakthroughs as the development of agriculture, the "invention" of algebra, and the birth of the computer. Special chronological sections divide the entries, providing a unique focus on the intersection of science and technology from early human history to the present. In addition, each section is supplemented by primary source sidebars, which feature excerpts from scientists' diaries, contemporary accounts of new inventions, and various "In Their Own Words" sources. Comprehensive and thoroughly readable, Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries is an indispensable resource for anyone fascinated by the history of science and technology. Topics include: aerosol spray * algebra * Archimedes' Principle * barbed wire * canned food * carburetor * circulation of blood * condom * encryption machine * fork * fuel cell * latitude * music synthesizer * positron * radar * steel * television * traffic lights * Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

Incredible inventions and inspiring innovations have transformed the world today, so you can't imagine life without them! This tour through time tracks the brilliant breakthroughs of great geniuses starting with ancient times and ending in the modern era. Packed full of awesome ideas, from airplanes, batteries, and chocolate, to video games, wheels, and X-rays, you'll hear the inside story on the brainwaves behind them all. You'll meet the masters of invention who dreamed up the greatest gadgets and gizmos ever. From the everyday essentials we take for granted to fabulous firsts like the car and the television, this roll call of history's most groundbreaking inventions is guaranteed to educate, engage, and entertain the whole family. Part of DK's best-selling top 100 in History series, 100 Inventions That Made History presents an in-depth exploration of each important invention in unprecedented detail with eye-catching visuals and informative text, while stunning galleries reveal a selection of mind-blowing inventions on a shared theme. Also included are the disastrous prototypes that never got off the ground and the futuristic fantasies that may soon be up and running. Open your eyes to a world of wonder... and who knows, you might become the trailblazer of tomorrow!

In this exhilarating celebration of human ingenuity and perseverance—published all around the world—a trailblazing Italian scholar sifts through our cultural and social behavior in search of the origins of our greatest invention: writing. The L where a tabletop meets the legs, the T between double doors, the D of an armchair’s oval backrest—all around us is an alphabet in things. But how did these shapes make it onto the page, never mind form complex structures such as this sentence? In The Greatest Invention, Silvia Ferrara takes a profound look at how—and how many times—human beings have managed to produce the miracle of written language, traveling back and forth in time and all across the globe to Mesopotamia, Crete, China, Egypt, Central America, Easter Island, and beyond. With Ferrara as our guide, we examine the enigmas of undeciphered scripts, including famous cases like the Phaistos Disk and the Voynich Manuscript; we touch the knotted, colored strings of the Inca quipu; we study the turtle shells and ox scapulae that bear the earliest Chinese inscriptions; we watch in awe as Sequoyah single-handedly invents a script for the Cherokee language; and we venture to the cutting edge of decipherment, in which high-powered laser scanners bring tears to an engineer’s eye. A code-cracking tour around the globe, The Greatest Invention chronicles a previously uncharted journey, one filled with past flashes of brilliance, present-day scientific research, and a faint, fleeting glimpse of writing’s future.