Container ShippingBefore container shipping, trucks were manually unloaded by longshoremen, loaded onto ships, and the process repeated at the destination. This added enormous cost, slowed shipping times and increased the risk of breakage. Inspired by WWII standardization, McLean designed containers that fit directly on ships. His standardized containers and ships enable faster and less expensive loading … Continue reading "Container Shipping"
Transistor RadioDeveloped in 1947 but commercialized in 1954, transistor radios are small. Battery-operated portable radios that fit in a pocket. They rely on transistors rather than vacuum tubes. There were several attempts to build radios with transistors but none were optimal until 1954. Eventually, a Texas Instruments team invented the Regency TR-1, the first radio miniaturized … Continue reading "Transistor Radio"
Modern Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)People have been genetically modifying plants and animals for eternity. Virtually every plant we eat is the result of genetic modification via selective breeding. Tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and countless others only exist due to genetic modifications. Furthermore, cows, pigs, chickens and arguably even all modern breeds of dogs are the result of genetic modification. … Continue reading "Modern Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)"
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)Liquid-Crystal Displays (LCD’s) enable flat-screens with relatively low-power usage. In 1888, Friedrich Reinitzer discovered liquid crystals in Germany. However, there was no use and the technology lay dormant for about 80 years. In 1968, RCA’s George Hailmeir presented the first working LCD display. However, it only worked at 80°C (176°F) leaving it impractical for anything … Continue reading "Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)"
RailroadRailroads vastly lowered the cost of moving people and goods over land. Richard Trevithick invented the locomotive engine. However, he never quite created a fully functioning railroad: Trevithick’s locomotive was a literal circus act, pulling children around a track at a circus. His core innovation was the idea of a high-pressure steam engine. Prior steam … Continue reading "Railroad"
InsuranceInsurance – paying to spread risk – is an ancient practice. Modern insurance, where businesses specifically focus on assuming the risk of loss for a third-party is a more modern practice. The Hamburger Feuerkasse (Hamburg Fire Office) opened in 1676. Fire insurance spread throughout Europe. Eventually, Lloyd’s of London popularized shipping insurance, where people willing … Continue reading "Insurance"
Mass Market Broadband Internet (DSL & Cable Modems)Broadband definitions continually change, but in 2017 the US definition of broadband is 25Mbps (megabytes per second) downstream and 3Mbps upstream. This is fast enough to stream music, movies, web surf, and read blurbs on innowiki. Background Early internet users used slow dial-up modems. The last mass-produced dial-up model ran at 56Kbps, about 1/450th the … Continue reading "Mass Market Broadband Internet (DSL & Cable Modems)"
Float GlassBefore float glass (also called flat glass), each piece of glass was individually poured and polished. This was a time consuming and expensive process that left the contours of glass uneven. Pilkington invented a method of floating the glass in a bath or iron tin, leaving both sides of glass perfectly smooth. Float glass took … Continue reading "Float Glass"
Planned Communities / Cookie-Cutter SuburbsLevitt produced inexpensive homes. He subcontracted building parts of the home to specialists who would do the same work repeatedly, from house to house. His methods reduced costs and increased quality: a standardized parts assembly line for houses. Levitt’s methods were copied with cookie-cutter style suburbs dotting the US especially, where people have limited choices … Continue reading "Planned Communities / Cookie-Cutter Suburbs"
Barcodes & Universal Product Code (UPC)Barcodes and UPC: Vastly sped checkout times. Reduced the number of staff and training required and the risk of the wrong price being rung. Increased the ability to electronically manage inventory, lowering carrying cost and spoilage risk. Enabled Just-In-Time ordering and itemized invoices. Transformed market research, enabling “big data” studies about items purchased together and … Continue reading "Barcodes & Universal Product Code (UPC)"
Microcomputer Operating System (CP/M)Operating systems tie the parts of a computer together, transforming it from silicon into something we can interact and use. Gary Kildall In 1973, Gary Kildall wrote the first widely used microcomputer operating system, CP/M. It gained popularity over the years. Kildall had a Ph.D. in computer science of Univ. WI. He created a simulator … Continue reading "Microcomputer Operating System (CP/M)"
SupertankersSupertanker ships transport enormous amounts of oil. They were invented by Ludvig and Robert Nobel, brothers of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite who founded and funded the Nobel Prize. “Dy-na-mite!” said Ludvig and Robert Nobel’s brother, Alfred, when they shared their invention, an enormous ship to move oil. OK, we’re 99.99% sure that didn’t … Continue reading "Supertankers"
Laser PrinterLaser printing is the only Xerox research project to generate significant revenue and profit for the company. However, it predates PARC. Subsequently, most Xerox laser printing revenue came from licensing the technology to other firms. Despite their success in the enterprise market and strong brand Xerox never built a widely used Xerox-brand laser printer. Background … Continue reading "Laser Printer"
SonographySonography is the process of using sound waves as an imaging device, typically for medical purposes. Background Indeed, the principles of sonography come from the natural world. For example, bats and whales are mammals that use sound waves for navigation. In 1794, after performing medical studies on bats, Lazzaro Spallanzani gained a basic understanding of … Continue reading "Sonography"
Easy CreditBackground Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper revolutionalized agriculture. McCormick’s reaper enabled one man to harvest the same amount of grain in one day as he could in two weeks by hand. Since grain goes bad when not timely harvested, the reaper enabled farmers to plant far larger crops with commensurate profits. Additionally, the reaper lowered the … Continue reading "Easy Credit"