SatellitesSatellites brought the world closer together, enabling instant communication, relaying information, and fulfilling countless military and civilian uses. Sergei Korolev designed the first satellite, the Sputnik 1. It struck fear and hope around the globe as it orbited earth sending radio pings that anybody could hear. Korolev spent years during the Great Purge in Stalin … Continue reading "Satellites"
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)Relational databases simplify the storage and retrieval of related information. For example, rather than storing the state a person lives in a relational database might store a number to a single list of all states. Significantly, this reduces overall storage needs and makes indexing and searching significantly easier and subsequently faster. Edgar Codd, working at … Continue reading "Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)"
Nuclear PowerOne of the great physicists, Fermi won the Nobel Prize in 1938, at the age of 37. No sooner did he receive his prize than he fled from his home in fascist Italy to New York City, taking US citizenship. Eventually, Fermi and the other nuclear scientists had convinced President Roosevelt that the Nazis could … Continue reading "Nuclear Power"
MimeographMimeographs are essentially low-cost but low-quality and easy-to-use printing presses. They produced good-enough copies at a cost far lower than hand copying. Copies are produced from user-created stencils. Mimeographs remained the dominant form of document duplication for almost a century until photocopy machines became inexpensive and ubiquitous. For decades, mimeographs were the only way to … Continue reading "Mimeograph"
Steam TurbineIn much the same way that Watt’s condensing steam engine vastly increased the value of Newcomen’s engine, the steam turbine vastly improved the value of Edison’s electric factory. Steam turbines allow steam, generated by heating water, to efficiently turn generators, usually to make electricity. In addition to steam, water (ex: waterfalls) or wind (ex: windmills) … Continue reading "Steam Turbine"
Rock & Roll“If you’re not doing something different, you’re not doing anything.” Sam Phillips Background Billboard magazine started charting songs in 1940. Eventually, they divided songs into three categories, pop, country-and-western, and “race music.” Around 1949, race music was renamed rhythm and blues (R&B). Music sales were proprietary and closely guarded so Billboard based their charts off … Continue reading "Rock & Roll"
Aspirin1899 Arthur EichengrünFelix Hoffman Aspirin is often referred to as a miracle drug. The inexpensive medicine relieves pain without addiction, reduces fever, and even helps prevent heart attack. There is some evidence Aspirin even prevents cancer. Aspirin is the distilled and purified version of medicine known since ancient times. Hippocrates, he of the Hippocratic Oath, … Continue reading "Aspirin"
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)"
Processed Foods with Statistical Quality ControlBy design, countless food products look and taste exactly the same. Nobody opens a name-brand candy bar and wonders if it will taste different than any other bar they may have chosen. Each can of Coca Cola, Pepsi, or Guinness Beer tastes exactly the same as any other. All major food companies can thank Guinness … Continue reading "Processed Foods with Statistical Quality Control"
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)Programmable Logic Controller’s (PLC’s) are small single-purpose computers. They control machines and are common in cars. You probably own more PLC’s than any other type of computer. Today, a single-car has a myriad of PLC’s, usually networked together. PLC’s replace hard-coded wiring, automating tasks. PLC’s often read input from analog sensors. Responding to temperature, sensing … Continue reading "Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)"
Surgical AnesthesiaAnesthesia enables modern surgery, reducing pain and risk. Before anesthesia, patients were held down and surgeons would have to operate quickly. Amputations were common because surgeons did not have the time to do more complicated work before a patient went into shock from the pain. Ether is the first anesthesia. William Morton, a dentist, is … Continue reading "Surgical Anesthesia"
Heavy-Duty DC Motor / Trolley / SubwayFaraday proved an electric motor was possible but, like his many inventions, neither scaled the idea up nor commercialized it. Voltaic piles at that time were the sole source of electricity. Because they produced little electricity high-power motors seemed pointless. Background The new field of electricity interested Sprague, a Navy officer. While serving in the … Continue reading "Heavy-Duty DC Motor / Trolley / Subway"
Spinning MuleFew inventions on innowiki have inspired as much social unrest at the spinning mule. The mule is a minor innovation compared to most others on the list. However, it caused a massive freak-out. The Luddite movement, that still exists to this day, if often wrongly credited to the printing press but actually began with the … Continue reading "Spinning Mule"
Electronic Cipher (Enigma)Enigma is a cipher, a machine that implements an algorithm to encrypt and decrypt messages. On Feb. 23, 1918, Scherbius applied for his first patent for what would become the most well-known cipher machine in history, the Enigma. Initially marketed for commercial purposes the German army modified a version for military encryption in 1926. Nazis … Continue reading "Electronic Cipher (Enigma)"
LinuxLinux is a stable and secure operating system. The operating system is open-source and free. However, there are many companies that sell support for Linux, and maintenance is typically the source for most of the cost comes of maintaining an operating system. Background Limited to 16 concurrent users at his school’s computer, Linus wanted a … Continue reading "Linux"
