Short stories of human inventions
Archive for October, 2009
4 Simple Inventions That Changed the World
There are many conveniences that we take for granted these days. In fact, it’s hard to imagine life without many things that were cutting edge long ago! Computers, vehicles, gas and electric ranges, sewing machines and ballpoint pens are just some of the innovations that influence daily life.They say the simplest inventions are the cleverest. I agree. There is a recent story about a three-year old kid who invented a double-ended broom, one for a coarse brush and one for a fine brush. It’s amazing that he’s the first to patent that. Throughout history, such simple inventions changed the lives of people everywhere. What are these all-important devices?1. The Wheel – one of the early inventions that changed the way humans lived. We see it everywhere; on cars, trucks, planes, ships, inside machines, toys, and much much more. Life wouldn’t be the same without the wheel. It was said to be invented by the Mesopotamians in 4th century BC, eventually helping usher about the Bronze Age. Starting from wooden carts and wagons, the simple yet so very useful device evolved over time. With so many uses and applications… More >>
Past, Present and Future of Railroads and Rail Construction
October 15, 2009
by merlin
in Technology
With renewed interest brewing in railroads and rail construction, it would be prudent to look at the history of railroads and rail construction and see how far the technology has come.
Invention
The first signs of a primitive rail system came out of Europe in the 1500′s. This consisted of wooden rails which helped horse drawn wagons to move more smoothly over ground. In the 18th century, iron became more prevalent in use and iron wheels on iron rails was in use by this time. However, horses were still the main means of power. In the 19th century, everything changed with the invention of the steam engine by Richard Trevithick. In February of 1804, a locomotive piled with tons of iron, dozens of men and about 5 wagons steamed nearly 10 miles between two towns in Wales. The trip took approximately two hours. From there, the snowball began with cargo and passenger trains being invented not long after. In the early 19th century, Colonel John Stevens experimented with steam locomotives on a test track in New Jersey. Colonel Stevens is… More >>
Discount Drug Stores
Nowadays, life has become busy and lifestyles have changed from the traditional to the modern. The changed life style and imbalanced diets have tied our life with medicines. The technological growth in the medical field and new medical inventions demonstrate the seriousness of ill health. As a result, the number of drug stores and pharmacies has increased rapidly in numbers.In 1969, the first discount drug store was opened in Elyria and Ohio. This discount drug store had two subsidiaries. One subsidiary, called Immediate Pharmaceutical Services (IPS) deals with mail order prescriptions.The other was called Immediate Pharmaceutical Network Services (IPNS). The second subsidiary is an independent third party network. It contracts with companies and provides drugs for insurance covered prescriptions. It takes orders and ships the drugs immediately to around twenty countries.These discount drug stores stock more than 40,000 products for health care. All health care products like home health care products, baby health products, beauty care products, miniature health appliances, health magazines and school and office health supplies are available at discount rates.Apart from health products, other products such as kitchen products, cleaning products, pet items, paper products… More >>
Lessons in Invention Development – Part 2
The thought entered my mind that perhaps price, place, and promotion weren’t the only lessons to master. But I did redesign the product, too, in search of the right equation. Still, all of my attempts had failed. I had been blinded by my own dogged perseverance, causing me to fail the most crucial lesson of all. But what could that lesson be? I strained to find the answer, but it seemed time had run out. Then it was confirmed: offers for additional financial backing from my investor, representation, and free trade shows ceased, and with them my excitement and enthusiasm. I’d all but given up and others already had. What consumed me these days was how to explain to my friends, family and readers of my resume that I had lost six figures developing “pie-in-the-sky” inventions. I became seriously discouraged and as stressed as I’d ever been. I got in the habit of bringing a bath towel to bed with me so when I awoke during most nights, drenched in a cold sweat, I would have something to dry off with. Those around me sensed disaster and distanced… More >>