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9. STEAM ENGINE - invented between 1763 and 1775 by Scottish inventor
James Watt (who built upon the ideas of previous steam engine attempts like the
1712 Newcomen engine), the steam engine powered trains, ships, factories and the
Industrial Revolution as a whole.
10. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - the 19th-century invention (created by
Belgian engineer Etienne Lenoir in 1859 and improved by Germany's Nikolaus Otto
in 1876), this engine that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy overtook
the steam engine and is used in modern cars and planes. Elon Musk's electric car
company Tesla, among others, is currently trying to revolutionize technology in this
arena once again.
11. TELEPHONE - although he was not the only one working on this kind of tech,
Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell got the first patent for an electric
telephone in 1876. Certainly, this instrument has revolutionized our ability to
communicate.
12. VACCINATION - while sometimes controversial, the practice of vaccination is
responsible for eradicating diseases and extending the human lifespan. The first
vaccine (for smallpox) was developed by Edward Jenner in 1796. A rabies vaccine
was developed by the French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur in 1885, who is
credited with making vaccination the major part of medicine that is it today. Pasteur
is also responsible for inventing the food safety process of pasteurization, that bears
his name.
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13. CARS - cars completely changed the way we travel, as well as the design of our
cities, and thrust the concept of the assembly line into the mainstream. They were
invented in their modern form in the late 19th century by a number of individuals,
with special credit going to the German Karl Benz for creating what's considered the
first practical motorcar in 1885.
Karl Benz (in light suit) on a trip with his family with one of his first cars, which was
built in 1893 and powered by a single cylinder, 3 h.p. engine. His friend Theodor von
Liebig is in the Viktoria. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
14. AIRPLANE - invented in 1903 by the American Wright brothers, planes brought
the world closer together, allowing us to travel quickly over great distances. This
technology has broadened minds through enormous cultural exchanges—but it also
escalated the reach of the world wars that would soon break out, and the severity of
every war thereafter.
15. PENICILLIN - discovered by the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming in 1928,
this drug transformed medicine by its ability to cure infectious bacterial diseases. It
began the era of antibiotics.
16. ROCKETS - while the invention of early rockets is credited to the Ancient
Chinese, the modern rocket is a 20th century contribution to humanity, responsible
for transforming military capabilities and allowing human space exploration.
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