Measuring the value of an idea or product isn’t something that can be done easily, and no two people would do it the same way. Still, we can measure inventions by their impact and the ways that they are remembered. Sometimes we find value simply because of the way that they inspire us, and that is okay too.
Let’s explore the top inventions on our list!
The 50 Greatest Inventions of all Time – Countdown 10 to 1
10. The Internet (1983)
If the Internet disappeared today, the world would fall into chaos.
No one would know their bank account balances or be able to post photos of their lunches for friends and family.
Communications would fail, and we would all be very bored.
The Internet is so ingrained within our society that our world would cease to operate if it didn’t exist, so we should all be glad that it was created back in 1983!
9. The Rocket (1942)
The history of the rocket varies depending on what you believe in.
Some people say that evidence of ancient rockets exists, but that is a little controversial.
Today’s rockets were formed through the work of three main people during the 1800s and 1900s: Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, and Hermann Oberth — but they are not the only people involved.
Space travel isn’t easy, and the rocket took a lot of love and attention to get to where it is today.
Before, it was a miracle that we landed on the moon. Now, SpaceX is sending civilians out to orbit the Earth.
Who knows what will come next?
8. The Database
The database is one of the most underrated inventions by the majority of people who use it.
All day, every day, we all rely on databases in everything that we do, but most people don’t consider that.
Introduced in the 1960s by Charles Bachman, the first computer database went by IDS, which stands for Integrated Data Store.
After a short while, IBM created the Information Management System, their own database—and the rest is history.
Today, we use databases for everything from user accounts, phone apps, data management, and so much more.
Without this, technology wouldn’t be what is today at all!
7. The Integrated Circuit (1961)
The integrated circuit is a creation that most of us are hardly familiar with, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a big impact.
Invented in 1961 by Robert Noyce, this is a creation that changed technology in a huge way.
Without the integrated circuit, all of the fancy technology that exists within smartphones, tablets, and laptops would all vanish.
This is another unsung hero that has made this wild science fiction reality that we all know and love a possibility.
The best part? This technology has only gotten better, and it still keeps pushing forward.
6. Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is something that most of us can’t imagine living without. We allow our friends and guests to join our networks—and a lot of us join public networks all the time.
In fact, entire countries are working to provide Wi-Fi that covers large areas. Of course, Wi-Fi was not always around.
First introduced in 1997 by a committee going by the name of 802.11 (yes, you read that correctly), Wi-Fi is an invention that has changed the game time and time again.
Previously, we were dependent entirely upon being plugged in to receive internet—or worse, relying entirely on data.
Nowadays, it is a little weird to go somewhere that doesn’t offer guest Wi-Fi.
Whether or not public Wi-Fi connections are safe is a different discussion, but most of us would agree that it is nice to be able to stream, game, and work without being chained to a desk.
5. Contraceptive Medications (1950)
The world is expanding in a lot of ways, and birth rates have always been a point of concern.
A lot of people like to skip the “chance” element when it comes to having children for their own reasons, and these medications make it all possible.
Instead of having kids until your house is full of hungry mouths, we are able to choose the right time to have kids—and that is a pretty big deal.
Introduced back in the 1950s, oral contraceptive pills have had a lasting impact on how a lot of people live their lives.
These medications can give parents a choice, but they can also help with a long list of medical needs as well.
This versatile medication puts control in the hands of users in a way that simply wasn’t possible before.
What are you going to invent today?
Great inventions start with a single shared idea.
Talk to us. We will empower you.
4. Writing Correction Software
Most of us know that we aren’t perfect when it comes to writing, especially on the fly—but does that mean that our emails and text messages should suffer?
Absolutely not! Systems like Autocorrect and Grammarly have been absolutely invaluable tools in helping to craft strong and well-intentioned communications.
These systems can help us to be clearer communicators, and they are known to save a lot of us from quite a bit of embarrassment too!
Sometimes it is nice to just let the machines handle it. This is a simple invention that everyone loves.
3. Communications Satellites
At the point where humanity began to grow in certain areas, it became fairly clear that we needed to find a better way to communicate.
The game of telephone simply wouldn’t do, and it made it difficult to send a message to a lot of different people.
Fortunately, communications satellites have changed that.
NASA and AT&T worked together to send a satellite out in 1962, and nothing has been the same way since. With these devices, everyone’s voice can be heard.
2. The Microscope (1600)
Created for the first time back in 1600, the microscope is a device that changed the way that we look at the world around us.
With the microscope, we have the ability to view a world that we cannot see with our eyes—and this is a great thing—because a lot of the world has the potential to kill us.
With the microscope, we have expanded our understanding of the world like we never could before.
Viruses, bacteria, and the pieces that make us tick are all visible now because of them.
1. Artificial Intelligence (1956)
The earliest traces of artificial intelligence can be found back as far as 1956, which is pretty amazing to consider.
Back then, it was really more of a concept than anything.
Today, artificial intelligence and machine learning are creating a completely customized experience for every person on the planet.
We always knew that humanity would only go so far in a set span of time, so we created artificial intelligence to speed up the timeline.
With focuses on health, finance, and customer profiling, AI is changing the world a lot every day.
Conclusion
Big or small, inventions can have a lasting impact on the world as we know it.
Some inventions never seem to change, but others are unrecognizable compared to their modern versions.
It doesn’t matter either way.
What does matter is that we keep making incredible things that change the world!
That is what humanity does, and we have plenty of evidence to prove that we are great at it.
Check out the complete series
- 50 to 41: 50 Greatest Inventions of All Time – Countdown (50 to 41)
- 40 to 31: 50 Greatest Inventions of All Time – Countdown (40 to 31)
- 30 to 21: 50 Greatest Inventions of All Time – Countdown (30 to 21)
- 20 to 11: The 50 Greatest Inventions of All Time – (20 to 11)
- 10 to 01: This article
