30-Second Great Inventions
50 light-bulb moments that changed the world, from the compass to the smartphone, each explained in half a minute
Published on 1. March 2018
160 pages
978-1-78240-684-6 (ISBN)
Description
Universal change is often the result of an individual's lightbulb moment - an invention that triggers a ripple effect across countries, continents, or even out into space. Great Inventions in 30 Seconds looks at fifty of these groundbreaking innovations - great ideas that really did change the world. It covers a wide range, from early days (the wheel) through materials (the invention of steel, for example, or plastic) to communications (the alphabet, the printing press, the Worldwide Web) and the conveniences of (relatively) modern daily life (refrigeration, indoor plumbing, central heating). It's a sharp reminder that almost every aspect of life in the second decade of the 21st century is the result of someone's bright idea, - and one that they acted on to turn it into a viable invention. Along the way you'll learn all about the personalities behind the inventions: revealing and intriguing in equal measure.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Product notice
Reflowable
File size
23,12 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78240-684-6 (9781782406846)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
David Boyle
30-Second Great Inventions
50 light-bulb moments that changed the world, from the compass to the smartphone, each explained in half a minute
Book
03/2018
Ivy Press
€38.56
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Person
David Boyle is the author of several books about history, the history of ideas and the future. His Authenticity: Brands, Fakes, Spin and the Lust for Real Life helped put the search for authenticity on the agenda as a social phenomenon, while Funny Money: In Search of Alternative Cash launched the 'time banks movement' in the UK. His work on the history and future of money has also been published in many books and pamphlets. He has stood for Parliament and undertaken an independent review for the UK Treasury and Cabinet Office.
Content
- Cover
- Halt Title
- Title
- Copyright
- CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Materials
- GLOSSARY
- Cement
- Glass
- Paper
- Profile: Stephanie Kwolek
- Iron
- Steel
- Petroleum
- Plastic
- Construction & Engineering
- GLOSSARY
- The Wheel
- The Nail
- Archimedes' Screw
- Profile: Frank Whittle
- The Plough
- The Mechanized Clock
- The Steam Engine
- The Internal Combustion Engine
- Transport & Location
- GLOSSARY
- The Compass
- The Safety Bicycle
- The Pneumatic Tyre
- Profile: The Wright Brothers
- The Automobile
- The Helicopter
- The Global Positioning System (GPS)
- Medicine & Health
- Glossary
- Vaccination
- Anaesthesia
- Antibiotics
- The Microscope
- Profile: Louis Pasteur
- The Optical Lens
- The X-ray
- The Birth Control Pill
- The Pacemaker
- Communications
- GLOSSARY
- The Alphabet
- The Printing Press
- The Computer
- The Telegraph
- Profile: Sir Tim Berners-Lee
- The Radio
- The Television
- The Smartphone
- Economics & Energy
- GLOSSARY
- The Abacus
- Paper Money
- Nuclear Power
- Profile: Russell Ohl
- The Calculator
- The Wind Turbine
- The Barcode
- E-money
- The Credit Card
- Daily Life
- GLOSSARY
- The Lavatory
- Canning
- The Light Bulb
- The Camera
- Profile: Katherine Burr Blodgett
- Moving Pictures
- Refrigeration
- Central Heating
- Appendices
- Resources
- Notes on Contributors
- Index
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- R
- S
- T
- V
- W
- Y
- Z
- Acknowledgements
