Radio, television, the first artificial satellite, color photography and much more are inscribed in the history of Russian inventions. These discoveries marked the beginning of the phenomenal development of various fields in the field of science and technology. Of course, everyone knows some of these stories, because sometimes they become almost more famous than the inventions themselves, while others remain in the shadow of their loud neighbors.
1. Electric car
The modern world is hard to imagine without cars. Of course, more than one mind had a hand in the invention of this transport, but in improving the machine and bringing it to its current state, the number of participants is increasing many times, geographically gathering together the whole world. But separately we will note Ippolit Vladimirovich Romanov, since he owns the invention of the world's first electric car. In 1899, in St. Petersburg, an engineer presented a four-wheeled carriage designed to carry two passengers. Among the features of this invention, it can be noted that the diameter of the front wheels significantly exceeded the diameter of the rear ones. The maximum speed was 39 km / h, but a very complex recharging system made it possible to travel only 60 km at this speed. This electric car became the forefather of the trolleybus known to us.
2. Monorail
And today, monorails make a futuristic impression, so you can imagine how incredible by the standards of 1820 was the “road on poles”, invented by Elmanov Ivan Kirillovich. A horse-drawn trolley moved along a bar, which was mounted on small supports. To Elmanov's great regret, there was no philanthropist who was interested in the invention, because of which he had to abandon the idea. And only 70 years later the monorail was built in Gatchina, St. Petersburg province.
3. Electric motor
Boris Semenovich Jacobi, an architect by education, at the age of 33, while in Koenigsberg, became interested in the physics of charged particles, and in 1834 he made a discovery - an electric motor operating on the principle of rotation of the working shaft. Instantly, Jacobi becomes famous in scientific circles, and among many invitations for further education and development, he chooses St. Petersburg University. So, together with Academician Emil Khristianovich Lenz, he continued to work on the electric motor, creating two more options. The first was designed for a boat and rotated the paddle wheels. With the help of this engine, the ship easily kept afloat, moving even against the current of the Neva River. And the second electric motor was the prototype of a modern tram and rolled a man in a cart along the rails. Among Jacobi's inventions, electroplating can also be noted - a process that allows you to create perfect copies of the original object. This discovery was widely used to decorate interiors, houses and much more. Among the merits of the scientist is also the creation of underground and underwater cables. Boris Jacobi became the author of about a dozen designs of telegraph devices, and in 1850 he invented the world's first direct-printing telegraph device, which worked on the principle of synchronous movement. This device was recognized as one of the greatest achievements of electrical engineering in the middle of the 19th century.
4. Color photography
If earlier everything that happened tried to get on paper, now all life is aimed at obtaining a photograph. Therefore, without this invention, which has become part of the small but rich history of photography, we would not have seen such a “reality”. Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky developed a special camera and introduced his brainchild to the world in 1902. This camera was capable of taking three shots of the same image, each shot through three completely different light filters: red, green, and blue. And the patent received by the inventor in 1905 can be considered, without exaggeration, the beginning of the era of color photography in Russia. This invention is becoming much better than the achievements of foreign chemists, which is an important fact in view of the massive interest in photography around the world.
5. Bicycle
It is generally accepted that all information about the invention of the bicycle before 1817 is doubtful. The history of Efim Mikheevich Artamonov also enters this period. The Ural serf inventor made the first bike ride around 1800 from the Ural worker of the Tagil factory settlement to Moscow, the distance was about two thousand miles. For his invention, Efim was granted freedom from serfdom. But this story remains a legend, while the patent of the German professor Baron Karl von Dres from 1818 is a historical fact.
6. Telegraph
Mankind has always been looking for ways to transfer information as quickly as possible from one source to another. Fire, smoke from a campfire, various combinations of sound signals helped people transmit distress signals and other emergency messages. The development of this process is undoubtedly one of the most important tasks facing the world. The first electromagnetic telegraph was created by the Russian scientist Pavel Lvovich Schilling in 1832, presenting it in his apartment. He came up with a certain combination of symbols, each of which corresponded to a letter of the alphabet. This combination appeared on the apparatus as black or white circles.
7. Incandescent lamp
If you pronounce "incandescent lamp", then the name of Edison immediately sounds in your head. Yes, this invention is no less famous than the name of its inventor. However, a relatively small number of people know that Edison did not invent the lamp, but only improved it. Whereas Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin, being a member of the Russian Technical Society, in 1870 proposed the use of tungsten filaments in lamps, twisting them into a spiral. Of course, the history of the invention of the lamp is not the result of the work of one scientist - rather, it is a series of successive discoveries that were in the air and were needed by the world, but it was Alexander Lodygin's contribution that became especially great.
8. Radio receiver
The question of who is the inventor of the radio is debatable. Almost every country has its own scientist, who is credited with the creation of this device. So, in Russia, this scientist is Alexander Stepanovich Popov, in whose favor many weighty arguments are given. On May 7, 1895, the reception and transmission of radio signals at a distance were demonstrated for the first time. And the author of this demonstration was Popov. He was not only the first to put the receiver into practice, but also the first to send a radiogram. Both events occurred before the patent of Marconi, who is considered the inventor of the radio.
9. Television
The discovery and widespread use of television broadcasting has radically changed the way information is disseminated in society. Boris Lvovich Rosing was also involved in this powerful achievement, who in July 1907 filed an application for the invention of the "Method of electrical transmission of images over distances." Boris Lvovich managed to successfully transmit and receive an accurate image on the screen of the still simplest device, which was the prototype of the kinescope of a modern television, which the scientist called the "electric telescope". Among those who helped Rosing with experience was Vladimir Zworykin, then a student of the St. 1911.
10. Parachute
Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov was an actor in the troupe of the People's House on the Petersburg Side. Then, impressed by the death of the pilot, Kotelnikov began to develop a parachute. Before Kotelnikov, the pilots escaped with the help of long folded "umbrellas" fixed on the plane. Their design was very unreliable, besides, they greatly increased the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, they were rarely used. Gleb Evgenievich proposed his completed project of a backpack parachute in 1911. But, despite successful tests, the inventor did not receive a patent in Russia. The second attempt was more successful, and in 1912 in France, his discovery received legal force. But even this fact did not help the parachute to start wide production in Russia because of the fears of the head of the Russian air forces, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, that at the slightest malfunction the aviators would leave the airplane. And only in 1924 he finally receives a domestic patent, and later transfers all rights to use his invention to the government.
11. Movie camera
In 1893, working together with the physicist Lyubimov, Iosif Andreevich Timchenko created the so-called "snail" - a special mechanism with which it was possible to intermittently change the order of frames in a stroboscope. This mechanism later formed the basis of the kinetoscope, which Timchenko is developing together with the engineer Freidenberg. The kinetoscope was demonstrated the following year at a congress of Russian doctors and natural scientists. Two tapes were shown: "The Spear Thrower" and "The Galloping Horseman", which were filmed at the Odessa hippodrome. This event is even documented. So, in the minutes of the section meeting it says: “Representatives of the meeting got acquainted with the invention of Mr. Timchenko with interest. And, in accordance with the proposals of two professors, we decided to express our gratitude to Mr. Timchenko.”
12. Automatic
Since 1913, the inventor Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov began work, consisting in testing an automatic rifle (firing in bursts) chambered for 6.5 mm, which was the fruit of his development. Three years later, soldiers of the 189th Izmail regiment are already armed with such rifles. But the serial production of machine guns was launched only after the end of the revolution. The weapons of the designer were in service with the domestic army until 1928. But, according to some reports, during the Winter War with Finland, the troops still used some copies of the Fedorov assault rifle.
13. Laser
The history of the invention of the laser began with the name of Einstein, who created the theory of the interaction of radiation with matter. At the same time, Alexei Tolstoy, in his famous novel The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin, wrote about the same thing. Until 1955, attempts to create a laser were not successful. And only thanks to two Russian physicists - N.G. Basov and A.M. Prokhorov, who developed a quantum generator, the laser began its history in practice. In 1964, Basov and Prokhorov received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
14. Artificial heart
The name of Vladimir Petrovich Demikhov is associated with more than one operation, which was performed for the first time. Surprisingly, Demikhov was not a doctor - he was a biologist. In 1937, as a third-year student of the biological faculty of Moscow State University, he created a mechanical heart and put it in a dog instead of a real one. The dog lived with the prosthesis for about three hours. After the war, Demikhov got a job at the Institute of Surgery of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR and created a small experimental laboratory there, in which he began to engage in research on organ transplantation. Already in 1946, he was the first in the world to perform a heart transplant from one dog to another. In the same year, he also performed the first transplant of a heart and lung into a dog at the same time. And most importantly, Demikhov's dogs lived with transplanted hearts for several days. It was a real breakthrough in cardiovascular surgery.
15. Anesthesia
Since ancient times, mankind has dreamed of getting rid of pain. This was especially true of treatment, which was sometimes more painful than the disease itself. Herbs, strong drinks only dulled the symptoms, but did not allow serious actions accompanied by serious pain. This significantly hindered the development of medicine. Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov, the great Russian surgeon, to whom the world owes many important discoveries, made a huge contribution to anesthesiology. In 1847 he summarized his experiments in a monograph on anesthesia, which was published throughout the world. Three years later, for the first time in the history of medicine, he began to operate on the wounded with ether anesthesia in the field. In total, the great surgeon performed about 10,000 operations under ether anesthesia. Also, Nikolai Ivanovich is the author of topographic anatomy, which has no analogues in the world.
16. Plane Mozhaisky
Many minds around the world worked to solve the most difficult problems in the development of the aircraft. Numerous drawings, theories and even test designs did not give a practical result - the plane did not lift a person into the air. The talented Russian inventor Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky was the first in the world to create a full-size aircraft. Having studied the works of his predecessors, he developed and supplemented them using his theoretical knowledge and practical experience. His results fully resolved the issues of his time and, despite the very unfavorable situation, namely the lack of actual opportunities in material and technical terms, Mozhaisky was able to find the strength to complete the construction of the world's first aircraft. It was a creative feat that forever glorified our Motherland. But the surviving documentary materials, unfortunately, do not allow us to give a description of the aircraft of A.F. Mozhaisky and its tests in the necessary detail.
17. Aerodynamics
Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky developed theoretical basis aviation and methods for calculating aircraft - and this was at a time when the builders of the first aircraft claimed that “an aircraft is not a machine, it cannot be calculated”, and most of all they hoped for experience, practice and their intuition. In 1904, Zhukovsky discovered the law that determines the lift force of an aircraft wing, determined the main profiles of the wings and propeller blades of an aircraft; developed the vortex theory of the propeller.
18. Atomic and hydrogen bomb
Academician Igor Vasilievich Kurchatov occupies a special place in the science of the twentieth century and in the history of our country. He, an outstanding physicist, plays an exceptional role in the development of scientific and scientific-technical problems of mastering nuclear energy in the Soviet Union. The solution of this most difficult task, the creation of a nuclear shield of the Motherland in a short time in one of the most dramatic periods in the history of our country, the development of problems of peaceful use nuclear energy was the main business of his life. It was under his leadership that the most terrible weapon of the post-war period was created and successfully tested in 1949. Without the right to make a mistake, otherwise - execution ... And already in 1961, a group of nuclear physicists from the Kurchatov laboratory created the most powerful explosive device in the history of mankind - the AN 602 hydrogen bomb, which was immediately assigned a quite appropriate historical name - “Tsar Bomba ". When this bomb was tested, the seismic wave resulting from the explosion circled the globe three times.
19. Rocket and space technology and practical astronautics
The name of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev characterizes one of the brightest pages in the history of our state - the era of space exploration. The first artificial satellite of the Earth, the first manned flight into space, the first spacewalk by an astronaut, the long-term work of the orbital station and much more is directly related to the name of Academician Korolev, the first Chief Designer of Rocket and Space Systems. From 1953 to 1961, every day Korolev was scheduled by the minute: at the same time he worked on projects for a manned spacecraft, an artificial satellite and an intercontinental rocket. October 4, 1957 was a great day for world cosmonautics: after that, the satellite flew through Soviet pop culture for another 30 years and even registered in the Oxford Dictionary as “sputnik”. Well, about what happened on April 12, 1961, it’s enough to say “man in space”, because almost every one of our compatriots knows what it is about.
20. Mi series helicopters
During the Great Patriotic War, Academician Mil worked in the evacuation in the village of Bilimbay, mainly engaged in the improvement of combat aircraft, improving their stability and controllability. His work was marked by five government awards. In 1943, Mil defended his Ph.D. thesis "Criteria for the controllability and maneuverability of an aircraft"; in 1945 - a doctorate: "The dynamics of a rotor with hinged blades and its application to the problems of stability and controllability of an autogyro and a helicopter." In December 1947, M. L. Mil became the chief designer of an experimental design bureau for helicopter construction. After a series of tests at the beginning of 1950, a decision was issued to create an experimental series of 15 GM-1 helicopters under the designation Mi-1.
21. Aircraft of Andrey Tupolev
Andrei Tupolev's design bureau developed more than 100 types of aircraft, 70 of which were mass-produced in different years. With the participation of his aircraft, 78 world records were set, 28 unique flights were performed, including the rescue of the crew of the Chelyuskin steamer with the participation of the ANT-4 aircraft. Non-stop flights by the crews of Valery Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov to the United States via the North Pole were carried out on ANT-25 aircraft. In the scientific expeditions "North Pole" by Ivan Papanin, ANT-25 aircraft were also used. A large number of bombers, torpedo bombers, reconnaissance aircraft designed by Tupolev (TV-1, TV-3, SB, TV-7, MTB-2, TU-2) and torpedo boats G-4, G-5 were used in combat operations in the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945. In peacetime, among the military and civilian aircraft developed under the leadership of Tupolev were the Tu-4 strategic bomber, the first Soviet jet bomber Tu-12, the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, the Tu-16 long-range missile carrier bomber, and the Tu-22 supersonic bomber; the first jet passenger aircraft Tu-104 (was built on the basis of the Tu-16 bomber), the first turboprop intercontinental passenger airliner Tu-114, short- and medium-range aircraft Tu-124, Tu-134, Tu-154. Together with Alexei Tupolev, the Tu-144 supersonic passenger aircraft was developed. Tupolev's planes became the backbone of Aeroflot's fleet and were also operated in dozens of countries around the world.
22. Eye microsurgery
Millions of doctors, having received a diploma, are eager to help people, dream of future achievements. But most of them gradually lose their former fuse: no aspirations, the same thing from year to year. Fedorov's enthusiasm and interest in the profession only grew from year to year. Just six years after the institute, he defended his Ph.D. thesis, and in 1960 in Cheboksary, where he then worked, he performed a revolutionary operation to replace the lens of the eye with an artificial one. Similar operations were carried out abroad before, but in the USSR they were considered pure charlatanism, and Fedorov was fired from his job. After that, he became the head of the Department of Eye Diseases at the Arkhangelsk Medical Institute. It was here that Fedorov's "empire" began in his biography: a team of like-minded people gathered around the indefatigable surgeon, ready for revolutionary changes in eye microsurgery. People from all over the country flocked to Arkhangelsk with the hope of regaining their lost sight, and they really began to see clearly. The innovative surgeon was also appreciated "officially" - together with his team, he moved to Moscow. And he began to do absolutely fantastic things: to correct vision using keratotomy (special incisions on the cornea of the eye), to transplant a donor cornea, developed a new method for operating on glaucoma, and became a pioneer of laser eye microsurgery.
23. Tetris
Mid 80s. A time covered in legends. The idea of Tetris was born by Alexey Pajitnov in 1984 after getting acquainted with the American mathematician Solomon Golomb's Pentomino Puzzle. The essence of this puzzle was quite simple and painfully familiar to any contemporary: from several figures it was necessary to assemble one large one. Alexey decided to make a computer version of pentomino. Pajitnov not only took the idea, but also supplemented it: in his game, it was necessary to collect figures in a glass in real time, and the figures themselves consisted of five elements and could rotate around their own center of gravity during the fall. But the computers of the Computing Center turned out to be unable to do this - the electronic pentomino simply did not have enough resources. Then Aleksey decides to reduce the number of blocks that made up the falling figures to four. So from pentomino turned tetramino. new game Alexey names "Tetris".
Over the past few centuries, we have made countless discoveries that have greatly improved the quality of our daily lives and understanding how the world around us works. Assessing the full importance of these discoveries is very difficult, if not almost impossible. But one thing is certain, some of them have literally changed our lives once and for all. From penicillin and the screw pump to X-rays and electricity, here is a list of the 25 greatest discoveries and inventions of mankind.
25. Penicillin
If the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming had not discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic, in 1928, we would still be dying from diseases such as stomach ulcers, abscesses, streptococcal infections, scarlet fever, leptospirosis, Lyme disease and many others.
24. Mechanical watch
Photo: pixabay
There are conflicting theories about what the first mechanical watches actually looked like, but most often researchers adhere to the version that in 723 AD, the Chinese monk and mathematician Ai Xing (I-Hsing) created them. It was this fundamental invention that allowed us to measure time.
23. Heliocentrism of Copernicus
Photo: WP / wikimedia
In 1543, almost on his deathbed, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus unveiled his landmark theory. According to the works of Copernicus, it became known that the Sun is our planetary system, and all its planets revolve around our star, each in its own orbit. Until 1543, astronomers believed that the Earth was the center of the universe.
22. Blood circulation
Photo: Bryan Brandenburg
One of the most important discoveries in medicine was the discovery of the circulatory system, which was announced in 1628 by the English physician William Harvey. He was the first person to describe the entire circulation system and properties of the blood that the heart pumps throughout our body from the brain to the fingertips.
21. Screw pump
Photo: David Hawgood / geographic.org.uk
One of the most famous ancient Greek scientists, Archimedes, is considered the author of one of the world's first water pumps. His device was a rotating corkscrew that pushed water up a pipe. This invention advanced irrigation systems to new level and is still used in many wastewater treatment plants.
20. Gravity
Photo: wikimedia
Everyone knows this story - Isaac Newton, the famous English mathematician and physicist, discovered gravity after an apple fell on his head in 1664. Thanks to this event, we first learned why objects fall down, and why the planets revolve around the Sun.
19. Pasteurization
Photo: wikimedia
Pasteurization was discovered in the 1860s by the French scientist Louis Pasteur. It is a heat treatment process during which pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed in certain foods and drinks (wine, milk, beer). This discovery had a significant impact on public health and development. Food Industry worldwide.
18. Steam engine
Photo: pixabay
Everyone knows that modern civilization was forged in factories built during the Industrial Revolution, and that it was all done using steam engines. The steam-powered engine was invented a long time ago, but over the past century it has been significantly improved by three British inventors: Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen, and the most famous of them, James Watt (Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen, James Watt).
17. Conditioner
Photo: Ildar Sagdejev / wikimedia
The primitive climate control system has existed since ancient times, but it changed significantly when the first modern electric air conditioner appeared in 1902. It was invented by a young engineer named Willis Carrier, a native of Buffalo, New York (Buffalo, New York).
16. Electricity
Photo: pixabay
The fateful discovery of electricity is credited to the English scientist Michael Faraday. Among his key discoveries, it is worth noting the principles of action electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis. Faraday's experiments also led to the creation of the first generator, which became the forerunner of the huge generators that today produce the electricity we are used to in everyday life.
15. DNA
Photo: pixabay
Many believe that it was the American biologist James Watson and the English physicist Francis Crick (James Watson, Francis Crick) who discovered in the 1950s, but in fact, this macromolecule was first identified back in the late 1860s by the Swiss chemist Friedrich Meischer (Friedrich Miescher). Then, several decades after Meisher's discovery, other scientists conducted a series of studies that finally helped us figure out how the body passes its genes to the next generation, and how its cells are coordinated.
14. Anesthesia
Photo: Wikimedia
Simple forms of anesthesia such as opium, mandrake and alcohol have been used by humans for a long time, and the first references to them date back to 70 AD. But since 1847, pain relief has been taken to a new level, when the American surgeon Henry Bigelow first introduced ether and chloroform into his practice, making extremely painful invasive procedures much more bearable.
13. Theory of relativity
Photo: Wikimedia
Incorporating Albert Einstein's two interrelated theories, special and general relativity, published in 1905, the theory of relativity transformed the entire theoretical physics and astronomy of the 20th century and eclipsed the 200-year-old theory of mechanics proposed by Newton. Einstein's theory of relativity became the basis for much of scientific works modernity.
12. X-rays
Photo: Nevit Dilmen / wikimedia
German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen accidentally discovered X-rays in 1895 when he was observing fluorescence produced by a cathode ray tube. For this landmark discovery in 1901, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize, the first of its kind in the field of physical sciences.
11. Telegraph
Photo: wikipedia
Since 1753, many researchers have been conducting their experiments to establish communication at a distance using electricity, but a significant breakthrough did not come until a few decades later, when in 1835 Joseph Henry and Edward Davy (Joseph Henry, Edward Davy) invented the electrical relay. With this device, they created the first telegraph 2 years later.
10. Periodic system of chemical elements
Photo: sandbh / wikimedia
In 1869, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev noticed that if you sort chemical elements according to their atomic mass, they conditionally line up in groups with similar properties. Based on this information, he created the first periodic table, one of the greatest discoveries in chemistry, which was later nicknamed the periodic table in his honor.
9. Infrared rays
Photo: AIRS / flickr
Infrared radiation was discovered by the British astronomer William Herschel in 1800 when he was studying the heating effect of light of different colors, using a prism to spread the light into a spectrum, and measuring the changes with thermometers. Today, infrared radiation is used in many areas of our lives, including meteorology, heating systems, astronomy, tracking heat-intensive objects, and many other areas.
8. Nuclear magnetic resonance
Photo: Mj-bird / wikimedia
Today, nuclear magnetic resonance is constantly used as an extremely accurate and efficient diagnostic tool in the field of medicine. This phenomenon was first described and calculated by the American physicist Isidor Rabi in 1938 while observing molecular beams. In 1944, the American scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery.
7. Moldboard plow
Photo: wikimedia
Invented in the 18th century, the mouldboard plow was the first plow that not only worked up the soil, but also stirred it, which made it possible to cultivate even very stubborn and stony land for agricultural purposes. Without this tool, agriculture as we know it today northern Europe or in Central America would not exist.
6 Camera Obscura
Photo: wikimedia
The forerunner of modern cameras and camcorders was the camera obscura (translated as dark room), which was an optical device used by artists to create quick sketches while traveling outside their studios. A hole in one of the walls of the device served to create an inverted image of what was happening outside the chamber. The picture was displayed on the screen (on the opposite wall of the dark box from the hole). These principles have been known for centuries, but in 1568 the Venetian Daniel Barbaro modified the camera obscura with converging lenses.
5. Paper
Photo: pixabay
Papyrus and amate, used by ancient Mediterranean peoples and pre-Columbian Americans, are often considered the first examples of modern paper. But it would not be entirely correct to consider them real paper. References to the first writing paper production date back to China during the Eastern Han Empire (AD 25-220). The first paper is mentioned in the annals dedicated to the activities of the judicial dignitary Cai Lun (Cai Lun).
4. Teflon
Photo: pixabay
The material that keeps your frying pan from burning was actually invented completely by accident by American chemist Roy Plunkett when he was looking for a replacement for refrigerants to make your home safer. During one of his experiments, the scientist discovered a strange slippery resin, which later became better known as Teflon.
3. The theory of evolution and natural selection
Photo: wikimedia
Inspired by my observations during the second research trip in 1831-1836, Charles Darwin began writing his famous theory of evolution and natural selection, which, according to scientists from all over the world, has become a key description of the mechanism for the development of all life on Earth
2. Liquid crystals
Photo: William Hook / flickr
If the Austrian botanist and physiologist Friedrich Reinitzer had not discovered liquid crystals while testing the physico-chemical properties of various cholesterol derivatives in 1888, today you would not know what liquid crystal TVs or flat LCD monitors are.
1. Polio vaccine
Photo: GDC Global / flickr
On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine against polio, a virus that causes severe chronic illness. In 1952, an epidemic of this disease diagnosed 58,000 people in the United States, and the disease claimed 3,000 innocent lives. This spurred Salk to seek salvation, and now the civilized world is safe at least from this disaster.
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No. 10. Leonardo da Vinci
Don't be surprised that this famous inventor in 10th place. The reason is this: he invented technologies that were many years ahead of the science of that time and could not actually be implemented. Leonardo was more of a futurist who imagined various innovations rather than a man who could actually create real things with his own hands. In addition, his interest changed rapidly and none of the theories received deep study. His inventions include a submarine, a tank, a glider.
No. 9. Edwin Land
Physicist and great inventor Edwin Land of Connecticut didn't invent photography, of course, but he invented or perfected just about everything else about it. In his freshman year at Harvard University in 1926, he developed a new kind of polarizer by aligning and embedding crystals in a plastic sheet, which he called Polaroid. He applied the polarization principle to light filters, optical devices and motion picture processes and founded the Polaroid Corporation. Holder of at least 535 US patents.
No. 8. Benjamin Franklin
Seriously? Ben Franklin? Absolutely! Not many people know that among his many skills (Franklin was a famous polymath: writer, satirist, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, public figure, statesman, diplomat), he was amazing great inventor. Among his many creations are a lightning rod that has saved countless homes from lightning fires, Armonica glass, a Franklin stove, bifocals, and even a flexible urinary catheter. Franklin did not patent his inventions, believing that innovation should be available to everyone, which is why his inventions are often forgotten.
No. 7. Hero of Alexandria
If he knew that his invention could turn the world upside down and start an industrial revolution, he would have told the whole world about it back in 50 AD. Alas, he thought that the invented steam engine was just a toy, and, besides, in the presence of slaves, why invent a steam engine for widespread use? One of the best minds The Roman Empire developed other useful things, including a pump, a syringe, a fountain, a windmill - all during the pre-industrial era. It is a pity that he did not develop his inventions for wide application.
#6 Jerome "Jerry" Hal Lemelson
One of the most fruitful famous inventors of the world in history - 605 patents. What did he invent? Things like automated warehouses, industrial robots, cordless phones, fax machines, VCRs, camcorders, and magnetic drive tapes, the tapes used in Sony's Walkman players. Lemelson has also filed patents in the fields of medical equipment, cancer detection and treatment, diamond plating, and consumer electronics and television.
No. 5. George Westinghouse
The main invention was electrical systems that ran on alternating current (the result of Nikola Tesla's work, by the way), which eventually surpassed Edison's DC devices and paved the way for the modern power grid. But before he surpassed Edison, he invented railroad brakes based on air masses. And, of course, he tried to develop a perpetual motion machine. However, without success. 361 patents.
No. 4. Alexander Graham Bell
Everyone knows the famous inventor of telephones, but not many people know that he also invented devices that help in the detection of icebergs, as well as a modern metal detector.
No. 3. Thomas Edison
What? The most prolific and one of great inventors of the world in modern history, with over a thousand patents and not number one? The inventor of the electric light bulb, the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the man who electrified New York, literally? Can't be! In fact, although Edison was a gifted man, many of his most famous inventions were developed by other people working for him or in collaboration with an entire team, making him responsible for the development of projects, but not their main inventor.
No. 2. Nikola Tesla
A man little known in his lifetime, in fact, was responsible for the birth of commercial electricity more than anyone. His patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern AC electrical power systems, including the multi-phase AC electrical distribution system that helped usher in the second industrial revolution. He also contributed in varying degrees to the science of robotics, laid the groundwork for the development of remote control, radar, and computer science, and even participated in the expansion of ballistics, nuclear physics, and theoretical physics. Some people also believe that he worked on anti-gravity, teleportation, and lasers, but this has not been proven. In any case, he has 111 patents and is recognized as one of the best and most innovative minds in history.
No. 1. Archimedes of Syracuse
How This Ancient Greek Scientist Ranked No. 1 in the Top 10 The most famous and great inventors of the world? First, he is recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He came close to accurately calculating the value of pi, figured out how to determine the area under the arc of a parabola, and came up with many other things that are now a nightmare for schoolchildren in math classes. In addition, he invented many machines, including siege weapons and perhaps even a device that could set fire to Roman ships with a mirror by focusing sunlight on the sails. Not unimportantly, he did all this over 2,000 years ago, without the help of computers or the technology available to many inventors today. In addition, despite the fact that he studied at Alexandria (although this is not confirmed), he acquired most of his knowledge the old fashioned way - from his own experience.
On invention in a clear language and on interesting examples Sokolov Dmitry Yuryevich
Chapter 5 Great Inventors and Their Inventions
Mens ogitat molen.
Mind moves matter.
(From Virgil)
In the previous chapter, the basic principles of invention were formulated, based on the statements of great inventors. In this chapter, taking into account their inventive experience, together with them we will try to supplement these principles.
Archimedes (287–212 BC), who was born in Syracuse on the island of Sicily, is considered by many to be the first of the great inventors of all times and peoples. According to P.S. Kudryavtsev, Archimedes was also a very important representative of "mathematical physics, or rather, physical mathematics." This combination of science and its embodiment in technology allowed him to take his well-deserved place in the history of mankind. Everyone knows the law of Archimedes about the buoyancy force of a liquid, which is equal to the weight of its displaced volume, and its application as a method for detecting precious metals (Fig. 5.1). Other notable inventions of his are in the military field and mostly use the "lever principle", although the lever was already used in ancient Egypt. The Greek historian Plutarch wrote: “When the Romans attacked ... Archimedes launched his machines. The land army was struck by a hail of projectiles and huge stones thrown with great swiftness. Nothing could resist their blow, they threw everything before them and brought confusion to the ranks. As for the fleet, then suddenly, from the height of the walls, the logs fell due to their weight and given speed onto the ships and drowned them. Then iron claws and beaks seized ships, lifted them into the air nose up, stern down and immersed in the water. And then the ships were brought into rotation and, circling, fell on pitfalls and cliffs at the foot of the walls ... A terrible sight! ... ".
Rice. 5.1. Archimedes ("Eureka"). Illustration for the Basel edition of Vitruvius' Ten Books on Architecture. 1575
However, the weapon he invented did not save Archimedes from death during the capture of Syracuse by Rome, he went down in history as one of the first scientists who worked for the war, and turned out to be its victim. When Syracuse was taken, the conquerors wanted to keep Archimedes alive. The soldiers who entered the house of Archimedes asked who he was (Archimedes was working on the drawings at that time). Instead of answering a simple question, he covered the drawings with his hands with the words "Noli turbare circulos meos" (don't touch my circles), after which he was killed.
The life and work of Archimedes shows that, being both a scientist and an inventor, you can achieve maximum success in both areas. And the last tragic example shows how important his scientific achievements are for a scientist. Having singled out Archimedes especially as the first of the greats, we will continue to learn from experience.
Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) made his first discovery of the constancy of the frequency of oscillation of a pendulum with the same suspension length at the age of twenty, when he watched the chandeliers swing in the Cathedral of Pisa. . At the same time, he counted time by the beating of his pulse and the rhythm of the music. Returning home, he used two lead balls of different weights, suspended on threads of the same length, as well as pendulums of other materials, except for the lightest one, for which air resistance affects. All these experiments confirmed his initial guesses. Strictly speaking, this is not an invention, but a discovery, but close observation of the surrounding world is very important for both the scientist and the inventor.
Galileo's successor in science is considered Christian Huygens (1629-1695). Using the laws of the pendulum discovered by Galileo, he already made a full-fledged invention in the form of a pendulum clock. Huygens worked on improving these watches for almost 40 years, for which he was named the most brilliant watchmaker of all time. Therefore, in order to earn the gratitude of descendants, one must sometimes spend a lot of time on solving one issue. Let us immediately note that of all the great predecessors, Huygens singled out Archimedes in particular.
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov (1711–1765), along with discoveries that were ahead of their time (for example, the molecular-kinetic theory of heat and physical chemistry as a science), created a huge number of inventions in various fields. He attached paramount importance to the combination of science with practice for solving specific problems. In the first chemical laboratory in Russia, the prototype of future research institutes, in 1749-1751 he created new and found lost recipes for staining glass and a special mosaic mass - smalt. One of the most outstanding inventions of Lomonosov was the "night-sighting tube" - a prototype of night binoculars created two hundred years later. He also invented: a periscope, a refractometer, a pyrometer, various options for barometers, and much more. In addition, Lomonosov invented the words: pendulum and constellation. The example of Lomonosov confirms the experience of Archimedes, showing the high efficiency and mutual influence of scientific and inventive activities.
The first invention of one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century, James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879), was made at the age of 14 after he had listened to a lecture at the Royal Scientific Society of Edinburgh, where his father sometimes took him. It was about building ovals, for which at that time a complex mathematical apparatus developed by Newton and Descartes was used. The method invented by Maxwell consists in the fact that a connected loose thread is wrapped around two needles stuck into the surface, and a pencil moves along its inner contour with an interference fit. Maxwell was lucky, Professor D. Forbes reported on his behalf this invention in the Edinburgh Society, and it was appreciated by scientists. It should be noted that even then Maxwell realized that it was very important for an inventor and scientist to convey his thoughts to people in time. Together with it, we can formulate the principle: "Work, Finish, Publish" which has now become fundamental for all scientists and inventors.
An interesting example is Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), whose motivation for the invention of dynamite in 1867 was, among other things, to achieve peace on earth. He believed that powerful explosives, producing great destruction, would intimidate mankind and eliminate wars. He even established a well-known award on the profits from the sale of ammunition, including for strengthening peace. But the First and Second World Wars proved the fallacy of his assumption.
As if considering the experience of Nobel, academia did not notice the publications of the biologist and physicist Leo Szilard in 1933 and the chemist Ida Noddak regarding the use of nuclear energy. This may have delayed the invention of nuclear weapons and saved humanity from mass destruction during World War II.
Inventive activity played a cruel joke on Lev Sergeevich Theremin (1896–1993). His invention, Theremin-vox, which generates sounds of different frequencies depending on the position of the operator's palms relative to the antenna, was demonstrated in 1922 by V.I. Lenin and positively evaluated by him. Thanks to this, in 1928 Theremin, as Soviet citizen moved to America for the production of these devices, where, on the instructions of Soviet intelligence, he organized the Teletouch company, under the guise of which many of our intelligence officers worked. However, in 1938 Termen was recalled to Moscow, where he was charged that he was from America, using his inventions, should send a radio signal to explode a bomb in the Foucault pendulum of the Pulkovo Observatory at the moment S.M. approached him. Kirov. The inventor went through the Stalinist camps, "sharashki", oblivion and success, and at the end of his life in 1991 at the age of 95 he joined the ranks of the CPSU, explaining his act by the fact that he promised this to Lenin. The given example confirms that the activity of the mind helps to survive in extreme conditions and maintain vitality and optimism. To prove this, Termen offered to read his last name in reverse: "Theremin is not dying."
To finish about the great inventors, who in most cases were outstanding scientists, I would like to use the opposite example of Wolfgang Pauli (1900–1958), an outstanding scientist who, according to L.D. Landau put him in the first class immediately after Einstein, Bohr, Fermi and Heisenberg. So, the second playful classification of experimental physicists says that the more significant a theoretical physicist, the less he understands practical issues and even devices invented by someone can cause irreparable harm. When an explosion occurred in the physical laboratory of Göttingen, James Frank, the head of this laboratory, established that at that very time a train was stopping at the station a few kilometers from Göttingen, in which Pauli happened to be passing through. Based on this, Frank established that Pauli is the greatest theorist of all time. The conclusion is a joke, but there is an exception to every rule, and Not all outstanding scientists become inventors.
Almost all the examples given, in addition to the useful experience of the great inventors, which has not lost its relevance at the present time, also emphasize the connection of times in science and technology. But more on that in the next chapter.
Literature
1. Kudryavtsev P.S. Course in the history of physics. - M.: Enlightenment, 1982, p. 30–31.
2. Vavilov V.V. First steps in science. - Potential, 2010, No. 8, p. 12–21.
3. Ishlinsky A.Yu., Pavlova G.A. M.V. Lomonosov is a great Russian scientist. - M .: Pedagogy, 1986, p. 57–60.
4. Belyavsky M.T. He tested everything and penetrated everything. - M .: Publishing house of Moscow University, 1990. - 221p.
5. Pestov S. The Second Coming: Nanotechnology. - M. Zelenograd.: 1997, Steel publishing house. - 100s.
6. Gladun A.B. The age of quantum. - Potential, 2010, No. 7, p. 2–4.
7. Gladun A.B. The age of quantum. - Potential, 2010, No. 4, p. 2–3.
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The twentieth century has transformed people's lives. Of course, the development of mankind has never stopped, and in every century there have been important scientific inventions, but truly revolutionary changes, and even on a serious scale, occurred not so long ago. What were the most significant discoveries of the twentieth century?
Aviation
Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright entered the history of mankind as the first pilots. Not least the great discoveries of the 20th century - this and new Orville Wright managed to make a controlled flight in 1903. The plane, developed by him together with his brother, lasted only 12 seconds in the air, but it was a real breakthrough for the aviation of those times. The date of the flight is considered the birthday of this type of transport. The Wright brothers were the first to design a system that would twist the wing panels with cables, allowing you to control the machine. In 1901, a wind tunnel was also created. They also invented the propeller. Already by 1904, a new model of the aircraft saw the light, more advanced and capable of not only flying, but also performing maneuvers. In 1905, a third version appeared, which could remain in the air for about thirty minutes. Two years later, the brothers signed a contract with the US Army, and later the French also bought the plane. Many began to think about carrying passengers, and the Wrights made the necessary adjustments to their model, installing an additional seat and making the engine more powerful. So the beginning of the 20th century opened up completely new opportunities for humanity.
x-ray
Like many great discoveries of the 20th century, it was partly made in the 19th century, but then people did not succeed immediately. For example, X-rays were first used in 1885. Then he discovered that photographic plates are darkened under the action of a special spectrum, and when parts of the body are irradiated, an image of the skeleton can be obtained. Nevertheless, he had to work for 15 years in order to make research on organs and tissues possible. That is why the beginning of the 20th century is associated with the name "X-ray": it was not previously known to the general public. By 1919, many hospitals were already using this technique. The appearance of X-rays changed the development of medicine: new branches of diagnostics and analysis appeared in it. To date, the device has saved millions of lives. So in cases where outstanding scientists are mentioned, Wilhelm Roentgen should also be mentioned.
Television
Scientific and technological inventions have transformed the life of the twentieth century. One of the key events was the emergence of a new way of disseminating information - television. In 1907, it was patented by the Russian physicist Boris Rosing. He used a photocell to convert signals. By 1912, he finalized his invention, and already in 1931, for the first time, a method of broadcasting in color was proposed. Since 1939, the first television channel began to function. In 1944, the modern television standard was created. Perhaps other discoveries of scientists of the 20th century were more significant scientifically, but the impact of this novelty on people's lives cannot be denied. Broadcasting has changed the way we communicate and has transformed the way people perceive the world.
Mobile phone
Now it seems almost impossible to imagine life without a smartphone. they appeared recently. Scientific inventions allowed people to communicate by telephone, but wireless communication was not invented until 1973. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, was able to call the office from the streets of Manhattan. After ten years Cell phones became available to a wide range of customers. The first Motorola cost almost four thousand dollars, but the Americans were so impressed with the idea that people signed up to buy it. Moreover, the device did not look much like a modern smartphone: the handset was just huge, weighed almost a kilogram, and on a tiny display you could only see the dialed number. The charge was enough for half an hour of conversation. Nevertheless, the mass production of various models soon began, and with each generation of phones, people were waiting for more and more interesting discoveries. Today, a completely small device is a real miniature computer with many functions that the creators of the cellular Motorola did not even think about in 1973.
Internet
Not all the discoveries of the last century are used by people every day. But the invention of the Internet has changed life even in small things, today it is used in almost every country in the world. This is a means for communication, information search, data exchange. It is a universal source of communication. Therefore, when listing the great discoveries of the 20th century, one should not forget about the Internet. It is believed that the first steps in this direction were made by Dr. Licklider, a scientist who led the American military information exchange project. Thus, the Arpanet network was created, with the help of which, in 1969, data was transferred from the University of Los Angeles to the Utah laboratory. A start was made, and in 1972 the Internet was introduced to the public. There was a concept Email. The invention of the Internet became known all over the world, and within a few years it was used by thousands of people. By the end of the twentieth century there were already twenty million of them.
A computer
The great discoveries of the 20th century are most often associated with technological progress. The computer is no exception. If we understand this word as an arithmetic machine, then such mechanisms have existed since the seventeenth century. But the device in the modern sense appeared only in the twentieth. In 1927, it was created and developed in America. By the middle of the century, an electronic device appeared. The Mark I machine was created - the first real computer. After that, progress went at a record pace. The way data was stored changed from punched cards to floppy disks, and then to compact disks and drives. Programming languages have also changed. The first computer was suitable only for performing algebraic operations, and modern devices are a multifunctional apparatus suitable for a variety of tasks.
Instant noodles
When listing the great discoveries of the 20th century, one should not forget about what seems at first glance a trifle. Instant noodles are a familiar household product, but their introduction has changed the nutrition landscape in the absence of a kitchen or in the workplace and was also a major achievement. This type of pasta was invented by the Japanese Ando Momofuki. Post-war Japan was in need of food, and affordable food without too much difficulty in preparation would clearly remedy the situation. So Ando decided to start looking for special noodles. He tried many cooking methods until he came across a yeast-free batter that was great for drying. In 1958, he began producing his noodles, and today more than forty billion servings of this product are consumed annually. Another discovery of Ando Momofuki was the use of special plastic cups that would allow you to prepare a quick meal without dishes.
Penicillin
Many prominent scientists of the 20th century are associated with the exact sciences, but there has been a major breakthrough in medicine as well. It was in this century that penicillin appeared, a drug that saved the lives of millions. It was invented by an Englishman in 1928 who discovered the effect of mold on bacteria. Interestingly, the great discoveries of the 20th century might not have been supplemented by the advent of antibiotics. All Fleming's colleagues believed that the main thing was not the fight against microbes, but the strengthening of immunity. Antibiotics seemed pointless and remained unclaimed for a couple of years after they were created. Only by 1943 did the medicine become widely used in medical institutions. Fleming did not abandon the study of microbes and not only improved penicillin, but also created several paintings with the help of his discovery, drawing bacteria on a special substance.
Ball pen
Studying scientific and technical inventions, you can forget about small household improvements that are of great importance. For example, the ballpoint pen familiar to everyone appeared only in 1943. It was invented by someone who watched the process of printing newspapers and wondered why not fill the pen reservoir with the same quick-drying ink? They should be thick. So that they do not clog the hole in the handle, a ball must be placed there. After considering all this, Biro created a prototype. Having emigrated to Argentina, he found a sponsor and began the production of ink fountain pens. The first buyers were pilots, who could use them at altitude: an ordinary pen leaked in the absence of pressure. In 1953, the Frenchman Marcel Bic transformed the shape of the ink pen and was able to create cheap options that became available to anyone and conquered the whole world.
Washing machine
Another invention that has markedly improved life is helping most people cope with dirty clothes. The washing machine appeared only in 1947, replacing the laundresses at the post. For the first time such an invention was offered on the American market by two firms - General Electric and Bendix Corporation. The cars were noisy and uncomfortable, only functionality mattered. Whirlpool developers decided to change the situation, who created new version washing machine in the middle of the twentieth century. She was covered with plastic lining to reduce noise, models could be made in different colors, and the overall design solution became much more elegant. Since then, the washing machine has become a completely aesthetic object. the first such device appeared in 1975 and was called the Volga-10, but only the Vyatka-automatic-12, which began to be produced in 1981, became the most successful. Modern machines can be built-in and with a drying function, have different loading methods, displays, delayed start timers, and even the ability to connect to the Internet.
