Innovation 9-12-25

Innovation in Technology is achieved through trial and error experimentation. Applying new Technology is a decision based on product improvement, efficiency and cost reduction. 

Iron was discovered in 5000BC by melting iron ore.  Bronze was created in 3300BC by melting copper and tin. Modern Steel was created in 1856 by blowing air through molten Iron and carbon.

The Romans began to use volcanic ash in their concrete aqueducts in 1 BC. They are still standing.

3.3 million years ago in Kenya by early human ancestors, marking the beginning of human technological history. 

The concept of "invention" cannot be pinned to a single date because invention is an ongoing process of creating new things, not a single event. However, the first recorded invention was the creation of stone tools, which happened around 

Key Milestones in Early Invention

·       ~3.3 million years ago: The first stone tools, used as knives and hammers, were crafted in Kenya. 

·       ~1.5 to 1 million years ago: Humans discovered and began to control fire. 

·       ~200,000 years ago: Simple forms of glue were created in Italy. 

·       ~170,000 to 83,000 years ago: Clothing was first invented in Africa. 

·       ~90,000 years ago: Harpoons were used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

·       ~77,000 years ago: Bedding was invented in South Africa. 

·       ~3,000 BC: Papyrus, an early writing material, was developed in Egypt. 

The Nature of Invention

A Continuous Process: Invention is not a single event but a historical process driven by humanity's continuous efforts to create new solutions and tools.

Technological Evolution: The evolution of technology, starting from the earliest stone tools, shows a progression of exponential development over millions of years. 

Impactful Inventions: Innovations like fire, tools, and writing were fundamental to early human survival, communication, and the spread of knowledge, enabling further discoveries and inventions. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=when+did+inventions+start

The steam engine wasn't invented at one specific time, but rather through a series of inventions and improvements. The first commercially viable steam engine was the Newcomen engine, created by Thomas Newcomen in 1712 for pumping water out of mines. However, the invention of the steam engine dates back to the 1st century CE, and further crucial improvements by James Watt in the late 18th century made the steam engine more efficient and practical, paving the way for the Industrial Revolution.  

https://www.google.com/search?q=when+was+the+steam+engine+invented

European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented during the course of the “long 18th century” (1685-1815) as part of a movement referred to by its participants as the Age of Reason, or simply the Enlightenment.Dec 16, 2009

https://www.google.com/search?q=when+was+the+enlightenment+in+europe

Comments

Beginning around 1200AD, Inventions began to increase in Europe and flourished from 1400AD to 1600AD. In 1712, the Steam Engine was developed as a water pump.

Now in 2025, we are continuing to innovate, invent and apply technology. This rapid increase in applying our inventions began in 1850. The past 175 years is the longest stretch in our technological advances and it’s not over. Whatever delays we encounter will be due to our ability to finance the completion of a myriad of goals. 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader