Buzz
Mark Twain once remarked, 'There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.'
As often happens, Twain's words hold true. Many so-called 'modern technologies' are simply more refined versions of ideas that came before, revamped and presented with a new sheen.
10. Video Games
The common belief is that video games began with Pong. However, their origins stretch far back before its 1972 release. In 1958, Dr. William Higinbotham at Brookhaven National Laboratory was developing a simulation for missile trajectory calculations and bouncing balls. It was during this project that he had an epiphany—his work could serve as a form of entertainment.
Higinbotham named his new creation Tennis for Two, where players used trajectories to bounce a 'tennis ball' (represented by a point of light) across a court with a net in the middle. The game was displayed on a 12.7-centimeter (5 in) oscilloscope, and a large box with a rotating knob controlled the action. However, Tennis for Two was never sold due to its striking resemblance to a design Higinbotham had developed at a federal-owned lab, meaning the U.S. government would have owned the game if he attempted to commercialize it.
Before Tennis for Two, there was the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device. Patented in 1948, this was a large, closet-mounted cathode ray computer. The gameplay involved using knobs to control the speed and trajectory of an artillery shell, aimed at a predetermined spot on the screen.
The screen was overlaid with transparent images of airplanes. Essentially, these airplane pictures were placed directly on top of the screen (since detailed graphics for in-game planes weren't possible in the '40s). The objective was for the player to maneuver the artillery shell to hit the target/airplane. Upon a successful hit, the shell would blur, simulating an explosion.
9. Mobile Phones
Mobile phones date back further than most people realize. The first 'true' mobile phone call was made in 1946. Long before the advent of iPhones, a team at Bell Labs had already introduced a wireless phone service that reached about 100 cities.
Naturally, it came with a hefty price tag, including a monthly fee of $15, which would be roughly equivalent to $150 today, plus an extra charge of 30–40 cents per call. Since the equipment weighed about 36 kilograms (80 lb), the 'mobile' aspect was mostly limited to cars. The service also had a party line, meaning it could only handle three calls at a time within a city. With its high cost and technical limitations, it never gained widespread popularity.
However, there was a more practical option back in 1922. Although marketed as a 'wireless telephone,' this device was not quite the mobile phone we recognize today. Still, it allowed people to communicate wirelessly over long distances, which was a remarkable feat in the 1920s.
The device functioned as a one-way crystal radio, primarily used for receiving messages. It was bulky and required an umbrella to serve as the antenna. Remarkably, it didn’t require an external power source because the antenna provided the energy. Advertisements for this device often targeted women who wanted to contact their husbands no matter where they were. Of course, this meant the husband had to carry around the cumbersome radio and remain alert for a call. Considering these challenges, it’s not surprising this device never caught on.
8. Bras
The first modern bra was patented in 1914. Legend has it that Mary Phelps Jacob created this revolutionary undergarment as a way to support herself without the discomfort of a corset, which she likened to wearing whalebone armor. Her design consisted of two handkerchiefs sewn together and tied around the neck. While it wasn’t the most comfortable garment, it was a significant improvement over corsets, being lighter and less restrictive.
Back in Jacob's time, corsets were the height of fashion, so women would only wear bras in the privacy of their own homes. However, when World War I began, the metal used in corsets was redirected for the war effort, leading to the rise in popularity of the bra as we know it today.
Interestingly, a recent discovery has pushed the invention of the bra back to the 1400s. Archaeologists uncovered a trove of ancient clothing in Castle Lengberg, Tyrol, Austria. Among the 2,700 textile fragments found were four examples of medieval bras. These garments might actually be considered superior to Jacob’s 1914 version, as they featured distinctly shaped cups.
Each medieval bra was uniquely designed. One resembled the longline bras from the 1950s, with an additional piece that extended down the ribcage and fastened with lace. Another was intricately decorated with needle-lace, sprang-work (a type of knitting), and finger-loop-lace. Not only does this make it one of the earliest examples of a bra, but it could also be considered one of the first pieces of lingerie.
7. 3-D Movies
From House of Wax to Avatar, 3-D films have come and gone in cinema over the years, often hailed as the next big thing... before fading away due to technological limitations. However, the history of 3-D films actually goes back much further than most people realize.
The first major surge of 3-D films occurred in the 1950s, often referred to as the golden age of 3-D cinema. The postwar economy was booming, and people were eager to embrace new technologies. At the same time, 3-D glasses were already popular among children reading 3-D comic books. As a result, it wasn’t a big leap for the public to welcome this familiar technology. The format quickly gained popularity, particularly in the horror genre. Even Alfred Hitchcock experimented with 3-D in his thriller, Dial M for Murder.
However, 3-D films had already begun appearing in the U.S. before the 1950s. In 1936, the 3-D short film Audioscopiks won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Novelty). The film used the red/cyan color scheme, which is well-known for producing fewer ghost images than other color setups. But even in 1936, this wasn’t the first instance of audiences watching films in 3-D.
The first commercially released 3-D film was The Power of Love, which premiered in 1922. It was the first film to use anaglyph glasses, along with the red/cyan color scheme. Although the original print of the film has faded to the point where it’s nearly invisible, efforts have been made to restore it. What has been recovered shows just how realistic the film once looked.
6. Vaping
Vaping may be on the rise today, but the practice actually dates back thousands of years. The fifth-century BC work The History of Herodotus recounts how ancient Scythians would throw hemp seeds onto hot stones to vaporize them, producing shouts of 'joy.' While this early method wouldn't be recognized by modern vapers, the first true vaporizer was invented in the 1500s, and you likely know it as a 'hookah.'
The hookah is believed to have originated in India, likely near the Pakistani border, though some argue it began in Persia. A British physician and medical historian named Cyril Elgood suggests that the hookah was created by an Indian physician in the court of Irfan Shaikh, although this claim is disputed. Regardless of its origin, early hookahs were simpler than today's models, often crafted from coconuts with a bamboo tube serving as the hose.
Modern vaporizers were invented in 2003 by a Chinese pharmacist whose father had died of lung cancer. However, this new device was based on an e-cigarette design from 1960, which itself had roots in a nicotine vaporizer patented in 1927. Unfortunately, the 1927 device received little attention, as smoking was still popular at the time and its health risks were not yet understood. Nevertheless, it stands as the first modern nicotine vaporizer.
5. 3-D Printing
In recent years, 3-D printing has unlocked countless possibilities across a wide range of fields, from healthcare to space exploration. However, despite its modern fame, 3-D printing has actually existed for over 30 years. In 1981, a Japanese research institute documented the creation of the first functional 3-D printer prototype. This early system used photopolymers to build solid models in layers, layer by layer.
Just three years later, Charles Hull invented stereolithography, a technique that enabled designers to use digital data to produce 3-D models. This innovation relied on the same liquid photopolymers as the initial prototype, and by using a laser to solidify them, the system was able to create solid plastic pieces. While it could produce 3-D models, its full capabilities were not yet appreciated, and it was primarily used by designers to streamline prototype creation.
In 1992, the first 'selective laser sintering machine' was introduced, enhancing the technology by using powder instead of liquid. This development allowed for the creation of any shape since the method doesn't require a foundational layer, unlike photopolymer-based techniques.
Despite the existence of functional 3-D printers for years, their widespread use only recently gained traction. Older models weren't as dependable as the newer versions, but the primary reason for the recent boom in 3-D printing is that until 2009, the most affordable way to build a 3-D printer was through a process patented by Stratasys. Based in Minnesota, Stratasys originally only offered its technology to professional markets. However, when their patent expired, affordable 3-D printers became accessible to the general public.
4. Electric Cars
Electric cars are often considered a recent innovation, but in reality, they date back over 200 years. In the early 1800s, inventors around the world were building early versions of electric cars. By the mid-19th century, the first practical models emerged in France and England, with the first successful electric car in the U.S. hitting the roads in 1890. This vehicle was a six-passenger automobile that could reach a speed of about 23 kilometers (14 miles) per hour.
In the 1890s, electric cars were so popular that they were outselling gasoline-powered vehicles by a ratio of 10 to 1. Electric cars were seen as superior due to their ease of operation, as they didn’t require the gear-shifting and hand-cranking that gasoline cars did.
However, electric cars had their own drawbacks. Their reliance on local electrical grids meant they were primarily limited to cities. As the infrastructure across the U.S. improved, longer road trips became possible, and the discovery of Texas crude oil made gasoline affordable and readily available.
The final blow to the electric car came with the advent of Henry Ford's assembly line, which made gasoline-powered cars significantly more affordable. Innovations such as the electric starter replaced the old, cumbersome hand cranks, and by 1935, electric vehicles faded into history... until they began to make a comeback today.
3. Social Media
In the 1970s in Berkeley, a group of friends with a passion for computers came together to build a community bulletin board system. They envisioned using a central mainframe computer connected to others across the community, creating what they referred to as an 'information flea market.'
It was a slow process, running on 110-baud modems that transmitted only 10 characters per second. However, it allowed users to share information in ways that resemble today's social media. Users could tag keywords for others to search, and members could post messages about anything, from the Grateful Dead to where to find the best bagels. Reading was free, but posting messages cost a quarter.
At the same time, bulletin board systems (BBS) began to gain traction. People would go 'online' to talk about their favorite hobbies and interests, with the discussions mostly centered around computers. The use of dial-up modems meant long-distance charges, so the technology was mainly restricted to local areas. The silver lining of these limitations was that they fostered in-person gatherings, which became regular community events.
In 1980, Usenet gained widespread popularity among academics as a platform for researchers and computer enthusiasts to engage in group discussions. Originally designed for academic information exchange, it quickly evolved into a broader online forum, with people forming groups based on their personal interests. Even in the 1980s, technology was already connecting people from all around the world, much like it does today.
2. Plastic Surgery
The first recorded nose surgery dates back around 3,000 years to Egypt’s Old Kingdom, where Ramses II underwent a primitive form of plastic surgery after his death. A small bone and a handful of seeds were placed in his nose, ensuring that the pharaoh would be identifiable in the afterlife. Egyptian plastic surgery was mostly reserved for the deceased, and it wasn’t until later that reconstructive procedures were performed on the living.
In the sixth century BC, ancient Indian surgeons began repairing damage to the nose and ears by cutting skin from the cheek or forehead and grafting it onto the affected area. Known as 'forehead flap rhinoplasty,' the procedure involved stretching the skin over a leaf before attaching it to the wound. For centuries, the secret of this surgery was closely guarded, and it was primarily used to repair damage from warfare or punishment. Today, similar techniques are still utilized in various forms of modern plastic surgery.
The ancient Romans practiced various forms of cosmetic surgery. For instance, scars on the back were often removed, as they were thought to indicate a man had either fled battle or suffered punishment as a slave. Women underwent ear adjustments, as their lobes were frequently stretched from wearing heavy earrings. Primitive nose surgeries were also performed, showing that even thousands of years ago, people were so concerned with their appearance that they would risk their lives for a cosmetic procedure.
1. Wireless Telephones
Most people are familiar with the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell’s most famous invention. However, Bell himself was most excited by his creation of the photophone. So what distinguished the photophone from the telephone? Unlike the telephone, which used electricity to transmit sound, the photophone transmitted sound using light.
In 1880, Bell and his collaborator, Charles Sumner Tainter, made the first phone call using light. The device used sunlight, which was focused through a transmitter onto a mirror. When someone spoke into a mouthpiece on the back, the mirror vibrated, resembling a satellite dish antenna. These light vibrations were then captured by the device and converted into sound by a telephone receiver.
When Bell’s experiment succeeded, he was overjoyed. He wrote an enthusiastic letter to his father, exclaiming, 'I have heard articulate speech produced by sunlight!' His excitement led him to suggest naming his newborn daughter after the invention. Luckily for the little girl, her mother disagreed, and she was named 'Mabel' instead.
Unfortunately, Bell’s groundbreaking project was not viable. The light could be easily blocked or scattered, making the device unreliable for communication. However, it laid the groundwork for the future development of fiber optics.
