History Channel’s 101 Inventions That Changed the World Review

In this documentary on inventions, a panel of Popular Mechanic’s editors and other professionals make a list of the 101 greatest inventions of all time. With such a wide range of life altering inventions out there, I knew it would be challenging to compile such a compact list. Overall, I’d say they did a decent job doing justice to all the monumental innovations, and I couldn’t see any glaring mistakes. There was no invention where I got furiously mad that it made the list, and I couldn’t think of many others that I would’ve included. They were obviously experts and compiled a solid list with solid reasoning for every pick. The hardest part I would think was ranking them in order. Who’s to say concrete changed the world more than an airplane? That’s the only gray area on the list. It all depends on the perspective you look at it from. For my review I decided to narrow the list down to my top 25 inventions on the list and talk about why I felt they deserve to be in an elite category.

25. Prosthetic Limbs – Having an uncle who has a prosthetic limb, I chose this one just because I’ve seen how incredible it is first hand. Never have disabled people ever had a better chance to be treated with equality. Looking at the last summer Olympics, there was an incredible story of a runner who made the cut with two prosthetic legs. These innovations have given joy to countless people.

24. The Credit Card – It seems near impossible to imagine shopping without a credit card. It is such a convenient item that we take for granted. It is a lot more safe and easy to carry around a piece of plastic than bundles of cash. It’s something we use pretty much every day and don’t think twice about it.

23. Robots – The fact that we have machines that can do nearly anything we program it to do is mind blowing. Especially in businesses that require an assembly line operation like an automobile company. They can perform tasks over and over again and you don’t have to pay them $7.50 an hour. They’re efficient, won’t get tired and work whenever you tell them to: The ideal employee.

22. Lighthouse – This invention made nautical travel much easier and safer for boat captains. On foggy dark nights, when you can’t see five feet in front of you, the rotating beam must have been a welcoming sight. It let you know how close to land you were and what direction to head in. The power of the lights can be seen from miles away.

21. Microwave – When it first came out, it was a $4,000 investment and owned by very few people. Now it is a staple of nearly every household kitchen. Its leftover’s best friend and without it, we wouldn't have microwave popcorn.

20. Radar – This technology has helped us win wars, its helped us safely reach our destination when on a flight, and its helped cops catch countless teenage drivers for speeding.

19. Hammer – The hammer has been used in every single construction project. Where ever there is a nail and wood there is a hammer. It is a simple invention that has been around for thousands of years and isn’t dying out anytime soon.

18. Digital Camera – Kodak was the first company that really embraced this invention. Today, there are cameras that cost $10,000 and others $20. People love to share their photos online and in photo albums. With the digital camera, this process became easier than ever before.

17. X-Ray – This invention changed the way doctors could help a patient. Now they can see your bone injuries directly and can properly diagnose you accurately. It’s difficult to imagine how doctors managed to help treat patients with broken bones before X-Ray was invented, luckily, we don’t have to.

16. Plastic – Plastic is the most widely used material in the world. Wherever you are sitting right now, you can probably look around and spot at least three things made out of plastic. This is one material that we could not live without.

15. Cell Phone – One could argue this is the most developed invention of the 21^st century. The fact that it is a phone is an afterthought. It is a computer we carry in our pockets. If there was one thing many young people say they couldn’t live without, this would be at the top of the list.

14. Eye Glasses – Before eye glasses, people with bad vision were just out of luck and had to go through life constantly struggling. When old people’s eye sight began to fade, people just considered that part of life. With the invention of glasses people could see just like everybody else. It led to the invention of contacts which has also reshaped the optometry field.

13. Airplane – The airplane is the most effective form of global travel and always will be. Before, if you wanted to make it across the world, you would have to take a ship, and that would take weeks. Now you can hop on a flight and be wherever you want to go in a matter of hours. Looking at the invention of the airplane, it is shocking at how fast this hunk of metal travels. You just have to look in the cockpit to know how high tech this machine is.

12. Refrigeration – Although it’s not usually thought of as an invention, refrigeration was not always around, and its development allowed food to be stored and preserved for much longer periods of time. It allowed companies to ship foods wherever they wanted, without them having to worry about it spoiling.

11. Microscope – The microscope led to the exploration of cells and is the root of all scientific research at a subatomic level. We owe nearly all our discoveries in chemistry and biology to this significant invention.

10. Concrete – This material is used in countless ways. It is literally the base of nearly all building construction. The fact that it is made from just two simple compounds makes it all the more impressive.

9. Vaccine/Penicillin – This is undoubtedly the most vital breakthrough in the medical field. If you look at all the atrocities diseases caused prior to its discovery, these statistics are horrific. From the plague to war injuries to the common cold, vaccines and penicillin helped to eliminate preventable deaths. They have saved millions and millions of lives.

8. Automobile – Cars were the first form of personal mechanical transportation. The industrial revolution allowed this invention to take off and it hasn’t looked back since. As of 2010, 95% of American households own a car (zipcar.com). This is one invention that is constantly being improved. It’s like comparing apples to oranges when looking at a 2013 Lexus and a 1925 Model T Ford.

7. Internet – Our generation is so spoiled with the amount of information we have access to with just a click away. It has changed every aspect of modern life. People shop online, they do research online, and they find entertainment online. It seems like anything you could possibly need is online now.

6. Paper – Paper is one of the oldest inventions in history. It is perhaps the most widely used material in history. A world without paper could not exist. It is such an integral part of our lives, and we take for granted how essential it is.

5. Fire – We can thank the caveman for this fantastic invention. Fire allowed us to see in the dark, cook our food, and huddle around for warmth. Fire lit the way for the future.

4. Computer – The computer is the most significant invention of the 21^st century.  It has become our personal database that can do and hold anything we want it to. Computers have changed the way we think and changed the way we innovate.

3. Steam Engine – Trains and machinery relied on this innovational piece of technology. The steam engine was to the 1800s as the computer was to the 2000s. It was the first of many revolutions in the transportation industry.

2. Light bulb – Thomas Edison tried over and over again to get this piece of technology to work. After years of work, he finally created the first form of electrically produced light. We would live in a world of darkness if it wasn’t for this inventor. Las Vegas would look pretty boring if it weren’t for this discovery either.

1. Wheel – The wheel gets my top spot as the greatest invention of all time. It is a simple concept, but cannot be overlooked at how genius it is. It is by far the greatest use of a circle ever invented.