TOP-10 scientific discoveries of the First world war

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

War is often associated with loss and destruction. But the world does not stand still, and even in the midst of hostilities there is a place for progress. Tea bags, sausages and even zippers - all of this we have largely due to the terrible events of a century ago. Here are the top 10 discoveries made or gaining popularity during the First World War.

1. Quartz lamps

At the end of the war, Germany was experiencing a real humanitarian catastrophe. A terrible decline, hunger and poverty raged literally everywhere. Another misfortune was the mass incidence of rickets among children. The mystery of this ailment in those years, as before, did not succumb to scientists. The only suggestion was that the cause of the disease in children was somehow related to poverty.

At some point, the German physician Kurt Gulchidsky decided to try to include ultraviolet therapy in the rickets treatment regimen. He placed children of different ages under quartz lamps. The results of subsequent analyzes confirmed that the bone tissue really began to strengthen. So the quartz lamp made a real revolution in medicine and began to be widely used in medical institutions.

2. Echolocation

During the First World War, submarines became Germany's secret weapons. With their help, German troops sank more than one enemy ship. And it was not easy to find them: the then sonars and underwater microphones did not give accurate results.

This continued until the British researchers decided to try ultrasound for detection. On its basis, they designed a device that allows you to determine the distance to an underwater object, even if it is quite far away. Since the introduction of echolocation into operation, the threat of attack by submarines has become much less.

3. Plastic surgery

The First World War remained in history not only with new types of weapons, but also with special cruelty. Thousands of former military personnel have been mutilated as a result of the hostilities. And they did not want to put up with the prospect of staying that way forever.

Observing all this injustice, the New Zealand surgeon Harold Gillies, even during the war, began to practice operations to correct defects in the face and body of injured soldiers and officers. In total, until 1919, he managed to conduct them about 5 thousand. This is how a new direction in medicine appeared - plastic surgery.

4. Wrist watch

In all fairness, wristwatches did not become an invention of wartime proper. They were there before, but for a long time they did not take root in society, and they were worn mainly by women. The First World War contributed to the popularization of wristwatches among all segments of the population.

It happened like this. It was vital for the officer corps to have a watch nearby in order to find out the time at any moment, for example, when planning a military operation on a freelance basis. It was then that everyone began to wear this accessory on their hands in large quantities, since this type of application did not interfere with the battle. Very soon, wristwatches became a source of pride for their owners, they fell in love so much that they gained immense popularity.

5. Stainless steel

Today we are unlikely to be able to imagine our life without stainless steel items. Knives, pots and even weapons - a huge number of well-known items are made from this universal alloy. At the same time, few people know that we owe the invention of stainless steel to the First World War.

Literally from the very beginning of hostilities, the question arose of deformation of the barrels of weapons due to overheating and friction during firing. It was necessary to create a material resistant to these conditions. This was succeeded by Harry Brearley, who, while experimenting with various alloys, noticed that some of his previous prototypes did not corrode over time. Soon, stainless steel gained popularity not only in the military industry, but also in civilian production.

6. Soy sausages

War almost always entails a humanitarian catastrophe. Both army men and civilians sometimes simply have nothing to eat. But in the First World War, such difficult conditions gave impetus to the invention of a fundamentally new food product. We are talking about soy sausages. And their author was … the city mayor.

Konrad Adenauer was head of Cologne at the time. The inhabitants were sorely lacking food, and he began to look for other, non-trivial ways of making food. So, an attempt was made to bake bread from cornmeal, but then Romania, which was its main supplier, withdrew from the war. The "sweet" venture failed. Then the mayor decided to produce "meat" products, but without the main ingredient - it was supposed to use soy instead.

Interesting fact:in Cologne itself, sausages began to be called "mayor's".

7. Zipper

The war ended not only with the defeat of Germany, but also with a real textile revolution. Since the beginning of the 20th century, mankind has been looking for a way to speed up and facilitate the process of buttoning up clothes. And it was the war that helped to find the key to solving this issue.

The American engineer Gideon Sundbeck patented his method of quickly fastening clothes even before the start of the war. His invention was the slider clasp. This greatly accelerated the process of dressing, mainly soldiers, which was vital in a war. Soon, the use of this technology was no longer limited to the military sphere. And the zipper has also appeared in casual wear.

8. Blood transfusion

In the midst of hostilities, it is not always possible to provide even the first emergency medical aid. And often patients simply did not live to see the hospital due to critical blood loss. The solution to this problem was invented precisely during the First World War.

Actually, for the first time a blood transfusion procedure was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. But by the beginning of the war, doctors still did not know how to maintain it for a long time. Then a scientist from the United States Pentor Rose undertook several experiments to prevent blood clotting. And in 1919, the first procedure of transfusion of previously stored blood was carried out.

9. Conveyor

The conveyor belt seemed to be an integral part of the entire history of industrial society. It is difficult to overestimate the convenience when working in factories and factories that its use brings. But few people know that it is the First World War that we owe the appearance of a conveyor belt, which is now irreplaceable in production.

The development of this method of transportation between factory workshops belongs to Henry Ford. On the eve of the war, his company received a large order for military vehicles. To meet the tight deadlines, Ford developed such a method. Thanks to this idea, the military equipment of his enterprise has become one of the most widespread in America and abroad, and the conveyor belt has firmly "settled" in factories and plants.

10. Tea bags

There are millions of tea lovers all over the world. But, for example, in an office environment it is not very convenient to use tea leaves, and bags save the situation. However, not all tea-lovers know that this very convenient way of preparing a warming drink was invented and popularized precisely during the First World War.

It happened like this. On the eve of the war, tea merchant Thomas Sullivan decided to try brewing the drink right in the package. And then the tea leaves were sold in silk bags. The Dresden-based company Teekanne liked the idea and began supplying tea in gauze bags to the front. The convenient and simple method of brewing was very fond of the soldiers, however, even after the end of the war, it did not lose its relevance.