TOP-5 world inventions against which science fought and lost

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

It just so happened that humanity is afraid of everything new. Even the great minds of the past at one time did not recognize such great inventions as the camera and telephone. But you shouldn't blame anyone for this, as they say, everything has its time.

1. Gas lighting

Two hundred years ago, when electricity simply did not exist, everyone tried to invent a permanent source of light. So, in 1791, the French scientist Philippe Le Bon proposed to add charcoal to thermal decomposition to obtain a kind of lighting gas. The engineer was engaged in the development of new technology for several years until he achieved the desired result. Imagine Le Bon's disappointment when the French Scientific Academy rejected his invention, saying that it was impossible. But the scientist did not give up and, ultimately, nine years later received a patent. For a century, this luminous gas has been the main source of illumination throughout the world.

2. Steamer

The invention of the steam vessel is another proof that not all great discoveries were accepted by humanity with open arms. In 1800, American engineer Robert Fulton began experiments to create a steam engine and install it on sailing ships. Fulton's bold idea was met with hostility by many. Even Napoleon Bonaparte claimed that the American inventor was just a charlatan. People argued that it was foolish to put a steam engine on a ship, since nothing could exceed the efficiency of the sails. Despite general disapproval, the scientist continued to work and in 1803 presented his first steamboat, which was successfully tested on the Seine River.

3. Camera

In an era when photography has lost all value, it is difficult to imagine how much time and effort was spent on this invention. French artist and chemist Louis Daguerre devoted eleven years of his life to create the technology with which the first black and white photographs were taken. According to Novate.ru, in 1839, at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, the scientist demonstrated his first works. It is easy to guess that many reacted with distrust to the invention of the Frenchman. But nothing, common sense still won out, and soon photography changed the world.

4. Multistage rocket

The early history of rocketry was also not entirely smooth. For the first time, the idea of creating a multistage rocket was put forward by the American engineer Robert Goddard back in 1914. He also wrote a number of scientific papers on the possibility of flying to the moon. In 1920, the world famous newspaper The New York Times twice ridiculed Goddard's idea, calling him a visionary. In 1926, the scientist created the first prototype of a multistage liquid-fueled rocket. Later, when the Americans landed on the moon in 1969, the newspaper published material in which it expressed regret for the mistake.

5. Phone

For a long time, there have been debates in the scientific world about who exactly created the phone. It is now known that the real inventor of telephony is the Italian Antonio Meucci, but it was the Scotsman Alexander Bell who managed to introduce this revolutionary device to the masses. But even for such a born businessman as Bell, the task was not easy. Having presented the first work phone in 1876, the Scotsman was unable to break through the wave of public skepticism. It got to the point of ridiculousness - people were afraid that the outlandish apparatus would shock them, or someone would be able to overhear their conversations through the wires.