Have you ever sat
down and thought? Just thought about the air around you, the incessant honking
on the street downstairs, the sweet chirping of the birds in the trees, the
thumping sound of the rain drops as they hit the window pane, or even the
silence of the rain as it pours through the day? I am sure you are just like the
many who take the same road to work (literally and figuratively) and have no
time left to think post spending (any) the free time on social media that is.
See, you are the
best and the easiest target audience for marketers today. They just need to
track your usage of internet data; which is easily available (and we also have
big data analytical programs for better interpretation) and trap you with
advertisements. They make sure you buy these products and/or services by
helping you not moving an inch, you buy these products online and these are
delivered to your door-step within 2-3 business days.
And why am I thinking
like this? No I have not read any philosophical book nor am I in the mood for poetry.
In fact currently I am reading Ruchir Sharma’s Breakout Nations so I am
very much present in reality and far away from fantasy. So why am I thinking on
these lines? This thought struck me today suddenly like a lightning bolt. I was
going about doing my daily chores when suddenly I asked myself, what if Christopher
Columbus has actually discovered India and not the West Indies and The United
States of America.
Would history have
been any different? What if Thomas Edison hadn’t invented the light bulb or
Graham Bell the telephone? Would technology have progressed so far? Then I thought
were we dependent on the person who discovered/invented the place/thing of use
or were we dependent on the place and/or the invention? I mean we had a Vasco
da Gama for a Christopher Columbus and a Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for a Graham
Bell; it was the invention that changed the course of humanity, while the
inventor/discoverer was a channel; a medium that helped bridge the gap between
the product and its target segment.
This blog is about a
few of those inventions and discoveries that changed the course of human
history. (Disclaimer: This may be somewhat of a history lesson and I may
have missed out on some)
The invention of
the wheel in 3500BC helped man improve efficiency in logistics and
transportation. While the wheel helped man conquer roadways, the invention of
sails and later ships helped him conquer the water too. The Egyptian civilisation
has provided the world with many wonders and it was them who introduced the
sails. It helped them move across the river Nile faster and thus increased
connectivity.
And it was left to
the Romans to build roads. Roads that led to Rome and connected them to the
world. The European economy’s rise as a world power was mainly due to the intellectual
capacity provided by the Greeks and the engineering marvels of the Romans. The
Europeans were better connected and were intellectually more stimulated. Trade
blossomed and so did inter-state peace. This gave impetus and time for the
monarchies to encourage innovative and exploratory thinking. While the Greeks
introduced the world to the principles in mathematics, philosophy, economics
and other sciences; the kingdoms of Spain, Portugal and England invested in
sending sailors on exploratory voyages. In fact it was the governments that sponsored
the voyages of Columbus and da Gama.
The 15th century invention of the
printing press helped curb the influence of the church on the monarchy. While earlier
the bible was only present with the highest church in the land, it was left to
the interpretation (often biased) of the church. With the invention of the
printing press, the bible and its teachings and learnings reached the man on
the street and with it society started adapting to the changes by making
judiciary independent of the crown and church.
The industrial
revolution in Britain laid the foundation for the modern age engineering
marvels with the invention of the steam engine and motor vehicles. The Germans
led the way further in WWII with the invention of a fleet of submarines, fighter
jets and their innovative techniques of the blitzkrieg. German missions to
discover the knowledge in the Antarctic and the higher peaks of the Himalayas
were duly supported by their engineering power.
Perhaps the most
deadly innovation was of the atom bomb; most deadly because the world was
unknown to its capabilities until the Hiroshima-Nagasaki incident. Then came
the incredible space mission programs by the United States and the then USSR
and Man’s landing on the moon was a ‘gigantic leap’ indeed. Today’s age is of digitisation and comprises
of marvels like the NASA’s Mars Rover, and of the broadband internet and smart
phones.
What are common across
the ages have been man’s quest for the unknown and his hunger for more
knowledge. In fact even earth isn’t enough to satiate this hunger. But in this
grand scheme of things are we forgetting to appreciate the smaller joys of
life? Just something to ponder on…
