Imagine this scenario. The Rising Tiger and the Land of Freedom just engaged in an apocalyptical war. Thousands of AN602 hydrogen bombs later, there is nothing left. Humanity is gone. All there is left is you and a group of 20 other techies. As the sole representatives of mankind its now your job to bring mankind back to its feet. What would your first move be?
If you are as techy as we think you are, your first move will be to start putting together those technologies that disrupted the way we live. Which one would you choose? Do you know how to put them together? Whilst this apocalyptical scenario is as likely as a Black Swan entering your living room, who knows? With over 16,000 warheads out there and an uncertainty driven environment… Yet, don’t worry because Bizzvenue has your back covered. We’ve looked at the web and at polls to enumerate the most influential discoveries and hence the ones you should be looking to if this unlikely scenario unraveled.
1. “They see me rolling, they hating” – Wheel
If the wheel was to rap a song it would probably quote Chamillionaire’s ” They see me rolling, they hating”. The wheel is arguably the most influential human creation and the envy of all other inventions.
Tracing back 5 millennium to 3500 B.C., this circular component coupled with an axle has disrupted the 5 millennium that followed its discovery. Imagine the amount of work and extra energy needed to equate the frictionless motion that the wheel provides. What did this discovery lead to? Societies had more energy and time to dedicate to other activities. Consequently, societies were able to move up the ranks of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as there psychological needs were met with ease. Once this was achieved the wheel became indispensable for many other inventions. Water wheels, power mills, cogs, pulleys, centrifuges, combustion engines and countless others depend on the wheel. Check the video below for a history of the wheel.
2. Survive – Benzylpenicillin
The legend says that Alexander Fleming’s discovery of Penicillin in 1928 was a lucky encounter. It all revolved around a Petri dish with Staphylococcus that was left open and thereafter contaminated with a blue green mould from a window. Fleming observed how in this Petri dish there was a halo of inhibited bacterial growth around the mould. This bewildered him and thus he endeavoured to discover the reason behind. Shortly after the discovered the bacteria Penicillium.
Despite the fortuitous nature behind the creation of this antibiotic, Penicillin is definitely an invention worth creating in any post-nuclear scenario. It is suggested that without Penicillin around 300 million people would have died over the years.
3. Back to the Digital Era – Electricity
In the follow-up of a nuclear cataclysm there would be no electronics nor an electrical infrastructure to power any surviving devices. It would thus be smart to get the infrastructure going.
Who where the pioneers in the quest towards the discovery and use of electricity? The first encounter with electricity occurred in Ancient Greece around 600 B.C. Greeks discovered static energy created when rubbing fair and amber. Despite this early encounter the most influential inventions leading towards electrical infrastructure didn’t occur until the 19th century. In 1800 Alessandro Volta discovered that particular chemicals reactions produced electricity and constructed the first voltaic pile that produced a steady electric current – later on naming the Volt after himself. Following his discovery, Michael Faraday invented in 1831 the electric dynamo. From there on Edison, Swan and Nikola Tesla developed there discoveries to bring to life commercial electricity.
4. Get where you want – Compass
Today we have satellite GPS, maps, and a bunch of other technologies that make every journey much less of an adventure. In a post-nuclear scenario sorry but that won’t be at your reach. How would you know where you are going? How would you make your travels efficient? You could put together a compass!
Invented by the Chinese Han Dynasty in the 9th century, the compass allowed mariners and other adventurers to endeavour into new voyages. Mariners could navigate at times where the stars weren’t there to guide. This technology prompted the Age of Discovery and thus our contemporary era. Check the video below to get a gist of how magnets work – the core behind a compass.
5. Getting the Caloric Intake – Plough
Compared to many other inventions the plough might not seem that exciting yet it has been central to our development. The plough allowed us to increase the amount of food for a fraction of the energy and time. This allowed for surplus as well as for free time. Coupled with fertilisers, the Plough has been the single handed biggest contributor to our energy demands.
Do you agree with the list? What discoveries would you turn to?
Feature Image: AMC The Walking Dead
