Today, we are going to look at some of the inventions that have changed our lives.
Automatic washing machines (1962) changed how people did their washing. Many people used to use twin tub washing machines, before moving onto a front loader washing machine. Many people in the USA and Canada use top loaders.
In 1963, the fridge freezer was introduced. It helped revolutionise how we stored food, without having to can, pickle or dry it. Two years later, in 1965, dishwashers first appeared. I got my first one in 2007. My parents had one back in the ’90s.
Today, let’s talk about fidget spinners. They are the huge new fad for kids at school. Their popularity is sweeping across countries and continents, not to mention school playgrounds.
Fidget spinners are this year’s must have toy. Many adults are confused by their sudden popularity. That’s probably why they’re so popular with kids.
What are fidget spinners? Well, they’re sort of triangular in shape, with three-pronged circles or bearings that spin around a central one. They are palm-sized. What’s more, they’re cheap, so kids can carry round a pocketful of them.
Today, let’s talk about great British inventions. There are many. We will look at a few of them.
The jet engine was invented by a chap called Frank Whittle from Coventry. He was fighter pilot. Whittle realised that piston powered flight was old technology. He designed the gas turbine ‘turbo-jet’ in 1930. Thwarted by the military it wasn’t until 1941 that his jet idea took off in the form of a Gloster E28/39 for a 17 minute flight.
Tin cans used for baked beans and vegetables were invented by a man called Peter Durand. He copied the preserved food in a glass jar idea that Frenchman Nicholas Appert had created, doing it this time with a tin can. The first commercial canning factory was opened in England in 1813.
Today, let’s talk about Victorian inventions. Do you know of any? There were many. Here’s a few of them…
In 1840 the Victorians introduced the first prepaid postal service that used a postal stamp. Letters could be sent anywhere in the UK for one penny using a stamp called the Penny Black. In 1859 a green national standard post box was introduced. Later British post boxes became red.
Category: Inventions / Victorian Inventions / Technology
Thomas Parker is said to have invented the first electric car. It went onto the streets of London in 1884. Parker was responsible for innovations such as electrifying the London Underground.
A decade later Walter C. Bersey designed a fleet of electric London taxis. These started operating on London’s streets in 1897. They were soon nicknamed ‘the hummingbirds’ because of the humming noise they made.
Category: Technology / Electric cars / History
Today I thought we could look at some top inventions and talk about them. Of course, there are thousands to choose from. Trying to reduce this to the top 50 or even the top 20 was difficult. In the end I decided to see what I could think of. You can create your own top 20 list during this lesson.
Recent inventions that people like to buy include the new iPad and iPhone from Apple. The tablet market is growing rapidly. The Kindle from Amazon is now popular for book reading. Some of us like to get our hands on the latest Samsung Galaxy or alternatively the latest Blackberry. But let’s consider other good inventions. These include; the internet, email, the computer, and the telephone.
What would we do today without Google, Facebook or YouTube? The camera was a good invention, as was the video camera. Women (and men) might consider the bra and contraception (Condoms and the invention of the pill) as useful inventions.
Category: Inventions / Technology / Creativity
