Ancient |
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Modern |
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Flame Thrower known as Greek Fire, Byzantines |
672 AD |
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Flame Thrower – Richard Fielder used for WWI |
1901 AD |
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Plastic Surgery – Egyptians did nasal reconstructions for ex thieves who’s noses were cut off as punishment for stealing – Edmund Smith papyrus reveals this practice |
3000 BC |
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Plastic Surgery – Sir Harry Gillies – reconstructed a burn victim face |
1917 AD |
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Vending Machines – dispense holy water in exchange for a silver coin – Heron of Alexandria |
60 BC |
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Vending Machines – London to dispense books |
1800’s AD |
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Alarm Clocks – Plato – water clock that whistled |
440 BC |
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Alarm Clocks – Levi Hutchins |
1787 AD |
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Earthquake Detector – Zhang Heng |
132 AD |
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Earthquake Detector – Fillipo Cecchi – invented the seismograph |
1875 AD |
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Automatic Doors – Heron of Alexandria – designed temple doors that open automatically once a fire is lit and it produces enough steam and pressure to push the doors open |
50 BC |
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Automatic Doors – designed by two American inventors to overcome the problem that swing doors have in high wind |
1954 AD |
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Batteries – Baghdad battery – copper cylinder and iron rod in a clay jar with acid results in a battery |
200 BC |
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Batteries – Alesandro Volto designed a crude battery made of acid soaked cardboard and copper-zinc disks |
1799 AD |
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Computer – Antikythera mechanism |
200 BC |
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Computer – Charless Babbage |
1834 AD |
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Death Ray – Archimedes – set enemy ships on fire |
212 BC |
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Death Ray – USA army introduces the Active Denial System that inflicts burn wounds on enemies |
2007 AD |
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Robots – Heron of Alexandria invented automated shows (animata) |
50 BC |
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Robots – William Grey Walter – shaped like turtles, the robots could find their way back to their charging station |
1948 AD |
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Marionette – Carved from ivory, found in Brno, Czech Republic |
25000 BC |
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Marionette – H W Whanslaw published a book on the making of marionettes and this kick-started modern British puppetry |
1923 AD |
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Magnifying Glass – Nimrud lens is considered a crude magnifying glass made from polished rock crystal |
750 BC |
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Magnifying Glass – Roger Bacon |
1250 AD |
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Steam Engine – Hero of Alexandria |
50 BC |
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Steam Engine – Thomas Savery |
1698 AD |
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Flexible Glass – Vitrum Flexile |
14 AD |
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Flexible Glass |
2016 AD |
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