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Adding Machine
In 1642 Blaise Pascal invented the adding machine which was the first version of a calculator. His machine could only do adding and subtracting, but it lead to the calculators we use now. At the time, this machine helped Pascal's father do others people's taxes with a little more ease. This version of the calculator lead to more complex calculators which make life much easier for math students and allows them to do more complex problems in a much more timly manner. -
significance of adding machine
Pascal's new invention was so significant that computer programmers of today use a program named after him. Until computers were invented, the dial and wheel were used in adding machines for 300 years after Pascal's. -
Flushing Toilet
The first flushing toilet was invented by Alexander Cummings in 1775. This invention led to many updates to the toilet. It was the first one to have an S valve allowing water to remain in the bowl after the flush. At the time, those with a flushing indoor toliet were considered to be of higher status than those still using an outhouse. It allowed people to stay inside their houses and take care of person hygiene. -
more on the toilet
Because of indoor toilets, people were able to go out more often and stay out for longer. Now days, people can go on long car trips becasue they're able to stop anywhere and go to the bathroom. No one has to even think or worry about it anymore becuase toilets are found anywhere, but back in 1775 it wasn't all too common. -
Stethoscope
Rene Laennec invented the stethoscope in 1816. He developed it to help him, as a doctor, diagnose several chest conditions. Before this version of the stethoscope was invented, doctors simply placed their ear over the patients chest. This helped advance the diagnosis of patients. It was also previously awkward of men and women when the doctor literally put his or her ear up to their chest. It helped better medicine and put patients more at ease. -
stethoscope continued
The modern stethoscope allows doctors to listen to other body parts besides just the heart, like arteries and the lungs. I'm sure a lot more people were willing to go to the doctor and let them listen to their heart because it no longer required direct contact. -
1st Polygraph
James Mackenzie invented the first polygraph or lie detector in 1902. His version was not much of a success but led to a later invention that's more like the modern one. This machine would be hooked up to a person and detect bodily things such as heartrate, blood pressure and perspiration. It is used today in court room and many times can be a determining factor on a criminals sentence. It changed society because it made lying to government officials more difficult. -
Polygraph changes society
Polygraphs are used so often in criminal justice that they can determine whether or not someone goes to jail because of their physiological responses to certain questions. There is some controversy over whether or not they're that accurate but until otherwise proven, they will always play a part in criminal justice. -
YouTube
Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim created YouTube in 2005. This became a place where vidoes of anything and everything could be posted and viewed by anyone else with internet action. It by far changed society and the global culture. Without YouTube none of us would have heard Gangnam Style or Justin Bieber. We are able to see and access things from all over the globe and things can be shared so easily. -
YouTube continued
YouTube is not all just music though, you can find everything from educational videos to hair tutorials. It has helped showcase cultures from all across the world and people have incorportated them into their own such as us Americans blasting Gangnam style on our radios for a few weeks.
