Inventions from yesterday to today: the wireless phone is 140 years old

Back on the great inventions of history and projections on the innovations of tomorrow ...

Inventions from yesterday to today: the wireless phone is 140 years old

©️Gallica - BnF

140 years ago, in 1880, Alexander Graham Bell created the first wireless phone and communicated over a distance of 213 meters thanks to the photophone. Speaking in a tube that amplifies the voice, the vibrations then transposed into light rays were received by a concave mirror which converted them into sounds.


The 10 largest inventions in history


En 2017, le magazine américain « National Geographic » publiait un classement des 10 plus grandes inventions de l’Histoire. Ce classement a été réalisé par Carla Hayden, directrice de la Bibliothèque du Congrès où sont conservés la majorité des brevets et plans américains. 

We find on the first step of this ranking: printing. Developed in 1450 by Gutenberg, the benefits of this invention are major with a drop in illiterate rate and a democratization, on terms, of knowledge. 

Then comes theelectric bulb of the American Thomas Edison in 1879. A discovery that will turn into a real revolution following the diffusion of electricity.

On the last step of the podium is classified ... theplane ! Développé par un ingénieur français Clément Ader en 1890, le premier plane motorisé ne volera réellement qu’en 1903 grâce aux frères Wright. Une avancée pour le commerce, entre autres…

We find in the rest of this ranking: thepersonal computer born in the 1960s, the vaccines which saved millions of lives, theautomotive who will also have phenomenal success, theclock born in the 13th century, the phone de Bell in 1876, the refrigeration and thecamera French niépce then Daguerre.

In addition, in our previous stories of ancestors, we presented two women who revolutionized IT. Indeed, we returned to the life ofAda Lovelace, « La première geek du monde » or creator of the first computer program, as well as on the actress's journey Hedy Lamarr, WiFi inventor


Resolutely modern and topical inventions


In the transport sectors, many inventions of the last century seem strangely topical. This is the case with 1906 electromagnetic system cart qui parait être l’ancêtre de l’Hyperloop. Elon Musk a pour ambition de développer un moyen de transport plus sûr et deux fois plus rapide que l’plane en limitant les frictions de l’air par sustentation électromagnétique. 

The electromagnetic system cart, developed by the American Franklin Smith is inspired by a short story by Jules Verne and plans a trolley held in levitation thanks to an electro-loving to reduce friction at the time of the trip. This 20th century project will not see the light of day on a large scale, only a 550 -meter test line will be installed. 

Another example, the hydrogen truck inventé par les Français Hubault et Dubled en 1945 pourrait se retrouver dans les considérations actuelles sur les moyens de déplacements propres. Au sortir de la seconde Guerre Mondiale, en pleine pénurie de pétrole, l’hydrogène semble être une source d’énergie intéressante pour les transports. Les deux inventeurs seront capables de parcourir plusieurs milliers de kilomètres dans leur hydrogen truck entre 1945 et 1951. 


voiture à hydrogène

Source: Forgotten of mobility - Act 2: Hubault and Duble - Logicites 


What will be the innovations of tomorrow? 


Did you believe in self-landslides, hoverboards and flying cars for 2015? Back to the future, yes! And the writers were not quite wrong. In 1985 the science fiction film returned to the future in which Marty McFly travels in time until 2015 was. 

30 years earlier, we then imagined the recognition of fingerprints, the digital tablet, video calls and even the virtual reality headset, among others. Innovations that today are marketed, accessible and perhaps even use them daily? 

All that to say that things are going vitus, even more vivid than we could imagine. And innovations, good ideas, to revolutionize our daily lives, he has had millions until today. What will the innovations of tomorrow look like? 

Virtual currency, hyper-personalized medicine, anti-aging drugs ... Futura Science takes stock of these few technology of tomorrow (or today?).


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