Week 4 Summary Essay
When I think about inventions, I think about computers and electronics. I do not usually think about things we use every day such as concrete, electromagnets, the passenger rail, and matches. So, let’s talk a little bit about these super extraordinary inventions.
Concrete is one of the most useful things on Earth, but like I said before, I don’t think of it as an invention. Portland concrete was the first invention I learned about this week. It is made by heating minerals and limestone together in a kiln, which makes something called clinker. The clinker is cooled off and grinded into a powder with other minerals that help it not harden so quickly. Portland cement was invented in Britain in the 18th century, but John Smeaton experimented with different materials and minerals, including limestone, to develop the modern version of Portland cement. Many others changed and experimented with different materials after Smeaton, including William Aspdin, who changed his father’s cement formula, but never patented it. Portland cement is used all over the world, and now can be used as a material in 3D printing. It is one of the most useful inventions in all of history.
Next, I learned about electromagnets, which is another invention that I do not usually think about, but use every single day. Electromagnets are magnets that can be turned on and off using electricity. Hans Christian Oersted discovered the link between electricity and magnetism during the Danish Golden Age of the 1800s. However, William Sturgeon actually invented the electromagnet. Others became fascinated by the idea, and the invention spread quickly. Electromagnets are used in many of the most common devices that we use every day like cars, cell phones, electric door locks, and computers.
The third lesson this week was about the passenger rail. This is also an invention that I don’t usually think about; honestly, I didn’t even know it was a thing! After years of making railroad lines, George Stephenson invented the passenger rail. He trained Americans how to build successful railroads too. The passenger rail provides transportation that rapidly escorts people to their destination. The passenger rail impact was huge in America and Great Britain, which helped to bring the most economic transformation in history.
In the fourth lesson, I learned about matches. As I am a kid, I don’t mess around with matches, for I know they can be dangerous. According to what I just said, I sometimes forget that they are even a thing. They are also an invention I don’t think about. Matches were invented almost by accident, by John Walker. The most less specific way I can describe matches is very simply, chemical heads that are embedded on a stick. Walker did not patent his match, so many people made the same thing and some improved it. Generation after generation, matches had been improved, but not patented until the matchbook in 1890. The match made smoking, barbecuing, and leisure popular. It has also made thousands of people’s lives easier throughout history.
I am so blessed to learn about so many interesting things. Especially the ones that I don’t usually think of to be inventions, but now I know that everything is an invention. I really like when I get to learn about inventions that I don’t know that they exist, like the electromagnet, and the passenger rail. I am so excited to learn about more inventions that shape history next week!