Modern technology has allowed us to exponentially increase production, transportation, construction, and urbanization. But some of the conveniences of modern life can hardly be considered recent or novel inventions or innovations. In fact, some of the things we enjoy today can trace their origins to ancient Greece.
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These modern inventions may not have been as sophisticated back when they existed in ancient Greece, but the ideas or concepts behind them are similar. We just have the benefit of more than two thousand years of accumulated human knowledge, development, and process improvements.
As listed by Historic Mysteries, these five “modern” inventions are the odometer, the shower, the alarm clock, the vending machine, and automatic doors. I can see how the first three can have rudimentary prototypes made from materials available at that time, but how could vending machines and automatic doors have existed in a time when there wasn’t any need for them?
It’s actually all about perspective. We might take automatic doors for granted these days, but back when temple doors were so large and heavy, it would make sense why automatic doors could be useful to ancient Greeks. The one who thought of it was Heron of Alexandria, whose schematics showed that the automatic doors were designed to use steam power. Alas, it didn’t have a sensor to detect the presence of humans.
How about the vending machine? Well, based on the description, it’s more of a mix between a vending machine and a water dispenser, since it had a coin slot which allows one to get water after putting a coin in. Quite a neat business venture if you were to ask me, especially when getting water probably involved pulling a bucket from a well, or something to that effect.
(Image credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)
Source: neatorama