por Among the main inventions of the modern age The compound microscope, the lightning rod, the thermometer, the steam engine and the modern refrigeration system stand out. These creations allowed great advances in science and industry.
The Modern Age is the third stage of the history of humanity. It covers the period from the discovery of America (1492) to the French Revolution (1789). During this time there were great discoveries and extraordinary inventions.
Unlike the Middle Ages, in the Modern Age progress, idealism, communication and reason were the prevailing values, which allowed the development of innovative ideas that changed the world.
The most important inventions of the Modern Age
1- The compound microscope (1592)
Zacharias Hanssen, a Dutch eyeglass maker, and his son Hans Jannsen invented the compound light microscope in 1592.
The idea arose from an experiment in which they introduced magnifying lenses into a tube and discovered that objects were observed in a better way.
Later, the invention was improved in 1655 by Robert Hooke.
2- The lightning rod (1752)
Benjamin Franklin demonstrated that lightning can be attracted and its discharge can be conducted to the ground, thus avoiding damage to people and buildings.
His invention took shape by tying a kite to a fine metal body (a key) held by a silken thread.
The kite flying in the middle of the storm was quickly struck by lightning, charging the electricity switch.
3- The thermometer (1593)
Its first version was called a thermoscope and is attributed to the Italian Galileo Galilei.
This invention compared the temperature of two bodies, by immersing its tubular structure in a mixture of water and alcohol. The thermoscope compared temperatures, but did not measure them.
Later, Santorio Santorio created the air thermometer: an instrument with very poor measurement scales.
Finally, in the year 1714 Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit created the mercury thermometer.
4- The steam engine (1712)
Thomas Newcomen developed the atmospheric steam engine to extract water from mines in 1712. His machine worked by releasing steam into a chamber, in which it cooled and condensed.
This caused a vacuum to be created that exerted pressure. The force made the piston go down a pulley and suck up the water.
Later, in 1769, James Watt created the steam engine that allowed the development of maritime navigation and that promoted the Industrial Revolution.
5- The modern refrigeration system (1748)
Scottish physicist William Cullen discovered that some chemical reactions of gases repelled heat from a particular area, creating a kind of ice pack. Thus he found the basis of the modern refrigeration system.
From Cullen’s findings, the idea of using artificial low-temperature environments for food preservation spread.
This is how the original versions of modern refrigerators were developed years later.
6- The telescope
Galileo Galilei introduced the world to the telescope in 1609, a device with the ability to observe distant objects in the sky quite clearly. It was an invention that shook the foundations of faith, since it questioned whether God was the center of the Universe.
Although Galilei took credit for the invention, all indications indicate that it was Hans Lippershey, a lens maker, who designed this device a year or two earlier. In turn, recent investigations suggest that perhaps Juan Roget, another manufacturer of glasses, devised the sketch of the telescope before Lippershey.
7- Planter
The seeder already had its first prototypes since the 16th century, however, the one created by the agronomist Jethro Tull was a revolution for agriculture.
Conceived in 1701, it allowed plowing and sowing larger fields, being able to distribute the seeds more regularly. This allowed a better use of the soil, as well as the possibility of burying the seeds more deeply.
8- Hot air balloon
A rooster, a sheep and a duck were the first crew members to board a hot air balloon in an exhibition prepared by the Montgolfier brothers in Versailles in front of the French court and 130,000 other attendees.
Although it was the Brazilian de Gusmao who made the first demonstration of aerial ascent in a balloon in 1709, it was not until 1783 that the Montgolfier brothers created the hot air balloon that rose thanks to the chemical principle that hot air rises.