The first invention I learned about this week was the polio vaccine. Jonas Salk invented the the polio vaccine, it was then announced safe in 1955. This vaccine prevents people from getting polio. It prevents the fear and effects of catching the disease. Polio has been almost eradicated, and many people hope its eradicated soon.
The second invention I learned about this week was the intermodal container. Malcolm Mclean invented the intermodal container as a way to ship his truck cargo up the coast on boats. The intermodal container increase shipping capacity. It simplify shipping difficulty. It also reduced labor costs. Mclean allowed his patent into an international standard design. This invention allowed the shipping industry to be changed for ever.
The third invention I learned about this week was the integrated circuit. Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce invented the integrated circuit in 1959. This genius invention, the integrated circuits packs billions of transistors into chips of silicon to provide high computing performance at low power and save money. The government was the first main customer, but prices quickly fell to industries and commercial interest.
The fourth invention I learned about this week was lasers. Charles Townes invented the laser in 1958. It was invented at Bell Labs after inventing the maser. Laser light is coherent, focused, one wave length, and can be used for cutting. Bell labs and other companies began building their own lasers for various purposes. Lasers are now used for bar code scanners, radios and DVDs, and etc.
Some laser technology I would want to se invented would be a laser for a sword like a light saber in real life, and I would want to see a laser use for cutting things up for trash places.
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