The Most Important Science Discoveries and Inventions

There have been many major, world-changing inventions and science discoveries. Which ones do YOU think were the most important?

Both scientific discoveries and inventions often start from accidental or chance observations. (Consider Newton’s apple that started him thinking about gravity, as well as Fleming’s contaminated bacterial cultures that led to the discovery of penicillin.)

Many people observe unusual things, but not so many realize the meaning and importance of what they see. Those are the people who have made progress possible.

A Few Great Science Discoveries and Inventions

Here is a list of some of the great discoveries and inventions that have changed history. (There are many others-- maybe even more important. This list is just a sample. Also, several of these include related discoveries or inventions.)

the discovery of fire
the invention of farming (planting seeds, then caring for and harvesting the crops)
the invention of the wheel
the invention of sails and sailing ships
the invention of gunpowder
the invention of writing
the invention of paper
the invention of printing
the discovery of the circulation of blood (how the heart pumps blood throughout the body)
the invention of the microscope and telescope
the discovery of microorganisms
the discovery that earth circles the sun
the discovery of gravity
the discovery of electricity and ways to control it
the invention of steam ships
the invention of the gasoline engine and motor vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.)
the invention of the telephone
the invention of the radio
the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics
the invention of the computer and then the Internet

Classifying Major Discoveries and Inventions

1. Which of these discoveries and inventions changed medical history?

2. Which of them revolutionized communications?

3. Which of these enabled faster transportation?

4. Which of these scientific discoveries led to major transportation technologies?

(Answers are below the quiz.)

I think everyone can agree that fire, farming, and the wheel have been tremendously important in the development of human civilization. Can you choose five more (of the discoveries or inventions above or others) that you think are most important?

For extra English practice, try writing one or two sentences about why each is important.

Scientists: Building on the Work of Others

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”- Isaac Newton (quoted by Albert Einstein.)

_________________________

Here are a few definitions (and questions to check your understanding) of some of the words used in the classification and evaluation activities above. Choose the letter of the best answer to each question.

1. Technology is applying scientific knowledge in practical ways. So many inventions are technological, and many scientific discoveries are made possible by new technology-- each contributes to the other. Often a series of new inventions follows one new discovery, and sometimes a series of discoveries follows an invention that makes new kinds of research possible.

All of the following discoveries except one required (needed) a new technology. (That means those discoveries could not have been made in earlier ages.) Which of these discoveries was NOT dependent on technology?
1. the discovery of micro-organisms
2. the discovery that earth orbits the sun
3. the discovery of gravity
4. the discovery of antibiotics
2. Communication (from the same root as communicable) is the sharing of ideas or information. To communicate is to share or pass on thoughts, whether by speaking, writing, hand movements, expression, or tone of voice. So if you read “communication is important in marriage,” it means
1. Marriage can make you sick.
2. Marriage is an important institution.
3. It’s important for husbands and wives to share the same ideas and values.
4. It’s important for husbands and wives to talk to each other.
3. To invent is to create or design something new. A vehicle is something used to move people or things from one place to another-- to transport them. So which of these vehicles are inventions? (More than one answer will be correct.)
1. the first wheeled cart
2. the first “horseless carriage” (automobile with a gasoline motor)
3. the first Ford produced at a Michigan factory in 2012
4. the first Toyota produced in the U.S.
4. A revolution is a very major change. The American, French, Mexican, and Russian Revolutions led to dramatic political and social changes in those nations. ‘Revolution’ also applies to changes in thinking that turn old ideas “upside down.” So, the germ theory revolutionized medical treatments. Could you say the development of the wheel revolutionized transportation?
1. Yes
2. No
5. Computers were first developed for data storage and fast data calculations. (You might guess that, since ‘to compute’ to is make calculations with numbers.) It wasn’t very long before the scientists who used those early computers started contacting each other to share data. That sharing led to the Internet, with its huge potential for worldwide communication and exchange of information and ideas.

Which of these uses for computers is NOT mentioned above?
1. communication
2. data storage
3. sharing music
4. the exchange of ideas

Discovery and Invention Answers

1. Discoveries that changed medical history:

the discovery of circulation, microorganisms, and penicillin

2. Inventions that revolutionized communications:

writing, paper, printing, the telephone, the radio, and the computer and Internet

3. These enabled faster transportation:

the wheel, sails and sailing, steamships, the gasoline motor

4. Scientific discoveries that led to major transportation technologies:

the discovery of fire, gravity, and electricity. (You could say that learning that the earth orbits the sun contributed to space exploration-- if you want to count that as a major transportation technology. I would say it isn’t, yet, as very few people travel into space!)

In case you are curious, for the 5 most important discoveries after fire, farming, and the wheel, I would choose

the invention of writing, so people could share thoughts over distances and over time
the discovery of microorganisms
the discovery of electricity,
the gasoline engine, &
the computer

I believe writing was essential. If we didn't have paper or publishing, telephones or radio, we might have found other ways to send messages, but some way of recording ideas is very important so they would not be lost or forgotten.

The other four discoveries and inventions have each revolutionized human life.

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