I am fortunate to be born in the era where technology is booming. I see the presence of technology in every aspects of life. From a very simple to a very complex use, technology is unavoidable. The word ‘technology’ is derived from the Greek word technologic English word logy which means science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent useful tools. Innovation refers to the useful peculiar idea or alternate thinking for a particular problem. So innovation in technology is the invention of new useful tools or products as well as the recreation of older invention with evolutionary changes and new features.
In the year 1600, English physician William Gilbert used the Latin word “electricus” to describe the force that certain substances exert when rubbed against each other. A few years later another English scientist, Thomas Browne, wrote several books and he used the word “electricity” to describe his investigations based on Gilbert’s work. In 1752,Benjamin Franklin conducted his experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. This simply proved that lightning and tiny electric sparks were the same thing. Italian physicist Alessandro Volta discovered that particular chemical reactions could produce electricity, and in 1800 he
constructed the voltaic pile (an early electric battery) that produced a steady electric current, and so he was the first
person to create a steady flow of electrical charge. In 1831 electricity became viable for use in technology when Michael Faraday created the electric dynamo (a crude
power generator), which solved the problem of generating electric current in an ongoing and practical way. Faraday’s
rather crude invention used a magnet that was moved inside a coil of copper wire, creating a tiny electric current that flowed through the wire. This opened the door to American inventor Thomas Edison and British scientist Joseph Swan who each invented the incandescent filament light bulb in their respective countries in about 1878. Previously, light bulbs had been invented by others, but the incandescent bulb was the first practical bulb that would light for hours on end. Swan and Edison later set up a joint company to produce the first practical filament lamp, and Edison used his direct- current system (DC) to provide power to illuminate the first New York electric street lamps in September 1882.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Serbian American engineer, inventor, and all around electrical wizard Nikola Tesla became an important contributor to the birth of commercial electricity. He worked with Edison and later had many revolutionary developments in electromagnetism. He is well known for his work with alternating current (AC), AC motors, and the polyphase distribution system. Later, American inventor and industrialist George Westinghouse purchased and developed Tesla’s patented motor for generating alternating current, and the work of Westinghouse, Tesla and others gradually convinced American society that the future of electricity lay with AC rather than DC. Others who worked to bring the use of electricity to where it is today include Scottish inventor James Watt who invented Steam engine which were later used to generate electricity and the term “Watt” is given to the unit of power which is used for either mechanical or electrical power,French mathematician Andre Ampere who is one of the founders of science of electromagnetism and the standard unit of measurement of electric current, ampere, is after him, German mathematician and physicist George Ohm who discovered the mathematical law of electric current called “Ohm’s Law“, and Marin Soljacic who invented wireless power transfer technology (2007).
In conclusion, Electricity is a miraculous discovery of science which gave an opening to various inventions. Electrical devices are used in everyday life. It is impartial part of present human life. The use of electricity is wide. Electricity is used to charge our mobile phones(one of the most important invention in human history) and various communicating devices, running giant industrial machines, lightning houses and cities and many more. So the future of electricity and various inventions on the application of electricity will keep on innovating. Technological innovation is a never ending process. As long as the curiosity of human beings remain, the invention of new useful products and devices keep on innovating. All inventions and technologies that exist today in the 21st century is the outcome of innovative thinking of the people of different generations.
Sandesh Ghimire 