No doubt about it, we live in a world of rapid change. Whereas a
century ago, our grandparents and great grandparents were still getting
around in a horse and buggy, and reading newspapers as their only source
of information and entertainment, today we fly in supersonic transports
and get our news and entertainment from the
Internet-things that would have been inconceivable 100 years ago.
But not everything has changed so radically; actually, there are a
number of devices we still use today that hasn’t changed all that much
in 100 years in basic function and operation. What are these devices?
Below are my top ten choices for those things we still use today that
wouldn’t have been all that unfamiliar to our fore-bearers in 1912.
10. The Train
We often fail to appreciate just how timeless an invention the
locomotive was, nor are many people aware of how much it still operates
as it did in olden days. Of course, steam has been replaced by safer,
cleaner, and more economical
diesel
engines, but the fact remains that trains are still doing the same
thing they’ve been doing since the mid-nineteenth century, and doing it
in much the same way. Even the steel rails they ride on today are
indistinguishable from those of a century ago. The one big change has
been in payload; a century ago, trains mainly transported people; today,
90 percent of their load is ore or produce. Yet they keep on chuggin’
along.
9. Landline Telephones
Obviously the advent of the cell phone is radically changing the way
people contact each other, but the old landline is still alive and well,
and hard to match in terms of clarity and reliability (when’s the last
time you lost a signal on your land-line or accidentally dropped it into
the pool?) The interesting thing is that it still functions precisely
the way it did a century ago; the only significant change being the
ability to dial the number directly rather than having to go through a
switchboard operator. Also, telephone and electrical lines are still
attached to wooden poles, just as they have been since the advent of the
telegraph during the
Civil War, demonstrating that sometimes the old ways of doing things are still the best.
8. The Rifle
Once the shell cartridge and barrel rifling was perfected in the late
nineteenth century, the modern rifle was essentially complete, with few
changes, other than increasing the rate of fire, being necessary. As
such, the modern, bolt-action rifle and chamber-firing revolver are
essentially unchanged from their predecessors, and operate exactly the
same way they did for great granddad. In fact, other than the advent of
the semi and fully-automatic mechanisms, and vast improvements in
sighting (i.e. scopes), a
hunter from 1912 would have no trouble using a modern rifle (beyond bemoaning their lower quality construction.)
7. The Iron
Let’s face it—there simply isn’t a way to make ironing wrinkly
clothes any easier. Yes, you’ve got electric plug-in irons today rather
than stove heated ones, and you have that neat little button on top that
shoots out sprits of steam but, beyond that, ironing is still the same
tedious art form it has always been. In some ways, it’s even more of a
challenge today, with that always-too-short cord getting in the way or
failing to reach far enough. Even the professional dry cleaners haven’t
changed their methodology all that much; the
chemicals they use nowadays may be different but the process—and the results—are still the same.
6. Books
Many have predicted the demise of books since the advent of the computer, and
Kindle
and other downloadable reading devices are in the process of changing
the publishing industry, but the fact is that nothing beats the good old
paperback in terms of portability. Also, you can’t get your favorite
author to sign an e-book, nor can you underline important points or
scribble stuff in the margins with a Kindle.
And what happens if the power grid goes out or someone steals your
reader? You lose your entire library! That’s why the printed book will
never entirely die—it’s just too necessary! And the beauty of it is that
books haven’t changed much in terms of how they are produced since
Gutenberg printed a few dozen bibles way back when.
5. The Automobile
This is a controversial selection since few can argue that the modern
automobile is a far cry from the Model T of 1912, but how different is
it really? Certainly the basic function of the combustion engine has not
changed, nor has the way one operates an automobile. Ford’s rickety
cars had transmissions, clutches, brakes, headlights, left-handed
steering, and everything else we still see today. Obviously the
technology has improved dramatically, and great grandpa never had the
luxury of having a
radio,
a heater, or cup holders, but the basic modus operandi of the
automobile itself remains largely indistinguishable from 1912 and
probably won’t become truly different until they learn to fly—or at
least hover.
4. The Sailboat
Yes, canvas has been replaced with stronger and lighter nylon, and wooden hulls and masts have been supplanted by fiberglass or
aluminum,
but the basic idea remains the same: harness the wind to move large
vessels across the water with minimal effort and cost. Even their sleek
lines haven’t changed all that much, nor has their means of operation.
Really, there is just no way to improve on a good idea, making the
sailboat one of the most timeless inventions in human history.
3. Musical Instruments
Despite the introduction of different materials and electronics to
music (i.e. the keyboard and the electric guitar) musical instruments
have changed little over the last century, which is why the piano,
guitar, mandolin,violin,
drums,
trumpet, saxophone—you name it—are still made and performed much the
way they did in 1912 (or 1812, for that matter). While music itself has
changed dramatically (though not always for the better), the raw noise
that comes out of these instruments, and the way they are played,
remains timeless. Even the way the best hand-made instruments are
manufactured is a throwback to an earlier era, when there was no
substitute for skill and patience, and people took pride in crafting a
quality musical instrument.
2. The Incandescent Light Bulb
Ever since
Edison
produced his first practical light bulb way back in 1880, not much has
changed with the overall construction. It looks the same, functions the
same and, allowing for inflation, costs much the same as it did in 1912.
Less energy-efficient than the newer fluorescent and LED lights,
however, the incandescent may not be around much longer, and is, in
fact, slated to be phased out of production in the United States in
2014. Which is too bad because, since the older bulbs often used
heavier filaments, they were more robust and therefore long-lasting,
making them superior in some ways than their modern counterparts.
1. The Flush Toilet
Perfected in the late-nineteenth century, this hallmark of
civilization has remained largely unchanged since its inception (or, one
might surmise, its perfection) in roughly 1880. The basic mechanism
inside the tank may be made out of plastic instead of rust-prone metal,
but one of the great innovators of the modern toilet, Thomas Crapper,
would still recognize the thing and appreciate it for the remarkable
piece of engineering it remains to this day. One of the few truly
indispensable devices they got right the first time, the
immortal porcelain throne has stood the test of time very well, thank you.
Jeff Danelek is a Denver, Colorado author who writes on
many subjects having to do with history, politics, the paranormal,
spirituality and religion. To see more of his stuff, visit his website
at www.ourcuriousworld.com.
