history where would be be if .

[alfred]

It wasn't for all the inventors and designers of the u.k in recent and past,
times,

of course many of us would or might remember from our school days learning about john logie baird the inventor and creator of the first live  television set.

recently Tim Berners-Lee  creator of the world wide web. and of course the lists of inventors and designers for over several centuries  is endless

and frank whittle creator and designer of the turbo jet engine , which flies millions of people in many countries all around the world,.
as well as many others who shaped the united kingdom to the way it is today,


it makes you wonder just  how these clever people managed to think up ways of improving the way people live, even right up to today,

Q; so what do you remember of some of these famous people who helped shape the nation over centuries with their clever thoughtful ways to which without them the world and life in general would be that much poorer,

[klondike]

Of late most developments seem to come from teams in big corporations rather than the single face you can put to innovation.

I suppose the latest individual I associate with things that changed the world is probably Steve Jobs. From iPods to iPhones products largely stemming from his ideas if not his technical skills have changed our modern world. I'm not fond of his locked down locked in view of controlling users of his stuff but nobody can deny his genious for ideas that take the world by storm.

Prior to that Clive Sinclaire with his cheap and cheerful mass market mini home computers that were mostly games machines or his C5 for those tired of life

Alan Sugar too with his Amstrad line of home computers and dodgy not-very Hi Fi kit with dubious performance claims.

[crabbyob]

A.G.Bell and his bloody telephone

[Scrumpy]

James Watt and the steam engine.. Great invention.

[Michael Rolls]

James Watt and the steam engine.. Great invention.

Love the tale - wonder if it is true - of him realising the potential of steam power by using a spoon to stop the lid if his mum's kettle from jumping of. And if it isn't true - it should be!
Mike

[crabbyob]

we trully are a land of giants, and we should be stood on their shoulders as opposed to hanging onto their coat-tails... i wonder just how many walk among us today, i am confident there are many...
but i just dont know them, sadly...

[ME]

My first "computer" was an Amstrad PCW which I used for word processing. Then discovered that they could do a great deal more. I had one for many years before I bought a PC. I can honestly say that these machines changed my life.

[klondike]

Love the tale - wonder if it is true - of him realising the potential of steam power by using a spoon to stop the lid if his mum's kettle from jumping of. And if it isn't true - it should be!

There were steam engines before Watt (1736-1819) was born. Long before if you count toys like Hero's engine from the first century.

Gooble he say...
The first commercial steam-powered device was a water pump, developed in 1698 by Thomas Savery. It used condensing steam to create a vacuum which raised water from below and then used steam pressure to raise it higher. Small engines were effective though larger models were problematic.
Inventor: Thomas Savery

Watt's genius was in making big steam engines efficient and practical. Gooble has all the answers.

[Michael Rolls]

never knew that - thanks
Mike

[klondike]

I vaguely did but had to dig into google to refresh my memory of the details. I though those spinning balls governers came into it  but they weren't mentioned in the small bit of the wiki article I started to read. The big thing was not constantly heating and cooling big iron cylinders.

[crabbyob]

then theres the jock who put pedals on bikes so we could get to England quicker... Kirkpatrick was it? just imagine if he hadnt invented it and all the Jocks stayed home
the highest point of the UK would be Dover..

[Wandering Walter]

Yes where would we be without inventors designer and engineers who make it all possible , there is a new programme coming to the TV soon about ancient buildings and edifices without the above they would never have been built

[crabbyob]

Tomorrows World was my favourite programme until Raymond told us 'you will do all your shopping in one shop...... then pay for it with a piece of plastic... then the cashier will ask you if you want any cash'... i mean how stupid was that?..

[Michael Rolls]

it'll never happen - I mean.......
Mike

[crabbyob]

i must admit he lost his street cred with that one