Long News: Inventions of the 2nd Millennium

The Encyclopedia Foundation recently posted a blog article about “long news”. This term apparently is subject to differing interpretations, all valid. For the Long Now Foundation, it has to do with contemporary news stories that may still be of relevance up to 10,000 years from now.

The Encyclopedia Foundation posted a differing interpretation, that of considering a 200 year span a “day”, and thus reporting on the events since 01811 which in this system of measurement would be noon yesterday.

The point was that, as commentators on TV who speak of “The Trial of the Century” may justly be thought to be jumping the gun, so attempting to predict what news will be relevant 10,000 years from now maybe premature when the “news” has only come out in the last cosmic second or two.

But might it not be appropriate, after a century is over, to judge from the perspective of time which trial was indeed the “Trial of the Century”? Sure. The facts are all in when the century is over, and if you allow a bit of time for mulling it over, one could then offer up a good suggestion as to what would ultimately – even more years from now – bear the title. One could suggest that not only must the period of time be over, but that all those alive when it took place be dead. Distance does lend perspective. However, there is certainly no harm in giving opinions. Those too are “data” and can be reviewed by future generations who have no personal interest – or at least less personal interest – in the outcome.

At the Encyclopedia Foundation, we can’t help but notice that the second millennium is now over. So it occurs to us that this would be an opportune time for a “first assessment” of exactly what the “long news” of it was, what things are worth remembering, what things made a difference, and what might – just might – last as a noteworthy item for the next 10,000 years.

They are, of course, only suggestions. Time will tell how relevant they actually are from a longer historical perspective.

We are aware that such lists have been made before. However, we note a very superficial focus on “inventions” that while important, and even making for enormous cultural changes, are off springs of earlier inventions. One could list every make and model of each car, but wouldn’t it make more sense to cite the invention of the car? Likewise, and from a broad perspective, aren’t all the mechanized means of transport from a steam locomotive to an automobile to a plane to a rocket all a result of the original harnessing of steam power?

With that broader view in mind, the Encyclopedia Foundation will not be listing out a thousand unique inventions, no matter how clever and original each of them may have been. We are focusing on the broadest of the broad, of the past 1,000 years.

Also, when it comes to events that may be of millennial importance, more than “inventions” should be on the list. Ideas would seem to have a place. In government, in religion, in philosophy. Discoveries would also have a place. Of new lands, new moons, new worlds. Of course, the same criterion applies to ideas and discoveries as applies to inventions. One does not list out each island and continent discovered, or each moon or planet. Or every innovation in religion, government and philosophy.

Which were the key ones? Which were the roots that grew into trees with a variety of branches?

For this article, the Encyclopedia Foundation offers the top five inventions. Ideas and discoveries are for later.

Inventions:

1. The Printing Press by Gutenberg in the 15th century. Of all the inventions, this is the one that led all other inventions, ideas and discoveries being known and built off of. Prior to this, one could only learn about new things by word of mouth or if one had a staggeringly valuable hand wrote book on the topic. The ability to describe one’s discovery, idea or invention in print and mass produce it let ideas spread more rapidly than ever before. Were it not for the printing press freezing into words the other ideas and discoveries listed here, then those may have died early deaths, or been confined to local regions.

2. The Clock by monks of the 13th century. Without the clock the concept of “time” was far different than nowadays. And without the ability to measure time, all manner of science and technology would not only be impossible, but would not even occur to a person raised with no concept of it. Not only that, but the changes this made in the manner in which we work and exchange goods and services would revolutionize labor, creating situations which led to substantial unrest until the masses could be trained to accept this. We note that the invention of the Gregorian Calendar of the 16th century was important in this regard, too, but the clock was the “something new”.

3. The lenses of the 16th and 17th century (telescope and microscope). These would open up two new worlds to mankind, the macroscopic heavens and the microscopic cellular life and chemicals. This would have a profound impact in philosophy and religion as well, calling into question the Earth’s role in the Universe and man’s role as a unique being amongst animals. It would be what allowed the eventual breakthroughs in medical science, hygiene and manipulation of chemicals. Also space flight, our satellites and even our methods of warfare, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles.

4. The Steam Engine of the 18th century. While played with before, this time people took it seriously. Due perhaps to being able to build more precise and powerful versions than before. It led to the mechanization of the world, freeing mankind from reliance on muscle, wind, water and animal power which had been our mainstays for all of history. The rise in productivity, and existence of the scientific method, let the steam engine lead to ever more applications and usages, and spurred more inventions based on the idea of the machine. Internal combustion engines and electrical and electronic machines are each a result of the original harnessing of steam power in mechanical form.

5. The Computer of the 19th century. Invented by Charles Babbage in 01822, it was not until it was done in an electronic form – as opposed to mechanical – that it really took off. The ability to store and manipulate staggeringly large volumes of data is so recent a development that we are still only now exploring all the possibilities and ramifications. While very recent, it has done so much so fast that it can be confidently included in this list.