The Age of Technological Achievement

Inventions have changed people's ways of doing things. From penicillin to the computer, discoveries and inventions have made the world a much different place from the year 1900 to the year 2000. The twentieth century saw rapid improvement in the condition of humanity as a result of medical, material, and social progress. Even more significant were the automobile and the airplane, electrification, and the internet, all of which shaped the century and changed the world forever. Because of the importance of these advances, the twentieth century should be entitled "The Age of Technological Achievement."

The ways in which humans travel have advanced remarkably during the twentieth century. The automobile and the airplane are the greatest symbols of technological advancement in the twentieth century. Automobiles and airplanes are the world's major transporters of people and goods and a strong source of economic growth and stability. At the beginning of the twentieth century, about 8,000 cars were registered. Today that number has grown to about a half of a billion. At the same time, the airplane has made travel much more efficient and has made countless cultural interactions possible. Changes in design, production, and safety inventions continue to advance this new technology on a daily basis.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, most people had no electric light switch and no running water. There was no radio or television, and chores such as hand-washing laundry took a long time and were unpleasant. During the twentieth century, however, electrification changed cities in terms of growth and population and lead to advanced machinery, providing a life free from tedious and unpleasant labor. For example, electrification started providing power for cities, factories, and homes. From street lights to computers, electric power and electronics made lives safer and more convenient.

        The internet is probably one...