Top Five: Science and Technology and Literary History
Top Five: Science and Technology
Science and Technology is a broad domain wherein different figures, elements and events have brought about great advances with the way the world is perceived today. In Britain, the five most important events/dates in the history of science and technology are the introduction of printing press in England by William Caxton in 1476, the invention of the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves in 1764, the steam engine as perfected by James Watt in 1780, the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, and the birth of the first test-tube baby in England in 1978. The introduction of printing press in England by William Caxton is a very important event in British history such that it transformed, within a short period of time, the fields of science, art, religion, politics, and literature (Birth of Printing). This is probably due to the influx of printed books on these different fields. Due to mass production, more and more printed books became readily available and easily accessible to the public. Not only did it lead to the transformation of the different fields, it also led to the standardization of the English language. Another great invention in science and technology that paved its way during the 18th century is the spinning jenny. Invented by James Hargreaves in 1764, this machine used eight spindles which can spin eight threads at once in one turn of the wheel. This means reduced production cost and improvement in the speed and quality of work done in thread-spinning operation. Up to now, the spinning jenny is still considered one of the most important devices for the advancement of the production of cotton textiles during the early days of Industrial Revolution for it exemplified the kind of inventiveness that made the said period possible (Britannica). Not long after the invention of the spinning jenny, James Watt made further improvement in steam engine in 1765 and perfected it in 1800. It is
Science and Technology is a broad domain wherein different figures, elements and events have brought about great advances with the way the world is perceived today. In Britain, the five most important events/dates in the history of science and technology are the introduction of printing press in England by William Caxton in 1476, the invention of the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves in 1764, the steam engine as perfected by James Watt in 1780, the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, and the birth of the first test-tube baby in England in 1978. The introduction of printing press in England by William Caxton is a very important event in British history such that it transformed, within a short period of time, the fields of science, art, religion, politics, and literature (Birth of Printing). This is probably due to the influx of printed books on these different fields. Due to mass production, more and more printed books became readily available and easily accessible to the public. Not only did it lead to the transformation of the different fields, it also led to the standardization of the English language. Another great invention in science and technology that paved its way during the 18th century is the spinning jenny. Invented by James Hargreaves in 1764, this machine used eight spindles which can spin eight threads at once in one turn of the wheel. This means reduced production cost and improvement in the speed and quality of work done in thread-spinning operation. Up to now, the spinning jenny is still considered one of the most important devices for the advancement of the production of cotton textiles during the early days of Industrial Revolution for it exemplified the kind of inventiveness that made the said period possible (Britannica). Not long after the invention of the spinning jenny, James Watt made further improvement in steam engine in 1765 and perfected it in 1800. It is
Cited: “Birth of Printing.” Gutenberg to Gates. 2000. 03 Oct. 2008. Bishop, Morris. “Literature and Literary History.” The French Review 24.5 (Apr 1951): 415- 420 Lira, Carl. “Brief History of the Steam Engine.” History Site 2001. 03 Oct. 2008 . Oct. 2008 .