What does the computer mouse or ethernet cable and mobile phone have in their common? Each of these technological breakthroughs were developed by genius minds that saw the possibility of a more advanced and more connected world. The “Fathers of Technology” paved the way for the modern society we are living in present day, tackling complex issues and changing how we work as well as play and interact.
We’re celebrating 10 inventors who were pioneers who’s innovations are etched in our daily lives. Their lives are as inspiring as the technology they invented.
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Douglas Engelbart – The Pioneer of Human-Computer Interaction
Imagine using your computer with using a mouse. Douglas Engelbart’s creation of the mouse (alongside Bill English, who created the first prototype) transformed the way people interact with computers. However, his contribution didn’t end at that point. Engelbart’s “oN-Line System” (NLS) included videoconferencing along with hyperlinks, Text editing, concepts that are essential for modern computing.
What can you say that makes his story amazing?
Engelbart’s famous 1968 demo called”the “Mother of All Demos,” brought these revolutionary inventions into a stunning display. However, his patent on mouse was cancelled in 1987, thereby leaving the inventor without any financial gain. In the present, his work is evident in every computing interface that we have.
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Norman Abramson – The Father of Wireless LAN
Norm Abramson was the one to make his first ever wireless local area networks (LAN) possible with his ALOHAnet created by the University of Hawaii. The amazing invention transferred messages using radio signals laying the groundwork for wireless technology which power everything from wireless broadband to Wi-Fi.
The reason why his work is so important
Abramson’s inventions shaped the way people access the internet in the present. In the absence of ALOHAnet’s innovative architecture that relies on packets, technology such as Ethernet the modern day connectivity is now would not exist.
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Jack Nilles – The Rocket Scientist Who Brought Us Telework
Are you a fan of working from home? It is possible to thank Jack Nilles, the “Father of Telecommuting.” Afraid of the traffic jams that plague everyday commutes, Nilles came up with a method which allowed professional workers to work remotely from any location. These are the exact ideas that are driving remote work today.
What makes Nilles distinguishes itself
Before technology was even a hindrance to telecommuting, Nilles faced another challenge–the mentality of “work can only happen in an office.” The persistence of Nilles has helped pave many people worldwide to have more freedom when it comes to their jobs.
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Marty Cooper – The Man Who Made the Mobile Phone Portable
In the days before smartphones, there was Motorola DynaTAC, a massive, 2 pound mobile phone invented by Marty Cooper. Although it might not have been fashionable however, this invention broke the limits of telephony with a tethering device and paved the way for the modern day’s connected lifestyles.
The vision he has of the near future
Cooper believes that advances in wireless technology are the answer to solving many of the major problems facing humanity, like the issue of poverty as well as access to healthcare, which proves his hopes for the future of technology extend beyond the ease of use.
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Gerald A. Lawson – The Gaming Innovator
Today’s gamers might not recognize Gerald Lawson by name, however, they owe the ability in swapping cartridges to his inventiveness. Gerald Lawson’s Fairchild Channel F system was the first system to offer games that could be interchangeable, and set the foundations for the eventual development of consoles like Atari, Nintendo, and Sega.
His legacy that he left in his wake
While he was not as well-known as the other players, Lawson changed the landscape of gaming for the better. Lawson demonstrated the potential of innovation in a field which continues to expand in leaps and bounds.
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Nathaniel Borenstein – The Architect of the Email Attachment
Are you thinking that email attachments are only an inconvenience? You’re wrong. Borenstein’s Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) protocol was able to facilitate seamless sharing of images, documents as well as videos way before cloud storage was available.
The reason it’s revolutionary
MIME made email a tool that is more flexible that enables the full potential of digital communications. It’s still estimated that more than a trillion emails are being sent every year.
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Robert Metcalfe – The Ethernet Game-Changer
If you’ve ever connected the internet or to local networks, then you’ve benefitted from Robert Metcalfe’s creation–ethernet. Inspired by Norm Abramson’s ALOHAnet, Metcalfe took wired connectivity to the next step as he made high-speed Internet feasible for millions of internet users.
What it did to shape the entire world
From dial-up up to 100-Gigabit Ethernet His technology is constantly evolving to provide the basis of streaming technology, cloud computing, and various other information-intensive applications.
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Tim Berners-Lee – The Father of the World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee did not create the Internet and he didn’t invent it, however he helped bring the Internet to everyone through the creation of the World Wide Web. In combining HTML, HTTP, and the first browser for web, the web created a worldwide place for information sharing cooperation, commerce, and collaboration.
His current mission
Berners-Lee continues to be a champion of the open and inclusive Internet since he was the founding member of the World Wide Web Consortium, insuring that web standards continue to change with the advancement of technology.
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Dr. Fujio Masuoka – The Mastermind of Flash Memory
Flash memory — which power everything from USB devices to smartphones is the Dr. Fujio Masuoka’s invention. His idea solved the primary disadvantage of volatile memory. It is which can store data even when power goes switched off.
Amazing Fact
Although flash was the basis of a $4.8 billion business, Toshiba initially didn’t see the potential of it, and undervalued Masuoka’s revolutionary. However, the invention remains among the most commonly employed storage techniques around the globe.
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Ken Thompson – The OS Innovator
The work of Ken Thompson in the development of UNIX created the base for several important operating systems such as Mac OS, Linux, and Android. His innovations revolutionized multi-user as well as multi-tasking applications, and established UNIX as a standard for the industry.
Continues to be an inspiration
Thompson is currently Thompson is an acclaimed engineer for Google and is a key contributor to the creation of faster programming languages, such as Go.
Closing Thoughts
Their contributions are the foundation of the technology landscape which we are living in the present. From communication to the way we interact and play and play, their inventions form the foundation of our modern lives. Beyond the technology itself their tales provide an insight into the potential of determination, imagination, and determination to tackle the biggest problems facing humanity.
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