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Editors Name Greatest Inventions of All Time
Britannica list includes everything from the printing press to potato chips
CHICAGO, January 30, 2003 - Disposable diapers and Post-It Notes stand shoulder to
shoulder with the printing press and telescope in the pantheon of great inventions, in to a new
feature from the editors at Encyclopaedia Britannica.
"Encyclopaedia Britannica's Greatest Inventions," from the company's 2003
almanac, lists 325 innovations that have had profound effects on human life for better or worse.
In addition to the usual suspects, such as the automobile and the light bulb, it includes many
ordinary staples of modern life, such as the rubber band, Scotch tape, and frozen foods.
The reason for including such quotidian items is their far-reaching impact on
society, says Charles Trumbull, editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac 2003.
"In school we learn about the epoch-making inventions--the telephone, the steam engine and the
airplane," says Trumbull. "They're important, of course, but what about all the other items
we use every day, like e-mail, coat hangers and mirrors? These things didn't just fall from
the sky. Someone had to invent them."
The list, which is arranged alphabetically and does not rank items in order of
significance, recognizes many previously unsung inventors whose work has left its mark on everyday
life. One is Marion Donovan, who developed the disposable diaper in 1950. Denied glory, perhaps
because of her invention's indelicate function, Donovan made the Britannica list because her
handiwork has been such a boon to parents.
While the majority of inventions are from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries,
some are surprisingly older. Vending machines, Britannica reports, were invented by the ancient
Egyptians. The Aboriginal peoples of Australia created the first boomerang 15,000 years ago.
Carbonated soft drinks have been around since 1772 and the flush toilet since 1591.
The recent history of invention reveals a noteworthy trend: the decline of the
solitary inventor in favor of organized research-and-development efforts today. As a result,
many 20th-century inventions are attributed not to individuals but to corporations, including
the camcorder (Sony), the metal beverage can (American Can Co.), Viagra (Pfizer) and the laptop
computer (Radio Shack).
"Great" is not the same thing as "good" in Britannica's lexicon: the list
contains some of the human imagination's more dubious bequests, such as the guillotine, the
atom bomb, and the slot machine.
And clearly the editors are bent on mischief by including such objects of
popular derision as AstroTurf and Muzak. But because this is Encyclopaedia Britannica,
even such playfulness has its educational purpose, for as Trumbull explains, "The measure of
an invention is its utility. AstroTurf may not win any awards for aesthetics, but try playing
baseball indoors without it."
"Encyclopaedia Britannica's Great Inventions" is available at
http://corporate.britannica.com/press/inventions.html.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac 2003 is available in paperback at $10.95 and hardcover at $19.95.
Both are in stores now. Customers can also order the almanac at Britannica's online store
(www.britannica.com) or by calling 1-800-323-1229.
About Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. creates and markets products of the highest quality for
reference, education and learning. Its products include the 32-volume Encyclopaedia
Britannica, published continuously since 1768, as well as a growing number of single-volume
titles such as Britannica Concise Encyclopedia and the Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac.
Britannica is also a leader in electronic publishing, with such products as the Ultimate
Reference Suite (CD-ROM/DVD), Britannica Premium Service (www.britannica.com), Britannica
Online (www.eb.com), and Britannica Online School Edition (http://school.eb.com).
The company makes its headquarters in Chicago and maintains offices in London, New Delhi,
Paris, Seoul, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. More information is available at www.britannica.com.
Contact:
Tom Panelas
Encyclopędia Britannica, Inc.
312-347-7309
tpanelas@us.britannica.com
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