Science and Technology

The technology of the time was very limited. The most high-tech machinery of this period was the water mills and windmills. Quite late in the period, printing presses were developed but, before this, everything was either handwritten or spread by word of mouth.

Thomas Newcomen invented a steam engine that was mainly used to pump water out of coal mines in 1712.

Robert Hooke invented a microscope powerful enough to see cells. Another man was able to identify germs, although, the link between them and diseases wouldn't be made for another 200 years.

In just every city there were factories full of machinery running almost all day.

Steam trains now ran between cities and also into the countryside. The trains ran on steam with a coal fire producing the heat to boil the water. Unfortunately, the byproducts of the coal fires made air pollution worse everywhere they went.

1896: Moving picture films were first shown.

1898: The first motor cars were allowed on roads.

1901: The first wireless telegraph sent from America to Britain.

2000: Every corner of science and technology has evolved, making life easier and allowing us to do things that we would never have been able to do before.