The Steam Engine

855 Words2 Pages

As of the present, technology advances exponentially as compared to three hundred years ago. Consequently, the question asked is how this rapid method of advancement in technology and science came about. It definitely did commence slowly. Most of the protracted infringement to scientific and technological progress was due to theological beliefs and political incompetents. It was only after the Protestant Reformation that significant progress was finally attained; it still progressed slowly.

Many individuals would conclude that the defining moments were when Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz made important contributions to the field of mathematics through discoveries in Calculus. Although this played significant roles in the scientific discoveries, it did not supersede the most important discovery of our time, the steam engine. This machine served as the main driver of the Industrial Revolution. I hereby speak in favor of the notion that this invention, the steam engine, is the most important creation in the history of man.

Natural power had been harnessed since the dawn of time to perform extraneous duties. Examples of these are the natural elements, human, and animal power. As proven, these factors are known to be unreliable. Over time, the need for an instrument, such as the steam engine, to perform work at efficient rates became more important. Heron of Alexandria is known to have created the concept of the steam engine (known as the aeolipile) around 10 CE. This device, created based on the concept, was instead used as an entertainment device for the administrator of Roman Egypt instead of being put to practical use.

Almost fourteen centuries later, Denys Papin (b. 1647-1714) studied the properties of steam while Thom...

... middle of paper ...

...y two and a half million by 1850. Emigration to reduce population growth was enforced such as creating so-called prison asylums in Australia. This emigration was also possible too because of better transportation such as steam-powered ships.

In conclusion, the steam engine was responsible for the current status of the man. The human environment is smaller and more interconnected than ever before. The fortunes and benefits of free trade, the efficiency of current technology, and the intermittent conflicts could all be attributed to the steam engine.

Works Cited

Rosen, William. The Most Powerful Idea In The World: A Story Of Steam, Industry, And Invention. New York: Random House, 2010.

Siegel, Beatrice. The Steam Engine. New York: Walker, 1986.

Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2011.

Open Document