Science and Technology in the 19 th Century

Power Sources for Machines During the 1800s –Machines were powered by steam and coal During the 1900s –Machines were powered by gasoline and electricity –Generators were developed that produced currents that could power machines

Thomas Edison One of the greatest inventors in history –At least 1,000 patents in 30 countries in his lifetime –Invented the light bulb, phonograph, motion pictures, and the research laboratory He worked closely with other inventors in his laboratory. Many critics claim that it Latimer, Edison’s African- American assistant, that developed the light bulb.

Telephone & Radio Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in –Used electricity to transmit sound He was a teacher of deaf students and worked on the telephone in his spare time. Guglielmo Marconi used electromagnetic waves to create the first radio transmission in It used Morse Code to relay messages through the air without wires. –Became standard equipment for the military

Henry Ford Henry Ford revolutionized the car industry by using standardized, interchangeable parts. He also used an assembly line technique to build the cars which saved time. –It took less than 2 hours to put an entire Model T together. In 1908, Ford sold the Model T for $850. Eventually, he dropped the price to $300.

Germ Theory Louis Pasteur –He found that bacteria caused diseases and that heat was the best killer of bacteria. Joseph Lister –Lister read about Pasteur’s findings and applied them to his surgical wards and post-operative care. His patient survival rate went from about 50% to about 85%!

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Charles Darwin –Extremely controversial –Wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection –Developed the idea of evolution that challenged creation Said all animals (including humans) evolved from other forms of life

Social Sciences Archaeology, anthropology, and sociology gained popularity during this time period. Psychology –Ivan Pavlov- human actions are unconscious –Sigmund Freud- founded psychoanalysis to deal with conflicts of the mind

Culture Before the 1900s, only the wealthy could enjoy the art, music, and writings. During the 1900s, culture became more available to all classes. –More people could read so more people bought and read newspapers. –There were shorter workweeks with more leisure time which led to more mass entertainment activities. Sports, music halls, etc.