Summary

This article highlights eight inventions that the author believes are underrated, including tilt-and-roll luggage, keys and locks, calendars, money, lint rollers, nail clippers, flushing toilets, and copy-paste functions.

Abstract

The article titled "8 of the World’s Most Underrated Inventions" reflects on the significance of several inventions that are often overlooked despite their profound impact on daily life. The author begins by contemplating the phrase "the best thing since sliced bread," which leads to a broader consideration of the many inventions we take for granted. The list includes tilt-and-roll luggage for its convenience in travel, keys and locks for providing security and peace of mind, calendars for organizing time and events, money for facilitating trade and commerce, lint rollers for their utility in cleaning, nail clippers for personal grooming, flushing toilets for sanitation, and the copy-paste functions for their efficiency in replicating information. The author emphasizes the importance of these inventions and expresses gratitude for their existence, acknowledging the progress and convenience they have brought to society.

Opinions

The author suggests that tilt-and-roll luggage has significantly improved the travel experience by eliminating the inconvenience of carrying heavy, non-wheeled luggage.
Keys and locks are seen as essential for security, allowing people to leave their homes without fear of theft.
Calendars are appreciated for their role in tracking time, which is crucial for planning and celebrating important events.
Money, in its various forms, is recognized as a fundamental aspect of society, simplifying trade and transactions.
Lint rollers are praised for their effectiveness in cleaning clothes and the satisfaction they provide in doing so.
Nail clippers are highlighted not only for their primary function of trimming nails but also for preventing the discomfort of hangnails.
Flushing toilets are acknowledged for their role in maintaining sanitation and hygiene, with the author noting the common fear of clogging them.
The copy-paste functions are celebrated for their time-saving benefits across various fields, including education, communication, and coding, with the author paying homage to Larry Tesler, the computer scientist who developed these functions.

8 of the World’s Most Underrated Inventions

Let’s stop and smell the roses

The other day I heard someone say: ‘ the best thing since sliced bread’. I’d heard that phrase many times in the past, but for the first time, I actually started to think deeply about where I’d be in life without uniformly divided bread.

My reflections were inconclusive. But I did begin to ponder about the countless other inventions and innovations in life. What are some of the greatest inventions that we have been blessed with? And which ones do we tend to take for granted?

After many minutes of observation and meditation, I decided to compile a list of some of what I feel are the most underrated inventions out there.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate them.

1) Tilt-and-roll Luggage

I’m old enough to remember when luggage without wheels was commonplace. For the amount of traveling we do now and the amount of stuff we bring back with us, those oversized briefcases would be a pain to lug around. Especially those terminals that require a 12km walk to your boarding gate.

Tilt-and-roll luggage is a life-saver. You can now do a bit of a jog with your rollable bag when you’re late for a flight.

2) Keys and Locks

Imagine going off to work and leaving your house unlocked and unattended to. That’s a security nightmare. Keys have made it possible to travel across the world with the comfort that your belongings won’t be stolen. Yes, it’s a pain when you lose your keys and of course, it’s possible for a house to be broken into. But that general peace of mind you have as you leave all your belongings as you exit the house, is liberating.

3) Calendars

It’s easy enough to track what time of day it is but to keep track of months and years is a different ballgame. Counting down the dates to an event, knowing how old you are, and making plans for the future would be next to impossible without a calendar.

Bless the inventor of the calendar for they gave us the gift of public holidays, birthdays, and gym membership renewals.

4) Money

It’s hard to imagine our society without some sort of currency. We can now store our money online and pay by scanning a QR code. We’ve really come so far.

Not sure exactly what we would be doing if we didn’t have money, but I’m just glad we don’t have to bring along a goat or tin of milk whenever we want to make some sort of trade. In that scenario, payday would be a logistical nightmare.

5) The Lint Roller

Leaving tissue in your pocket when you put your clothes for a wash is the absolute worst. Your clothes have little shreds of stuff stuck to them that are so tedious to remove. And having pets that shed a lot also adds kerosene to that particular fire.

Enter the lint roller. Peel off a layer and start rolling that stuff all over your clothes. It gets them clean and is therapeutic as well. 5 stars there.

6) Nail clippers

Do you know what’s worse than hangnails? Not having nail clippers to snip them off.

They get so annoying that sometimes I find myself subconsciously trying to bite them off during business meetings. Not only does that make me resemble a gnawing beaver, but I run the risk of making things worse if I pull a little too hard.

Nail clippers also cut nails, which is definitely a plus.

7) Flushing toilets

I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘clogging a friend’s toilet’ ranked somewhere in the top three of everyone’s biggest fears. I feel we often take for granted all the waste that gets flushed away from the comfort of our homes. I don’t think this one needs much more explanation than that.

8) The copy-paste functions

I’m convinced that the ability to copy-paste has saved humanity at least 5 decades of time. In terms of education, communication, and even code development, it has been a real lifesaver. Replicating our work has allowed us to exponentially grow our knowledge base and save time to focus on more important things.

Larry Tesler is the name of the computer scientist behind the cut, copy and paste functions. Putting his name here because I think he deserves the recognition

And there you have it. By no means a comprehensive list, but 8 things I feel don’t get the appreciation they deserve.

The world is a wonderful place full of brilliant minds. Who knows what they will come up with next?