Saving the World One Invention at a Time

Inventing is as old as human kind. When we were kids, we learned about the impact of the wheel on the growth and development of human life. While the wheel had dramatic effects for humans, smaller inventions were similarly significant.

Dr Michael Petraglia, an archaeologist from the University of Oxford, recently published a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that describes how one early invention enable humans to adapt to environmental change. He discovered tiny stone blades, less than 4cm long, in South Asia. The blades were probably inserted at the top of wooden shafts and used as spear-heads or arrow tips.They were light and portable and could be produced in large quantities.



Climate was changing rather drastically at this time, turning colder at the onset of the Ice Age, causing much of the landscape of South Asia to become quite inhospitable. Despite the challenging environment, the genetic findings of Dr. Petraglia’s study reveal that Asian populations actually increased during this period. He speculates that the tiny blade contributed to the survival of the hunter-gatherers because they allowed humans to hunt at a greater distance from their prey and thus with less risk.

While your invention may not enable the survival of the human race, don’t underestimate its usefulness in society. For instance, I know my paddles can save thousands of dollars in paper for individual schools. Multiply that by many, many schools and my invention has the potential to make a HUGE impact on the world.

Tell us how your invention will impact the world.