100 Amazing Inventions
31. Why is the hepatitis B vaccine important?
HEPATITIS B:
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects liver. The virus is spread through infected blood or body secretions. Very often, it doesn't have any obvious symptoms in adults.
It usually passes in a few months without a treatment, but it can recur, and develop into a chronic infection, which can be fatal. In children it often persists for years, and may eventually cause serious liver damage.
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| Hepatitis B Vaccine |
The Hepatitis B virus was discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg who won the Nobel Prize for his work. Working with Dr. Blumberg, microbiologist Irving Millman helped to develop a blood test for the hepatitis B virus.
Four years after discovering the Hepatitis B virus, Drs. Blumberg and Millman developed the first hepatitis B vaccine. Worldwide, chronic hepatitis B causes 80 percent of all liver cancer, which is the 9th leading cause of death.
Therefore, a vaccine that protects against a hepatitis B infection can also help prevent liver cancer
32. Why was the first reusable spacecraft a wonder?
SPACE SHUTTLE:
The Space Shuttle, first launched by NASA in 1981, was the world's first reusable spacecraft.
Normally, spacecraft once launched into space, will orbit the Earth continuously for a specified period of time, and later, burn themselves out during re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere. Since spacecraft are very expensive to build, a reusable spacecraft marks an important step forward for any space programme. NASA's space shuttle launched like a rocket, and returned to Earth like a glider.
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| Space Shuttle |
The reusable space shuttle has three components - the orbiter space plane, rocket boosters, and external fuel tank. Special heat-resistant tiles prevented the orbiter from burning up when it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere
The space shuttle was initially used to launch satellites in orbit and to carry scientific experiments. As the programme matured, the space shuttle also has been used to repair the International Space Station and to retrieve and return to the Earth previously deployed spacecraft.
33. What is a scanning tunnelling microscope?
Scanning Tunnelling Microscope:
A Scanning tunnelling Microscope (STM), is a device that obtains images of the atoms on the surfaces of materials.
It is the most powerful type of microscope ever built. It was invented in 1981, by Gerd Binning and Heinrich Rohrer who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986.
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| STM |
The STM is very different from ordinary microscopes. Ordinary microscopes focus light which is emitted or reflected from objects. The resolution of such a microscope is limited by the wavelength of light.
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| STM |
The STM , on the other hand basically uses the principle of quantum mechanics known as quantum tunnelling. It operates at low temperatures or in a vacuum. It is an important tool in nanotechnology.
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| An STM Image |
34. Why is the artificial heart a life saving invention?
ARTIFICIAL HEART:
The very first artificial heart was implanted in an animal - in this case, a dog - by Soviet scientist Vladimir Demikhov, in 1937.
The first artificial heart to be successfully implanted in a human was the Jarvik7 in 1982. It was designed by a team, including Willem Johan Kolff and Robert Jarvik.
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| Artificial Heart |
On December 2nd, 1982, Kolff implanted the Jarvik7 artificial heart into Barney Clark, a dentist from Seattle who was suffering from severe heart failure. Even though the surgery was a success, the patient only survived for 112 days, that too having bleeding and acute medical conditions.
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| Artificial Heart place in place of Original Heart |
Today, the modern version of the Jarvik7 is known as the SynCardia Temporary Total Artificial Heart. It has been implanted in more than 1,350 people as abridge to transplantation.
35. Why have laptops become so popular?
LAPTOP:
Today, Laptops are commonly in use everywhere in homes, offices, on trains and planes, in schools and hotels. In fact, the laptop computer revolutionized the way people work and travel.
The first laptop computer available to the public was the Osborne 1 that was released in 1981. The Screen was 12.7 cms, long and the keyboard was in the lid of the computer. A portable battery was designed and available for purchase after its first release.
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| First Laptop Computer ( Osborne 1 ) |
Most of the early 'portable' computers were heavy and unwieldy. Since the Osborne 1, the laptop has changed over the years.
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| Epson HX20 |
The first laptop to be comfortably lap-sized was the Epson HX20, which became widely available in 1983. It was powered by batteries, and included a small printer. laptops have grown smaller over the
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| Laptop Model Presently in Use |
years, as technology and storage capabilities have improved, and became enormously popular.