Introduction
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-74663-2 — Great South African Inventions Mike Bruton Excerpt More Information Chapter 1 Introduction Have you ever thought of inventing A task to do something that would make your life Other great inventions, easier, or more fun – perhaps a robot, according to Philbin, or a new game, or a time machine? include the pen/pencil, paper, motorcar, aeroplane, For your invention to be successful, plough, spectacles, atomic other people also need to find it useful. reactor, atomic bomb, Your invention could be a new idea, or it Colossus computer and could improve on something that already toilet. exists. The inspiration for your idea could Do you agree? I reckon come from many sources. that the jet engine (which he rates at number 32), battery (35), screw (37), compass (39), microscope Invention (46), camera (63) and especially the bicycle (95), It is important to know the difference To qualify as an invention, the deserve a higher rating. What do you think? between an invention, an innovation device must have been made and The only South African and a discovery. An invention is an must prove useful to humans. It invention in the top 100, act of creation – something new, may be a brilliant idea, but, if it has the CAT scanner, comes in developed by the inventor for a never been made, it does not at a respectable 53. The specific purpose. Typically, an qualify as an invention. Of course, CAT scanner is, in fact, the invention improves the quality of life many early inventions were simple, only invention in the top 100 that was invented (at of people, at least in the long term. for example, logs were used as least partly) in the Famous inventions internationally the first wheels, or drum beats southern hemisphere! include the wheel, light bulb, were used as an early method of Famous inventions in printing press, telephone, television, distance communication. However, South Africa include buchu radio, gunpowder, desktop they gradually changed over time stomach medicine, rooibos computer, telegraph and internal into the complex vehicles and tea, the broadband radio, combustion engine. In fact, these communication systems that we the Tellurometer, dolos, Cryoprobe, Sheffel bogey, were voted as the top ten inventions use today. Pratley Putty, CAT scan, of all time by the science writer, Tom An invention is typically Kreepy Krauly, Philbin, in 2003. something that you can see, use Cybertracker, Brush Golf Inventions do not have to be and pick up – at least until recently. Tee, Action Potential ‘high tech’ to be useful. For instance, In our modern internet-linked, Stimulation Device and the PlayPump roundabout inventions that are used in rural information economy, some water pump. You can read areas may be very simple. The Hippo inventions are services that you more about these and Roller makes it easier for rural cannot really see or pick up, such other South African people to transport water over long as the World Wide Web, email, inventions in this book. distances, without having to carry it computerised ticketing and on their heads. YouTube. 8 © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-74663-2 — Great South African Inventions Mike Bruton Excerpt More Information Innovation Discovery Language An innovation is an improvement on A discovery is something totally Some things, like language, fall somebody else’s invention. For different. It involves ‘revealing a between inventions and discoveries. example, the first electric light bulb, truth that was always there’ – Language is a human skill that has which wasn’t very practical, was finding out something about the evolved over time in response to the invented by Joseph Swann of natural and physical world that need for people to talk to one England. After extensive experi- no-one else has found, observed another. From simple beginnings, it menting, Thomas Edison of the USA or understood before. has become more and more complex developed an improved, more reliable Discoveries may include: over time – like an invention that is light bulb that was practical to use. • natural objects, such as constantly changing and continues Edison’s bulb, which had a carbon fossils to evolve today. New words, such as filament, was an innovation. • new plants and animals Google, eticket, HIV/Aids and • a physical phenomenon, paraglider, can be regarded as Did you know? such as the light spectrum cultural inventions. Some other great South African • the patterns of behaviour Hundreds of words of South inventions include: of living and non-living African origin are now part of the • Fourcade’s spectroscope, the first things, such as monkeys English language that is spoken three-dimensional mapping system in the world or the weather worldwide. Examples include: veld, • Colindictor, the first machine in the • theories to explain how biltong, rand, springbok, marimba, world that could record a telephone nature works, such as the indaba, kraal and donga. What a conversation theory of evolution by natural cross-section of our multi-cultural • Disa telephones (1982), the first selection. society these examples provide! push button telephones in the world. Technically, an original work of Famous discoveries in South art, such as a painting, carving, Africa include: sculpture or even a piece of music, is • indigenous plants that a cultural invention. This is because produce medicines and food it is something new that has been • rocks that contain gold and created, rather than found. diamonds • dinosaur and early human A task to do fossils But what is a photograph? Discoveries may include a physical • the impact of global warming It reproduces something phenomenon, such as the light spectrum. • the coelacanth that is already there. Certainly, the camera and • the diagnosis and treatment its film (or memory chip) of various diseases of are an invention. Some humans and domestic stock great photographs are • the extent of the ozone gap. correctly seen as works of art. But, like a delicious meal from a microwave oven, or a bestselling book from a computer, perhaps they should be regarded as Famous discoveries in South Africa innovations. include the coelacanth. 9 © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-74663-2 — Great South African Inventions Mike Bruton Excerpt More Information Electricity and fire electricity power stations. Sometimes the discovery or Electricity and fire are discoveries as they happen invention of new materials, such as plastics, nylon or naturally. Fire, for example, results when lightening nanotubules, gives rise to a whole range of new inventions. strikes dry grass, or when a volcano erupts and sets the This book is about South African inventions and surrounding countryside alight. However, the innovations, not about controlled use of fire to cook meat, keep warm discoveries. or frighten away predators, by early Stone Age people in South Africa, should be regarded as Did you know? an invention. They took control over a natural The oldest building site force and produced a new tool (controlled fire) in the world is found in that could be used for a specific purpose. South Africa, in the valley of the Jukskei River, dated Electricity also comes from nature, in the at 11 000 years old from form of lightening and in the bodies of animals. the Stone Age. Very often an important discovery, such as Electricity also comes from nature, in the electricity, leads to a range of new inventions, form of lightening and in the bodies of such as the electric light bulb, electric heaters and animals. Natural inventions Many inventions that These inventions flying fish, many (termites) are claimed by humans include: insects) • echolocation (bats) were, in fact, first • jet propulsion • light (fireflies) • suspension bridges made during the course (squid) • echo sounding (spiders) of evolution by animals. • flight (birds, bats, (fishes) • and incubators flying squirrels, • division of labour (bees). (social insects) • sailing (marine In fact, a whole new jellyfish) field of study called • tools (great apes, bioengineering involves some birds) learning about nature’s • agriculture (ants) inventions and attempting • skyscrapers to reproduce them. Termites have been building large structures long before people constructed tall buildings. 10 © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-74663-2 — Great South African Inventions Mike Bruton Excerpt More Information South African brands Beverages English, Dutch, other European and Malay settlers introduced a rich variety of cooking traditions into South Africa. These were combined with traditional African dishes from the wide variety of indigenous plants and animals (both on land and in the sea). The result was a South Africa is famous around the unique range of cooking inventions world for the quality and variety of and innovations. Biltong is famous all over the world. its red, white, rosé, sparkling and hanepoot wines. Its beer, sherry, Did you know? port, brandy, whiskey, liqueur and Over 500 000 cans of Lucky Star aperitifs are also very well known. pilchards are sold every day in Some of the more unusual drinks to South Africa! come originally from South Africa in recent years include: • Amarula marula fruit cream Unique South African dishes aperitif biltong, boerewors, chakalaka, and periwinkles, ‘pofadder’ • Brulpadda ruby port droë wors, bobotie, frikadel, (kudu sausage), potjiekos, • Cape Tawny Port koeksusters, krummel pap, pumpkin fritters, roosterbrood, • Cape Velvet aperitif maas, roti (unleavened bread), saboeratjies (traditional • iLala cream aperitif malva pudding, melktert Malay biscuits), ‘smiley’ • Original Mother’s old brown (milk tart), mosbolletjies (aniseed (roasted sheep’s head), sherry (‘Jou Ma se Sjerrie’) dumplings), oepsies (bacon smoorsnoek, soetkoekies, • Van de Hum liqueur kebab), ‘padda eiers’ (sago sosatie, vetkoek, ‘walkie South African Breweries, which pudding), pap ‘n sheba talkies’ (fried chicken feet), is now called SABMiller, (‘train smash’), pickled mussels waterblommetjiebredie.