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Period: to
Past 50 Years
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Birth Control Pill Officially becomes the Most Used Method of Birth Control
The pill was invented in 1961 by Gregory Goodwin Pincus. In just 4 short years, it became the most popular form of birth control. The Pill is an oral contraceptive. It is importnat because
-It allowed women to control their own bodies in a new and easy way
-It drastically increases the ease in which contraception can be achieved -
L.E.D.'s Made Viable
Created many years ago, but ineffective, in 1972 Gearge Crafford made the L.E.D. ten times brighter, and also created the yellow L.E.D. The Light Emitting Diode (L.E.D.) is a diode which, while also serving as a diode, emitts light without using much energy. It is important because
-They are a low heat, low energy alternative to standard lighting that could save us massive amounts of energy -
The mobile Cell Phone is Invented
The mobile Cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper. Early forerunners existed prior to this, but Martin invented the first viable option. The Cell Phone is important because
-The cell phone allows us to communicate without having to be in any particular location.
-The modern cell phone allows for mobile access to the internet -
Artificial Heart First Used
Invented by Willem Kolff, the artificial heart was used to keep a calf alive for 30 days in 1973. The artificial heart is a machine that pumps blood for an organism, replacing it's heart. This invention is important because
-The artificial heart has the ability to save many lives
-The artificial heart demonstrates our ability to defy the laws of Nature -
First Commercially Succesful P.C. Introduced
The First Commercially Succesful P.C. was introduced on this date, the Apple II. It was designed by Steve Wosniak.
-The P.C. had revolutionized the way we work
-The P.C. has made one of the most important inventions of our time, the internet, possible
-The P.C. has made the internet and therefore instant acces to information available in most households -
Modern Microchip Invented
Invented by Jack Kilby in 1982, the microchip allows extremely complex circuitry to be manufactured into a tiny chip
-Made incredibly complex circuitry possible
-Contains massive amounts of electrical components in a very small space
-It's invention has made countless other technologies possible -
BIg Bang Theory
On this date Edward Hubble's satellite telescope reported the finding that the world is expanding, supporting the Big Bang theory. The Big Bang theory is a theory regarding the origins of the universe, proposing that all the matter and energy of the world exploded out of nothingness trillions of years ago. The theory is important because
-It allows us to better understand the origin of the Universe -
Internet Commercialized
The internet is a system which connects all the computers in the world using a single code. The Internet was invented by Vint Cerf, among others. It is important because
-It has made research and communication instantaneous
-It has revolutionized the way we work as well as the way we spend our recreational time
-It connects billions of people and allows for them to congregate and communicate instantly -
Stem Cell Research
Dr. Matapurkar Recieved a patent for his research regarding stem cells on this date. Stem Cell research involves the usage of embryonic stem cells to grow parts of the body, more commonly organs, so as to replace diseased or damaged ones. This research is important because
-It allows us to increase lifespans
-It may eventually allow for the possibility of immortality in humans -
Human Genome Decoded
On this date a rough draft of the human genome was announced by Bill Clinton. The research group responsible for this was led by Jim Kent. The human genome is a section of each of our cells that makes us who we are. Decoding the human genome is important because
-It allows us to understand why we are who we are
-It may allow us to edit our genetic coding in the future
