5 Things That Were Invented Way Before You Think

When you see something amazing, it’s easy to think that it’s a very recent invention. But, what if I told you some of the things we use every day were invented thousands of years ago.

Here are some things that were invented way before you think:

Automatic Doors (Invented around 50 B.C.)

Today, automatic doors are everywhere, from supermarkets to airports and even some fancy houses.

But, did you know that Hero of Alexandria first came up with the concept of a door that opens up by itself? He made it using stone and lots of complicated mechanisms. It was meant to look like invisible hands opening the door as a way to add extra drama to religious ceremonies.

He also added a system to create the sound of trumpets playing, because how could an ancient Greek god make a grand entrance without them?

Vending machines (Invented around 50 B.C.)

Another invention by Hero of Alexandria is the vending machine. Surprisingly, it worked in pretty much the same way that today’s vending machines work, Just instead of snacks or coffee it would pour out holy water. This guy really was a genius.

Social Мedia (Invented around 1560 C.E.)

During the 16th century teens in the Netherlands used to pass a book around and they each wrote poems, jokes, and everyday happenings in it. They called it “alba amicorum” which is Latin for “book of faces”. So hey, maybe this is where Mark Zuckerberg got his idea for Facebook from!

The telephone (Invented around 613 C.E.)

The Chimu civilization was the first civilization to use a telephone-like device. It really was just two gourds connected by a string and was used by “elite” members of society to talk to their underlings without any face-to-face contact.

Contact lenses (Invented in 1508 C.E.)

Leonardo DaVinci was a spectacular artist, a great teacher, and an amazing scientist. But, he was also the person that invented contact lenses. In his 1508 book Codex of the Eye, Manual D, DaVinci talked about how the cornea could be strengthened by putting it in direct contact with water. People were supposed to do this by putting their face in a bowl of water, or by wearing glass hemispheres filled with water.

This seemingly crazy idea wasn’t actually tested out until 1887 when it proved to be quite useful.