The products and technologies that we have today had been refined over many decades. Take computer parts as examples. Within the past two decades, you will notice there have been changes in standard connectors in motherboards, and there are even differences between older and newer power supplies. You can take a visit to your nearest specialty electronic part dealer if you want to find out yourself. They should have a stock of replacement items for devices from different eras. The modernization of a product generally offers quality-of-life improvements. You will notice that motherboards today are easier to build into compared to those from more than a decade ago.
You have to wonder who the innovators are in various industries. Europe certainly has contributed a lot to that. Here are some of their accomplishments.
Automotive Industry
If you are thanking the heavens for making your vehicles safe, you might as well thank Europe for that. The most iconic innovation that they have would be the three-point seat belt, which originated from Sweden. An engineer named Nils Bohlin invented it for Volvo in 1958. It was not the first seat belt system, but its design has been adopted as the standard that it is today by many car companies. The manner in which the belt wraps across your body gives it a lot of coverage when it comes to protecting it from sudden impact.
The airbag is also a standard option for vehicular safety. The patent for automobile use was first granted to John W. Hetrick, who is from the United States. But if you trace back further in 1919, a patent for an inflatable bag that would cover many parts of an airplane was filed by Harold Round and Arthur Parrott. Although this was still done in the U.S., the two men hailed from England. Their invention is considered the forefather of the airbags that you know today.
Food Industry
French fries are a staple of the fast-food industry. It is often paired with hamburgers and other savory sandwiches and is well-known for its mix of crispy and soft textures. But people always ask where it was created. The obvious guess would be France due to its name, but there is also a lot of information pointing Belgium as the place of its parentage. Either way, you can say that this fried potato treat is European through and through.
Some of America’s favorite snacks are hot dogs and apple pies. The former is a fixture in arena sports while the latter is a traditional dessert in many households. But did you know that these food items did not come from the U.S.? The hot dog is a processed meat product that said to have originated from the neighboring countries Germany and Austria. The apple pie, on the other hand, was birthed by the folks from jolly old England.
Telecommunications Industry
The first cellphones were big and bulky, but that was the least of its problems. Malicious people found a way to clone them using radio signals. These allowed them to make phone calls without the knowledge of the actual owner. Then came the second generation, or 2G. One of the standards that emerged was the Global System for Mobile Communications or GSM, whose protocols were written by European Telecommunications Standards Institute. It eventually became the global standard as it was used by 80% of mobile phone users during its heyday. It is best known for its tight security and the subscriber information module or SIM card. GSM has helped a lot in laying the groundwork for the telecommunications industry that you know today.
These are some of Europe’s well-known contributions to the world. Have you imagined life without them? That question will stay in your thoughts the next time you snack on fries, drive your car, or make a call on your mobile phone.
