The wheel is an invention that touches us every day—
One that we take for granted,
One that we burden and abuse,
And one that keeps on giving even under heavy loads.The wheel was invented somewhere between 3000 and 4000 BC. It has since made it into just about every item that shakes, rattles or rolls. The first wheels were thought to be made of stone; although durable, this made for a hard, bumpy ride. Wheels to follow where crafted from wood, then rubber and now rubber with a barrier of air to cushion our pampered derrieres.
The first wheels where used primarily for carts to haul early man’s goods, but as the cart became more complex, so did the use of the wheel; for example,
The first wheels where used primarily for carts to haul early man’s goods, but as the cart became more complex, so did the use of the wheel; for example,
gears and pulleys
and
steering wheels.
It is hard to imagine a world without wheels.
Thank you, Cave Man Carl, for your contribution to society.
Very interesting points! I guess we really do take the wheel for granted! Especially when we kick the tires because our car wont work! We even take a bike for granted because most of us would find it embarassing to ride a bike to work!
ReplyDeleteImagine if our wheels were still made of stone.. what a bumpy slow ride that would be. The wheel has defanitly came a longgg way.. Good point, we do take the wheel forgranted.. Robin, I have to admit I have kicked my tires numerous time!
ReplyDeleteI too have to admit i have kicked my tires. The wheel is extremely important. Everything we use has soething to do with a wheel. If it doesnt use a wheel to work it needed a wheel to get transported to us.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ironic the wheel hasn't changed much in design and shape since it was discovered in ancient Mesopotamia? What was found back then was a round device, did they ever find a wheel not round but square or can a wheel only be round?
ReplyDeleteOf all the technology that we have available...the wheel is the one that probably could be described as the simplist of all the inventions. Yet, one that we think of the least. This blog made me stop and think how much we take the wheel for granted.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me think of the copyrighted issue. It's a good thing that people were able to agree on upgrading the wheel. I'd hate to be driving around on stone wheels. Scientist are still working on upgrading the wheel. They are in the process of making a wheel that allows you to maintain control of your car if the tire blows.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing to think how essential the wheel is to our daily lives and survival really. Society would be no where near the levels of technology we have without the wheel. It could be the single most important invention
ReplyDeleteThe wheel is essential to our everyday life. I saw that picture of the gears and how complex they are. Also the invention like the wheel could lead to another which would be gears and pulleys to make it easier to transport things. I think if a person knows how something works and why it works that way, he or she can get a better appreciation for who invented it and not take it for granted as much. I think that’s the problem in the society today.
ReplyDeleteI love me some wheel barrows. Without the wheel, the world as we know it wouldn't have existed. The wheel carries the burden of the loads of the modern world. From our sliding glass doors to our 18 wheelers and railroads.Every year the wheel reinvents itself with a new invention.
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed how often we use a wheel, until this blog post. Now I really can't think of anything that wouldn't involve a wheel in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteThe wheel is a device that enables efficient movement of an object across a surface where there is a force pressing the object to the surface for example, a cart drawn by a horse. The wheel is everywhere on all our cars, trains, planes, machines, wagon, and farm equipments. What could we move without wheels? The wheel is an important and great invention. The wheel have come a long way there are different types of wheels (rubber, steel, etc.), brand, stronger structure, and more efficiency. Where will it all end? It seems that the technology that goes into designing and manufacturing today's custom wheels is becoming more and more advanced as each new style is introduced. However; for the buyer, one task is balancing cost with actual needs.
ReplyDeleteThis post makes a good use of pictures to show how the wheel evolved. I thought it was interesting, also, because the wheel probably isn't something most people think of as a piece of technology.In today's society, technology always seems to mean something that is electric or computerized.
ReplyDeletei guess we do take having the wheel apart of everyday life for granted but we have grown so use to having it around. think what it would be like if we didnt have it?
ReplyDeleteThe wheel is a simple invention. Round things roll. It is not that hard to believe. It is shocking that the Inca, Aztec, and Mayan civilizations did not come up with this. The wagon has to be one of the simplest inventions ever made. When people think of the wheel, they usually think of a caveman pounding away at it. The use of wheels for something other than transportation was somewhat harder to conceive. Pulleys involve physics which was not readily taught in ancient schools.
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