The British Science Association (BSA), in the framework of the ongoing Week of Science and Technology, asked 20 leading experts to name some inventions that radically changed the lives of humanity.

Now everyone has access to Indian roulette online games and home theater on the phone. It's all thanks to progress and discovery. The results of the survey are as follows.

GPS technology

Initially developed in 1978 in the U.S. for military purposes, the Navstar satellite navigation system has spread around the world under the name of GPS (which means "global navigation system"). Its primary users are motorists, pilots, and sailors. In addition, geographers use GPS to record the shifting of tectonic plates, and biologists have recently adapted the system to track the mass migration of turtles. 

In the spirit of international collaboration, countries have devised a universal satellite configuration called the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This is important because it allows anyone with a GPS receiver to work anywhere in the world. In the future, the next generation GNSS constellations will bring precision navigation to the next level. These systems will provide worldwide coverage and further enhance the accuracy of GPS technology.

The Sony Walkman player

This device 1979 ushered in an era of "wearable" technology, significantly changing the culture of individual music consumption. According to the newspaper, with its invention, Sony crossed the soundtrack with the passenger flow, allowing anyone in the multimillion-dollar crowd walking and driving to listen to their favorite songs without imposing them on those around them. Later on, Apple took up the baton with its iPod digital player. 3.

Barcode

At first glance, it is not very clear how exactly these black and white stripes have wiggled on our lives; however, this invention of American Norman Woodland, made in 1949, over time allowed us to bring together data on payment for the purchase, the nature of goods and stock of goods in stock. According to experts, it changed the commerce system in the most revolutionary way.

Frozen food

The method of "a quick snack" has been known to humanity since ancient times; however, the cartons of food eaten on the couch in front of the television set have replaced the traditional family dinners and dinners at the standard table during the last 30 years have changed both the lifestyle and the image of modern cities and the health of citizens in developed countries.

On the one hand, they have made life much more accessible; on the other hand, they have contributed significantly to developing an "overeating crisis." They contain too much fat, salt, sugar, and preservatives to keep them for too long.

PlayStation

Although game consoles to the T.V. were known even before the advent of the Sony PlayStation console in 1994, it was she who brought video games from children's rooms to living rooms, to the big T.V., where games began to be enjoyed by quite adults, previously not seen in anything like that.

Incidentally, the console's hardware capabilities exceed those of the average home P.C., and the video game industry has almost caught up with the movie industry in terms of revenues in the years since its introduction.

E-money

Credit cards have made cash circulation more convenient, secure, and global, according to British experts. In Britain, for example, more than 7.4 billion payments were made by card last year, far more than by cheque, which has become an anachronism. However, on the other hand, the growth of electronic payments is accompanied by an equally rapid increase in electronic fraud, and the ease of obtaining credit, experts recall, was one of the leading causes of the global financial crisis that erupted last year.

Microwaves

The microwaves are not microwave ovens, but microwaves are electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 1 mm to 1 m. That is used in cell phones, wireless communication devices like Wi-Fi, and satellite broadcasting.

But the new method of cooking food is also them, as well as the radar that appeared during the Second World War and the development of new "non-lethal weapons" in the USA for many years.

Sneakers

Goodyear first proposed combining rubber and fabric in 1892, and the mass use of athletic shoes as everyday shoes began in the 70s of the last century. These shoes, according to experts, changed the feet of an entire generation.

The military, by the way, complains that the feet of young people entering service these days are noticeably softer and have poorer tolerance for military shoes because many have never worn leather boots before.

Voice assistants

Indeed each of us has said "Okay, Google" at least once or tested Siri for stress resistance. Voice assistants are increasingly entering our lives and strongly influencing the way we do business online - brands now have a high priority to optimize their online channels for voice queries. The first virtual assistants were invented back in 2008, but they have only been in beta (user) testing since 2010. Google Assistant, Siri, Yandex Alice, and Amazon Alexa are among the best-performing assistants.

In addition, the emergence of such solutions set trends in the development of other valuable technologies and devices that help people in many areas of life: for example, in business, medicine, transport control, and simply in everyday use. For instance, in the latter case, the assistant will help not to forget about the morning five-minute exercise or fresh food for the pet.

Social Media

Instagram is, in many ways, the essential app of the 2010s. Besides the well-known facts about the social network, it is impossible not to highlight the fact that Instagram stimulated the emergence of a whole ecosystem of related applications for smartphones and P.C.s: for example, photo and video processing or managing brand publications. For the latter, it's an excellent channel for attracting new customers and increasing visibility. Some organizations now even do without their website, thanks to Instagram. And with the social network, new professions have also appeared - for example, the Stories designer, which did not exist even a couple of years ago.

It is even possible to make money on social networks. With the right approach, you can achieve this outcome:

• Promote your hobby or business by attracting and retaining people;
• at the same time, you can insert unobtrusive advertising for your product or amusement;
• simultaneously monitor competitors' accounts and respond to their strategies;
• If your profile has a lot of interest, you can advertise other people's products and have extra income.

Electric cars

Drivers in almost all countries already appreciate electric cars: they are impressed with their appearance, speed, and environmental friendliness. Year by year, their variety grows. In 2018, Tesla became the best-selling electric car in the world. Following Elon Musk, many companies have implemented their developments - Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi, and other well-known brands.

The sales of such cars are still modest because they have high prices. For example, Tesla has not yet had a profitable year, but it seems that everything is still to come.

Contactless payment

NFC technology is built into small devices capable of contactless data transfer at close distances. The solution was invented quite a long time ago, but for a long time, it did not find application among the consumers - initially, the developers thought that NFC would be used for file transfer.

The technology only gained actual use in 2011, when Google launched the Google Wallet electronic payment system for Android-powered smartphones. Then Apple joined in - in 2014, at the WWDC conference, they announced a new mobile payment system. 

Now it is impossible to imagine a modern phone or even a smartwatch without contactless payment capabilities, which can be used to pay for a purchase in a store or online quickly. And it is a genius idea - leaving home, you can forget anything but your favorite gadget, which is always on hand.