Science and Technology in Middle Ages

The start of the middle ages was marred by massive invasions and migrations. Wars are
prevalent during this time. As such, great technology was needed in the fields of weaponry,
navigation, food and farm production and health. The wars have resulted to population decline.
However, in the later part of this period, there was significant increase in population. Trade and
commerce among nations increased, which resulted in greater demands for transportation
technology. Some of the most innovative minds came from this period.

To facilitate record keeping, woodblock printing developed by Chinese was improved by the
time of Johann Gutenberg (year 1450) with a cast type printing press. This general invention
soon evolved to be the mechanical printing press which was eventually used all over the world.
The printing press was invented to address the need for publishing books that would spread
information to many people at a faster rate. This invention also made works accessible to
individuals who could not even write (Streissguth, 1997).
Another invention in the Middle Age is the microscope. Growing populations caused massive
migration and urbanization during the period. More and more people transferred to polluted and
populated urban areas which resulted in more people getting sick. With this, experts needed to
a device to study microorganisms in order to develop proper medicines for illnesses. Guided by
the principles used for the invention of eyeglasses in earlier years, Zacharias Janssen was able
to develop the first compound microscope (Davidson, 2015).
The First Compound Microscope
Since the Middle Age was also known as the Age of Exploration, the need for nautical
inventions was high. The invention of the telescope, an optical instrument that helps in the
observation of remote objects, was a great help for navigators during this time.The first person
to apply for a patent for a telescope was Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey (or
Lipperhey). In 1608, Lippershey laid claim to a device that could magnify objects three times.
The First Telescope
Great development in the weaponry technology also occurred in this era. This include cross
bows and long bows. Additionally, in close range hand-to-hand combat, soldiers should wear
something to protect themselves, a need addressed by the creation of iron body armors.
However, body armors were heavy and limited the movements of the soldiers, chainmail was
invented to solve the problem.
Chainmail
Science and Technology in Modern Times

The booming world population during the nineteenth century onwards demanded that more
goods be produced at faster rate. People needed efficient means of transportation to trade
more goods and cover a larger distance.
Machines that required animals to operate must thus be upgraded. Faster and easier means to
communicate and compute should be developed to establish connections between and among
nations. All these needs resulted in the development of industries. However, due to massive
industrialization, the modern times again faced more complicated problems. Food processing
and medicine posed some of the bigger challenges since health was of great concern.
As people were able to develop better means of production to meet the needs of the population,
food preservation and food safety became an issue. Louis Pasteur, a French biologist,
microbiologist and chemist found a way to solve the problem. He invented pasteurization, the
process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow them to spoil faster.
Through this process, milk could be stored and consumed for a longer period. It also prevented
illnesses caused by harmful bacteria (Macalester College, 2010).
Other contributions of Pasteur to Science and Technology and Medicine included his works on
molecular asymmetry, fermentation and vaccination.

The modern times demanded better means of powering homes and transportation. This led to
the development of kerosene and the petroleum refinery industry (Skrabec, 2010). At present,
petroleum is widely used in powering automobiles, factories and power plants, among others.
The more people got connected by trade and exploration, the more they needed a way to easily
maintain these connections and communicate with each other in real time. Governments
likewise needed some kind of communication system which would allow them to administer
their states well. Important day- to-day decisions must be discussed and addressed at the
fastest time possible. Thus, the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham Bell was one of
the most important inventions at that time.
Although an earlier version of the calculator had already been developed, circumstances in the
modern times required a faster way to compute more complicated equations. Computing
devices must also be easy to carry since they would be utilized on a day-to-day basis. The
creation of modern calculators did not only pave the way for easier arithmetic calculations, but
also resulted in the development of more complex processing machines like computer.