Past Forward: History in an Object - IEEE Spectrum

Early carmakers decided women wanted cars that were quiet, clean, and easy to start
It gave Wall Street traders and analysts an unprecedented window on global markets
Alessandro Volta invented his electric pile to disprove Luigi Galvani’s “animal electricity”
The Magnetophon also gave rise to the laugh track
How fireworks became the technology of celebration
Shadow Walker’s creators went on to found a pioneering robotics company
In 1916, the chocolate magnate built a railroad to keep its sugar moving
Deep Rover explored Crater Lake, Monterey Bay, and the power tunnels of Niagara Falls
Charles Proteus Steinmetz envisioned 1 million EVs on U.S. roads by 1924
Clairtone’s high-end hi-fi system was prized by celebrities and musicians
Bell’s and Edison’s inventions turned executives into “dictators”
The Lionel stove had a working oven, two burners, and no safety features
Heated seats, a radio phone, even an electric shaver in the glove box
How RCA’s failed VideoDisc launched a scanning microscope
Its inventor developed the first implantable pacemaker, too
How the U.S. Post Office took point on civil defense
Its inventor envisioned an end to arguments over what to watch
Marie Curie, less-famous twin to Sojourner, helped NASA plan the mission
Its creator lost a power struggle that led to an AI winter in the 1970s
When electrification swept up even the humble eraser