Who Invented Technology?

Who invented technology? There is a large body of evidence that women invented technology. Since the earliest human times, women were the principal gatherers, processors, and storers of plant food. In addition to cooking and processing food, women also invented tools and methods for gathering plant foods, such as reaping knives and sickles, pestles, and pounders. Dismissing ‘women’s sphere’ technologies as inferior reproductions of male inventions perpetuates the cultural stereotype that technology is exclusively for men.

Jose M. F. Moura

Professor Jose M. F. Moura is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. His research interests include signal processing and science of signals. Moura is the co-founder of the Center for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research and an Associate Department Head at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2013-2014, Moura served as a visiting professor at NYU. He has translated his webpages and earlier versions of this page into several languages.

Humphry Davy

Sir Humphry Davy made two brilliant discoveries in 1807 and 1808. He discovered sodium and potassium, and he observed the blue and bronze colours of ammonia and potassium systems. Davy’s discoveries in science and technology have contributed immeasurable benefits to mankind. While his work was controversial, it helped the modern world immensely. It’s worth considering his remarkable life and achievements. Here are some of his most notable contributions.

James Francis

A British-American engineer, James Francis invented a water turbine in 1832. It was a refined version of the Fourneyron turbine he had invented in 1826. In addition to a larger size, Francis used guide vanes to adjust the rate of flow. His invention enabled simultaneous changes in the setting of all vanes. He also developed a novel modeling technique that allowed him to calculate the exact shapes of the vanes.

Marc Lawson

After a long career in the computer industry, Marc Lawson started his own company, VideoSoft, to create games for the Atari 2600. He was the first black engineer at the company, and is considered one of the founders of the modern video game industry. Founded in 1989, VideoSoft is now one of the world’s leading developers of video games. His innovative approach to software and hardware development helped create the first commercially viable video game consoles.

Faqir Chand Kohli

India’s IT industry is named after Faqir Chand Kohli, who passed away on Nov. 26. A graduate of Queen’s University, Kohli was a visionary and a titan in the business world. He was also an active champion of social reform. He was the father of the Indian IT industry, which has a USD 100 billion market today. In addition to his pioneering work, Kohli took an interest in education, and he was a keen member of the Pune College of Engineering.