Do you like your coffee black or with cream and sugar? Ever tried to drink it with the grounds still in it?
Prior to the 1900’s, there was no such thing as a coffee filter, believe it or not. You’ll practically gag when you learn what people used to do to kill the bitterness of the unfiltered coffee grounds!
What’d I tell you about the coffee thing? Gosh almighty — salted cod? Wonder why nobody thought to simply strain it through an old shirt or towel? Things that make you go hmmm…
I really got a kick hearing about the ultra-slow development of such a simple thing as a can opener too. Imagine having to open your cans at the grocery store before lugging it home, likely far far away from town. Makes you wonder how technology could have developed a way to hammer and shape tin, then mold it into a leak proof can, yet couldn’t find an easy way to open it.
Geothermal sidewalks sound like a great idea. My dog gets really irritated paws in the winter time, constantly stopping to lick the salt out of them. Not to mention the benefits for people who have poor balance, forced to walk on the road because of non-civic-minded home owners and renters who don’t bother to shovel and salt their walkways.
If I was a popcorn guy, the Perfect Popcorn app (iTunes / Android) sounds like a great innovation for popcorn foodies. However, as I expected, the app has fairly poor reviews.
And thank goodness for autocorrect. Sort of… I used to be an awesome speller when I was younger. As time has went on I’ve found that as autocorrect and grammar tools have really destroyed that part of my brain. I couldn’t imagine writing someone an actual handwritten letter. C’est la vie…
How about you? What technological advancements are you grateful for? Which do you think you could live happily without?
Main image by Laura Thorne
