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Electricity: Electric Inventions Influence People’s Lives
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Imagine, deeply, what would happen if Qatar was blacked out by a power failure for
several days? Think seriously about what reaction the citizens would have? People would not be
able to use air conditioners, refrigerators or lights. Things would change drastically. Since
consumers are accustomed to modern convenience facilities, it would be very hard to live
without them. However, even if electricity is cut off, it still exists in nature. From the
thunderstorms in the sky to Parkinson's fish in the sea, electricity is all around us. In the past,
people experienced life without electricity. They used to depend only on gas and candles for
lighting; but, when the light bulb was invented, people’s lives dramatically changed. Actually,
electricity was discovered through various stages from different inventors, not the least of which
was Benjamin Franklin who had an impressive role in discovering electricity. He discovered that
light was an electrical current in nature. After electricity was discovered, a lot of inventions
followed with time, including many that changed people’s lives. Cell phones, refrigerators and
cars can be considered three electic inventions that have impacted people’s lives in a hugely
dramatic way.
Cell phones are one of the inventions that have had a huge impact on human life. The
mobile phone is an electornic device that is made from several electric materials. In recent years,
the world has witnessed a mobile phone revolution, making the world a global village. Conti
(2007) wrote that it was unexpected we would make a call from a handheld mobile phone.
However, Motorola’s Martin Cooper established the first commercial version of the
groundbreaking gadget; it took him many years. By 1992, he developed the idea of signals that
transfer between two mobile phones. The most advantageous feature of the cell phone is that it
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keeps family and friends in touch, despite long distances. However, it influences people’s social
lives. In the past, social relationships were stronger than now. People used to visit each other
regularly. Today, people depend on cell phones to communicate with each other, which leads to
separation. Bemah (2012) wrote that having a cell phone is not the problem, but people do not
use them in the right way, which reflects poorly on their social lives. For instance, the younger
generation uses text messaging as a facility for communication with each other. They spend most
of their time texting, so they don’t get to talk to their family or friends face-to-face. This instant
communication device is isolating people from each other.
Refrigerators are one of the electric inventions that influence people’s lives in a
significant way. Actually, before the refrigerator was invented, how did people keep their food
from going rotten? In the past, people had a lot of difficulty keeping food edible, until they
realized the importance of ice. Chapman (2010) wrote that keeping food fresh was a constant
challenge. Centuries ago, people put a lot of effort throughout the year into collecting ice from
lakes and small rivers, which they then stored in ice houses. As a result, they could use it
anytime. For instance, the Inuit and Eskimos in Alaska used to dig holes in the ground. Then,
they lined them with wood and packed them with snow to keep their food fresh. Actually, when
the first refrigerator was made in 1834, people did not buy it. Allegations questioned their safety
and suggested that they poisoned food, because they used ammonia gas. However, in the mid20th century, people started to use refrigerators when the ice began to be contaminated from
industrial pollution. After that, people recognized the advantages of refrigerators. Chapman
(2010) wrote that one million refrigerators were manufactured with some improvements in the
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first year, 1929. Since then, refrigerators have played a very important role in preserving food
for a extended periods of time. This instant invention removes all the past.
Over the generations, cars have also influenced every aspect of society. They provide a
comfortable way to move from one place to another. Actually, the developemt and
circumestances of life have contributed to an increased need for cars. For instance, transportation
is the main problem for people who live far away from each other. When the first car has
invented by Henry Ford, it had a combustion engine. It only solved the distance problem for rich
people, as it was very expensive. Over time, the problems with cars increased to encompass more
than the cost, as environmental impact and lack of petrol became issues. Thus, inventors realized
the importance of solving this issue and invented electric cars. In term of power, an electric car
depends mainly on electricity. Webley (2010) wrote that, if people returned back to a century
ago, Edison warned people that gasoline caused air pollution. Moreover, according to Iqab
(2009), Edison completed various experiments in an attempt to find the proper materials for
appropriate electric car batteries. Edison put much effort into joining fresh electricity with the car
at charging stations. In the modern day, researchers try hard to return back to Edison’s dream,
which would lead to a comfortable life without having to worry about a lack of petrol.
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Electricity has become an essential part of our daily life and has helped solve many human
problems. In modern days, there are many inventions aiding people’s lives. Cell phones,
refrigerators and cars are three electric inventions that are used frequently. Firstly, mobile phones
are the most useful, providing the best way of communicating with others around the world. But,
their usage may hurt our social life. In addition, refrigerators keep food fresh and healthy. It is
the invention used most in people's lives. Moreover, cars have been developed from several
inventors. Nowadays, cars facilitate human life, which would be difficult without them, as
everyone would have to use other types of transportation, such as horses or camels. These
inventors helped change human lives from dark to light. Therefore, people have to appreciate the
inventors’ efforts, because life without these inventions would be difficult.
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References
Bemah, B. (2012, January 2). Social impact of mobile phone device. Retrieved from
http://afroeuro.org/magazine/?p=4722
Conti, J. (2007). The 10 greatest communications inventions. Communications Engineer, 5(1), 1421. doi:10.1049/ce:2007010. Retrieved from http://0- web.ebscohost.com.mylibrary.qu.edu.qa
Chapman, L. (2010, November 24). The History of the Refrigerator: Staying Cool Throughout the
Ages. Retrieved from http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/science/innovations/greatinventions/the-refrigerator.html
Iqbal, H. (2009). Electric and Hybrid Vehicles. (2 ed.). Retrieved from http://encore.qu.edu.qa
Woodford,C. (2004). Power And Energy. New York, USA: Facts On File. Retrieved from
http://encore.qu.edu.qa