7 Introduction 7Some of these inventions may never make headlines or
revolutionize the world, but they will all have an effect
(however subtle) on people’s lives.
The speed of invention today is so rapid that the world
can literally change during the course of one individual’s
lifetime. Someone who was born in the early part of the
20th century will have witnessed the invention of the tele-
vision, computer, Internet, microwave oven, helicopter,
penicillin, and dozens of other innovations that have
transformed the way in which people live.
One of the fields where invention has made the great-
est strides is in medical science. At the turn of the 20th
century, doctors were able to look inside the human body
without cutting it open (thanks to Wilhelm Röntgen’s
X-rays). By the end of the century, they had unraveled the
entire genetic code and discovered the minute changes
that lead to disease. Looking ahead into the next century,
new therapies might be developed that could reprogram
human DNA, changing the course of an individual’s medical
history before he or she is even born.
So many inventors have made important contributions
that to mention them all here would far exceed the space
limitations of this book. The 100 men and women who
have been included are among the greatest and most
prolific inventors of all time. They were selected because
their inventions have altered the course of people’s lives
and have left an indelible stamp on human history.