A Huge Part of History is Missing!!

There is a fundamental part of our recent history that has either been overlooked or intentionally ignored. Which I believe in itself has triggered many conspiracy theories.
I’m not that old, but I’m also not that young. Lets just say I graduated in the early 90s. While I was in school, In my history classes, or for that matter, even general classes in elementary school, we were taught about inventors.
I recently had the opportunity to have in my company two very learned individuals, one twenty years my senior, one twenty years my junior. I took that opportunity to see just how different what we had been taught to us actually was. We are talking a stretch of forty years, all of us having gone to public schools in the united states. I asked both of them “Who invented the first telephone, or telecommunications device, and discovered that all three of us knew of Alexander Graham Bell. I went through a few more of the commonly taught historical inventors, which all three of us knew, for that matter even the younger and the older knew that Ely Whitney invented the cotton gin. A fact that is quite trivial considering today’s technology. Although this fact is still being taught in high schools 20 years after I was taught the same thing.
This being the case, I started to wonder what they were teaching the person who was twenty years my junior, that they had not taught me. I tried to thing in modern day concepts and inventions, and therefore asked the following questions:

1. Who invented the Television?

2. Who invented the Microchip?

3. Who invented the Microwave Oven?

Not to my shock, though surprise, the man twenty years my senior had no idea. I myself did not know, or I would not have asked the question. Though to my extreme surprise the man 20 years my junior also had no idea whatsoever.

How can they still be teaching about the man who invented the Cotton Gin, and not be teaching about the people who invented these products that now play such an enormous roll in our every day lives?

After this conversation, I could not get it out of my head. Therefore I did the research on my own, so that I could give the deserved praise to these people. I found the following, and have attached the links:


1. The Television:
Inventor, or first to patent: Paul Gottlieb Nipkow
Date: 1884
Link: en.wikipedia.org...



2. The Microchip (or Integrated Circuit)
Inventor, or first to patent: Geoffrey W.A. Dummer
Date: 1956
Link: en.wikipedia.org...

3. The Microwave Oven:
Inventor, or first to patent: Percy Spencer
Date: 1945
Link: en.wikipedia.org...


As far as I am concerned the most interesting story is the invention of the Microwave oven. I also wonder if Percy Spencer was ever able to have children after “accidentally melting the candy bar he had in his pocket”. Seriously! Read the article.

My point in this, is no, don’t take Ely Whitney out of the history books. It was a very important invention. Simply add: Paul Nipkow, Geoffrey Dummer, and Percy Spencer to the text books.
I honestly believe that if kids in this country were told the stories of these modern inventors, it would not only peak their interest in science and math, but also open up a world to them that they, nor we are aware of. How can we expect the children of our country to excel if they have no idea how anything around them actually works? I have to now admit that I have NO idea how 90% of the modern technology I use on a daily basis actually works. I could go back in time and bring with, or tell them about these amazing inventions. Yet I would likely no be able to re-create any of 95% of them. Maybe a BIC Lighter, I think, given time, I could figure that one out.

To my previous hint at conspiracy theories. I believe conspiracy theories come from two mindsets: 1. Intelligence. Intelligent people are able to look around themselves, do thorough research, and at that point when all the facts don’t fit, point out that something is seriously wrong.

2. Ignorance. People who don’t understand something, and are not willing to research it, come up with their own theories based on emotion alone. I have been told by MANY people over the years. “Look around you, at least 90% of all this modern technology was reverse engineered from Extra Terrestrials.” Don’t get me wrong, I believe the evidence exists that many E.T. crafts have landed or crashed on this planet. I believe a small fraction of their technology was able to be reverse engineered. I also believe that some day, after disclosure does come, we will be able to celebrate the names of these secret scientists and engineeres who were able to do the unthinkable. In the mean time we need to research the human inventors who have made our modern day lives what they are. We need to put them in our history books, and we need to put them up as examples for our children.

I would very much like to know, not only from the U.S. citizens, but any member in another country. Whether you went to public, or private school, were you ever taught about any of these people?

If not, why not? That’s the true conspiracy!

s & F

Notice the F was in capital, how they do that?

reply to post by Caveat Lector


Thank you!

reply to post by dreamwalker74


One may consider that many modern inventions are brought about in secret "Corporate" labs. Everybody is looking out to maintain control of said invention and will only release such discoveries after they have covered themselves legally against patten infringement.

Gone for the most part are the days of Thomas Edison and the like. Sweating away in some oversize garage [paying somebody else to invent while he takes the credit.]

I'll use NASA as an example of how some aspects of the modern world fails to inspire today's youth. Ever watch the NASA channel or anything to do with their endeavors? It's like watching paint dry. Outside of the most staunch enthusiast many simply switch channels or knowing how boring their coverage is simply look for highlight videos.

Necessity is the mother of invention. So what happens when all your needs are met? Seems that in today's disposable society most if not all our physical needs have been met, for the most part. Therefore why strive? This is exactly why in the newer developing countries, China & India for example they are striving and putting out many more engineers than in the west.

I think people are pain or strife motivated. If people are too comfortable they become complacent. I agree we should be teaching more of the details not just hitting the highlights. I doubt that this alone will spur a resurgence in creativity though.

Just my

.02

reply to post by SLAYER69


I agree this is likely the case. Hence the "conspiracy theory". If these multinational, super secret corporations, are in fact keeping the actual inventors of our modern day products a secret, than that part of our history is forever lost to us. Also, if this is in-fact the case (which it likely is) it has been occuring since the 1880 s. Therefore we will never see another inventor in our history books, and this is very sad.

Neither the microchip or the microwave oven was in common use when I was in school.

You can't really say that Nipkow invented television. His system had nothing to do with modern television.

While Dummer may have come up with the idea for integrated circuits, he never created a working version. If you want to credit someone, you might want to consider Jack Kilby.

Spencer didn't invent the magnetron, though he did come up with the idea of using it to cook food.

[edit on 7/7/2010 by Phage]

reply to post by SLAYER69


Follow up. If the small group, or for that matter the individual caveman, who had learned to create fire, kept this secret from the rest of the group to maintain power. What would this mean for our own timeline? How far back would we actually be? The dark ages? far before that? Would we even be communicating in this form of media? Something needs to be done. But what?

reply to post by Phage


I reread the article and agree with you on Kilby. The interesting part I thought was that the Fax machine was actually created far before the TV. How long before we had those? The point being, why is the history behind where we currently are now, not taught period. I truly appreciate your post Phage. I have read so many of your posts and replies at this point that I truly respect you. My question to you, is how will we continue to advance as a civilization, on a technological basis, if all scientific breakthroughs are going to be kept secret by the government agencies of the origin country, or the corporations from which the idea came? What is the sollution?

reply to post by dreamwalker74


You make a fantastically important point imo.

Unapplied and Unapplicable Knowledge is no Knowledge at all is one of my life-mottos. That would mean that 99% of the Information people take in on a daily basis - from who was voted Vice-President to what Britney Spears did last night to an UFO being seen by someone does not constitute "Knowledge" in the real sense of it. Knowledge I have if Im able to build a TV.

reply to post by dreamwalker74

I agree that the educational system is abysmal (in the US). But I don't think it has anything to do with an active plan to hide the information you're talking about. You see, in most cases, students aren't going to encounter these people unless they have enough curiosity of their own to find out about it. And as you have demonstrated, it's pretty easy to find out who "invented" television, integrated circuits, and microwave ovens. But what about postit notes? There are thousands (millions) of things that affect our daily lives, should every single inventor of each thing be taught?

reply to post by Skyfloating


That was awesome! That is why I have to give outo mechanics all the credit in the world. If the end does come, they will be the only ones driving around. Beats the hell out of walking.

reply to post by Phage


Because I still have you here: Is the system abyssmal because of the teachers, the context that is taught, or the lack of information available? I guess it is all of the above, but would like your input. I do have to say though, that any time, any form of information, is witheld from the public it actively creates ignorance. I have a big post coming up mid week that I have been working on for a long, long time. If you are able to keep track, I would love your input in the future. Thank You-

Dreamwalker 74

reply to post by dreamwalker74
Very good point with this thread. Star and Flag!

I believe Eli Whitney is more important for his contribution of the idea of interchangeable parts in the manufacturing process than the invention of the cotton gin. As I remember, he lost money on the government contract that he had to try his new idea out!

Interchangeable parts:

reply to post by butcherguy


Thank You! You just proved one of my points. All three of us were taught, or for that matter "only remembered", that he had in-fact invented the cotton gin. Perhaps we were taught this but likely not. Do you remember actually being taught this? Do you remember any lesson, ever, on the creation of Television?

reply to post by dreamwalker74

I don't know exactly what is wrong with the educational system in the US but there is no doubt that it is failing. It probably has as much to do with our culture as it does with the system itself. School is a lot different now than when I was a kid, but then, so is the whole world.

There is a difference between withholding information and a choice to present other information. There is the matter of how many hours there are in a day. Do you recommend telling kids about who invented television, or teaching them the basic skills which will enable them to move forward and come up with inventions of their own? Given the choice, I'd opt for the latter, however I'm not sure they are even getting that.

I was taught 30 years ago that the microwave oven, a rarity at the time, was a spinoff from the military. They needed an electric oven for bomber crews and this device used the least amount of electricity. The military had the funds to develop these inventions that nobody was working on.

reply to post by Phage


I dare say you are correct with the amount of time in the class room. Although I would also say that not enough is taught in the time frame given. For example, I went to school in Colorado, up until the time I was in fourth grade. At which time my family moved to California. In Colorado I was supposed to move into pre-algebra in my fifth grade year. When I got to my new school in California, they had moved into a program, where the whole school at a predesignated time, broke up into math class. If the teacher at that time determined you already knew everything you should in that course, you were then sent to the auditorium, with a note from the teacher. At that point you took a standardized test to see if you were able to progress to the next course. My first six days in the California school, they had litterally run out of math tests for me, and I was able to go to the library and have "free time". There was litterally nobody their in my elementary school, who could teach me more than I already knew. If I had stayed in Colorado, I would have had a hard time keeping up.

reply to post by Phage
I am saddened by the state of educational system today.

Even twenty years ago, I knew a high school senior that already had a full scholarship to a State University courtesy of his ability to play a certain sport.

I knew the kid well enough to tell you that he was functionally illiterate.

I would be willing to bet that there was a kid that was not functionally illiterate, coming out of high school, that did not go to college because of financial reasons.

The word 'scholarship' might bring sports into some peoples minds, but I think of a person that is learning something in a school.....scholar!

Not saying that sports are not important, just that the schools are putting out high school graduates that are functionally illiterate and promoting them for the wrong reasons.

reply to post by earthdude


Were you actually taught this in school? If so was it a public or private school, and in which state? Great reply, Thank You,

Dreamwalker74