Art & Culture
Let's Talk Towels
How Simple Innovations Can Shape The World.
By: Michael Vitaro 🇨🇦
2024-10-08
Let's Talk Towels — How Simple Innovations Can Shape The World
Imagine a time before towels—let’s say Egypt, 6,000 BCE. You step out of the Nile, dripping wet—what do you do? Roll around in the sand, scrape the water off with sticks, or just stand there awkwardly shaking? If you’re really lucky, maybe you’ve got a friend to rub up against like two camels scratching the same itch. It’s messy, uncomfortable—and inefficient.
Then someone hands you a towel. A novel combination of ideas manifest in this unassuming piece of linen. At first, you’re confused. You scratch at it, smell it, taste it—it's not edible...? You put it on your head—then it hits you—this thing can dry me off! Your world is forever changed.
The Aztecs and the Rubber Ball
Picture the ancient Aztecs in fierce competition—a small, unassuming rubber ball tossed from the hip, aiming for an impossibly small stone ring. This tiny ball not only united the Aztecs in ritual but paved the way for rubber’s modern ubiquity. From that simple ball came innovations like chewing gum, tires, the soles of our shoes, and countless industrial applications—shaping culture and commerce globally.
Gutenberg’s Quiet Revolution
In 1455, Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press changed the world. By combining movable type, quick-drying ink, and a simple press, Gutenberg democratized knowledge. This modest machine fueled movements like the Reformation and the Renaissance. What began as a tool for efficiency—became the cornerstone of mass communication, forever revolutionizing the way humanity shares ideas.
The Smartphone Revolution
The smartphone, a deceptively simple device, combines the internet, telecommunications, and powerful microprocessors in the palm of your hand. Like the printing press—it reshaped how we communicate, access information, and interact with the world. The smartphone has revolutionized industries, cultures, and our daily lives, becoming an indispensable tool that has transformed the world forever.
From Simple Ideas to Profound Impacts
From the towel to the smartphone, history is filled with seemingly simple innovations that have reshaped humanity. These "towel moments" remind us that even the smallest inventions can have a lasting impact, transforming industries, cultures, and lives. The next world-changing idea might already be in your hands—waiting to shape the future.
Editor’s Note: A towel in ancient Egypt would be a bit of an anachronism. In reality, ancient Egyptians used linen for drying. The towel as we know it was actually invented in Turkey in the 17th century. But you get the point.