5 episodes
Opposed to Innovation: The Stories of Technologies that Changed the World CliffCentral
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- Technology
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There are so many technologies that make our world work - and we take so many of them for granted. But imagine what life would be like without everyday tools like the telephone, or the personal computer? Would our civilisation be where it is without things like powered flight?
It’s difficult to imagine how different life would be, but almost unbelievably, things could have turned out that way - because at the dawn of so many of our cornerstone technologies, there were those who did not see their potential and doomed them to failure.
This podcast series shares tales of technologies that were shunned and ridiculed, but went on to revolutionise the world.
Opposed to Innovation: the stories of technologies that changed the world is brought to you by BMW.
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Cars
The automobile has become ubiquitous across the globe, and is a vital part of modern life. Whether or not you’re an owner, or even a lover of cars, there’s no denying that things would be very different without them. But the automobile had a difficult start to life, going through many trials and even more errors - made more difficult by some who called it either unnecessary, dangerous or evil.
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Electricity
It’s easily one of the greatest human achievements, literally powering the advancement of everything from industry to leisure, from business to space exploration, and more. The harnessing of electricity also spawned one of the fiercest industrial rivalries of all time, where fortunes were made and lost. While the world would come to require electrical power to function, there were some people - including a wealthy tycoon and a US President - who weren’t convinced it was a good idea originally.
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Flight
Since the dawn of powered flight in the early 20th century, the technology has served to empower business, bring people together and make our planet a smaller, more connected place. But it took a while for the world to realise just what an achievement it was - there were those who said it couldn’t be done, and even after the Wright brothers’ success, there were those who wouldn’t believe it had been done.
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The Computer
We owe so much of our world today to the computer. In its many forms - from the largest servers to the tiniest wearables - the computer has become an indispensable part of our lives. But it had to fight to earn its place. Since the birth of the concept in the late 19th century, the computer hasn’t always been appreciated as the modern marvel we see it as today.
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The Telephone
It’s a device that the world relies on - for information, communication and entertainment. Given how important it is in today’s world, it’s almost impossible to believe that, when it was first invented, the telephone had to fight for its survival. Hear how one of today’s most important technologies had to overcome legal battles, financial worries and a scared public before it proved itself to be indispensable.
Opposed to Innovation: the stories of technologies that changed the world is brought to you by BMW.