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What do nylon stockings and maglev trains have in common? How about asbestos and ice cream cones? Or the Eiffel Tower and the Space Needle? All these creations, along with a wealth of others, were first introduced to the world – or got a big boost – at a World Expo.
For the last 159 years, the World Expo has been an august stage for introducing new technologies, gadgets and architecture. Some inventions – like the telephone – have had a profound effect on the way we live; others – like the steam-driven popcorn popping machine – have just made life more fun.
Today, the World Expo is an occasion to promote serious thinking about a particular theme – such as this year's emphasis on urban problems – rather than a hodgepodge of unrelated exhibits. But the underlying drive of the World Expo is the same – to share ideas and improve human life.
As we wonder what new innovations will be popularized at the Shanghai World Expo, we look at some notable pages from World Expo history.
Corliss steam engine
The Corliss steam engine, patented by a US engineer in 1849 and exhibited at London's Great Exhibition of 1851, was a breakthrough in thermal efficiency for stationary engines. It made steam more economical than water power and allowed factories to move away from rivers and streams. An advanced Corliss engine provided most of the power for the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.
Safety elevator
Anyone who has marveled at the breathtaking views from the 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center owes much to an invention first displayed at New York's international exposition in 1853 – the safety elevator. Invented by U.S. inventor Elisha Otis, the system's safety brake prevents an elevator from falling if a cable breaks. With this device, elevators became popular and buildings soon reached dizzying heights.
Telephone
With over four billion cellphones in use worldwide – including 750 million in China – it's hard to imagine a time when people didn't have telephones. But Alexander Graham Bell first publicly demonstrated his new invention at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. After an Expo official heard Bell's voice through the odd-looking device, he excitedly said, "It talks!"
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