#1 - Steam Engine
The Steam Engine changed the future in 1712
The future then...
By pumping flood water from deep mines, steam engines like this set the Industrial Revolution in motion. They gave access to massive amounts of coal, helping the first factories to flourish. But using fossil fuels such as coal has created a new problem... climate change.
The future now...
What could be the carbon-free energy source of our future? Wind, waves and solar power are important. But if scientists could really crack nuclear fusion – the power source of the Sun and stars – we’d have an almost unlimited supply of clean energy.
#2 - Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket changed the future in 1829
The future then...
Rocket was the world's first modern steam locomotive. Its design set the standard for 150 years. After Rocket's success the railways expanded quickly and for the first time huge numbers of people were able to move across the world... many in search of a new life.
The future now...
What could public transport look like in the future? One idea being tested at Heathrow is a network of personal driverless pods. Gliding along tracks, these 'pod cars' will take passengers non-stop to their destinations, cutting down on congestion and pollution. If they're a success, we could see pod cars in cities all around the world.
#3 - Electric Telegraph
The Electric Telegraph changed the future in 1837
The future then...
Two hundred years ago, people had to wait days, weeks or even months for letters to arrive by horse and ship. The electric telegraph changed all that. In the space of a few years, anyone in a large town could send a message hundreds of miles in just a few minutes.
The future now...
The web has radically changed our lives, but over three-quarters of the world’s people aren’t online. Imagine how our future will be transformed when everyone has access to mobile internet technology...
#4 - X-ray Machine
The X-ray Machine changed the future in 1895
The future then...
X-rays revolutionised how doctors detected disease and injury. For the first time we could see bones and other structures inside the living body - instead of relying on symptoms, samples or surgery.
The future now...
Today, new kinds of imaging technology allow us to 'see' inside our minds as well as our bodies. In the future, brain scanners might be used to record our dreams or even to detect what we're about to think - before we think it...
#5 - Model T Ford
The Model T changed the future in 1908
The future then...
The Ford Motor Company created the Model T by applying mass production techniques on a vast scale. This simple, affordable car brought motoring to the masses and changed manufacturing for ever.
The future now...
Mass production is still very important today, but what about the future? Production may shift from the factory to the home with a ‘3D printer’. In 20 years, instead of buying a new digital camera, we might download the design and ‘print’ it for ourselves.
#6 - Penicillin
Penicillin changed the world in 1928
The future then...
Penicillin transformed the treatment of infectious disease and saved countless lives around the world. The first of our modern antibiotics, it was a powerful weapon against diseases such as pneumonia and syphilis. Thanks to drugs like penicillin, we lead longer, healthier lives.
The future now...
Many scientists believe stem-cell therapy will transform the future of medicine. Stem cells can be grown into any type of cell in the body, so they could be used to grow new muscles, nerves and blood cells - or even complex organs.
#7 - V2 Rocket Engine
The V2 Rocket Engine changed the future in 1944
The future then...
The V2 rocket engine launched us into space. But as the power behind the first long-range missiles, it also threatened to destroy our world. An engine of war and discovery, the V2 has a legacy that still looms over us today.
The future now...
Rockets are fantastically expensive, so how else could we get into space in the future? One idea is a ‘space elevator’ to carry people and equipment into orbit. Vehicles could move up and down a super-strong cable connecting the Earth’s surface to an orbiting space station.
#8 - Pilot ACE Computer
The Pilot ACE Computer changed the future in 1950
The future then...
We take it for granted that we can surf the net, write documents or play music, all on one laptop. But Pilot ACE was the first computer that could do more than one thing. And for a while it was the fastest computer in the world.
The future now...
In the future, a new type of machine called a quantum computer could give us unimaginable calculating power. If someone figures out how to build one, it could crack currently unbreakable codes and lead to all kinds of life-changing discoveries...
#9 - DNA Double Helix
The DNA Double Helix changed the future in 1953
The future then...
Using this model, Francis Crick and James Watson revealed the structure and beauty of DNA to the world. In doing so, they established DNA as the code for life on Earth.
The future now...
In the future, it may be possible to design entirely new life forms using DNA. Scientists can already build genes from scratch and create microbes that can, in turn, produce drugs and green fuels, and even clean up pollution.
#10 - Apollo 10 Capsule
The Apollo 10 Capsule changed the future in 1969
The future then...
It's Apollo's anniversary too – 40 years ago, three astronauts travelled to the Moon and back, inside this cramped capsule. The success of the mission paved the way for the Apollo 11 Moon landing two months later – humankind's first steps on another world.
The future now...
Scientists would love to return to the lunar surface, but where else could we be landing in the future? For years people have talked about a mission to Mars, but some experts now think an asteroid could be the next stop.
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