Which Technology Has Benefited Humanity the Most

When one ponders on the long list of technologies which have benefited mankind, one could argue for many. The internet, cell phones, and the computer come to many people’s minds. But, there is one technology that outweighs any other. This would be the technology of harnessing electricity. The harnessing of electricity is the most beneficiary technology ever created. And by its countless applications and basic functions, it proves itself time and time again.

Imagine life before electricity. Having to heat a home with fire, no television, no modern amenities. Life before electricity was tough, and much harder than today. Cities were only operable during daylight, and life ended with the setting of the sun. Humanity was still in darkness. This all changed in the late 19th Century. Electricity was a new marvel, and yet people had known about electricity for many years. Benjamin Franklin first achieved world renown for his experiments with electricity, including work with his famous kite and key. Until just over a century ago there was no way for electricity to be harnessed for practical use. It was in the late 1870s when one of America's greatest inventors, Thomas Alva Edison, developed and built the first electricity generating plant in New York City. With Edison’s power plant, humanity would see the rise of modern electricity. With electricity, night life became possible. With that came working longer, and making new items in more quantities. So, not only did electricity give light, it also gave a new life to working and inventing. Also, electricity leads to many of our treasured technologies humanity uses today. Without a doubt, electricity shaped the modern world, and a needed technological advancement.

The benefits of electricity are endless. From hospitals to zoos, the applications add up each and every day. One of the biggest uses for electricity is the invention and enhancements of computer technology. Without electricity, humanity would never have gained the crucial computer. Another example is most modern amenities. From the toaster to the water heater, electricity poises itself as the main driving force behind almost everything we use at home. So, one can notice that not only does electricity create convenience, but extremely crucial products as well. Humanity could have survived with the harnessing of electricity, but the world would never have been the same.

With every technology, there is a negative. Even electricity is not exempt from error. The biggest error many people notice is it’s dependability. Humans have become so accustomed to modern electricity (and the products of electricity) that humans could not function without it. If the power grids across the USA were to shut off tomorrow, humans would be lost. Society has become too reliant on electricity. Another major disadvantage would be the means humanity has developed to harness such electricity. Take for example nuclear power. The current