GSTS: INVENTIONS
was very detailed and required the skill of an
EGYPT
Shadoof, hand-operated device for lifting water,
invented in ancient times and still used in India,
Egypt, and some other countries to irrigate land.
Typically it consists of a long, tapering, nearly
horizontal pole mounted like a seesaw. A skin or
bucket is hung on a rope from the long end, and
a counterweight is hung on the short end. The
operator pulls down on a rope attached to the
long end to fill the bucket and allows the
counterweight to raise the bucket
BLACK INK Having papyrus to write on would
have been of no use without the invention of ink.
The ancient Egyptians mixed vegetable gum,
soot and bee's wax to make a black ink.
Eventually, they replaced the soot with other
materials, such as red ochre, to create various
colors of ink. Egyptians used carbon inks that
contained copper, which has not been identified
in ancient ink before. Egyptians used the same
technology for ink production throughout Egypt
from roughly 200 BC to 100 AD.
The black ink you see most often is used for
writing the letters of the hieroglyphs or hieratic
text and is almost always a carbon black ink.
This ink is very stable, does not fade, and does
not deteriorate the papyrus below as some
metallic inks can do.
Definition of a Mummy Mummification is the
process by which the body is preserved. There
are mummies around the world, but the ancient
Egyptians were the ones who created an
elaborate procedure in order to ensure the
preservation of the body. Early on in their
history, Egyptian would have buried their dead
in the desert, resulting in natural mummification.
The secret to mummification is to be sure
moisture is removed so that bacteria does not
decay the body. Between the hot air and sand of
the desert, the body would become dehydrated
causing a mummy to be formed. Sometime
around 3,000 BCE is when scholars believe the
initial mummification process began. Purpose
The Egyptians were very religious and like
many other cultures, they believed in an
afterlife. For Egyptians, this meant an arduous
journey before being judged in the Hall of Two
Truths by the god Osiris and having their heart
weighed against the feather of truth, or Maat. A
big part of that journey meant making sure their
physical body was kept in good shape so that
their soul could move back and forth. The
Process of Mummification The actual process
embalmer who was a priest. The members of
high society, such as the pharaoh, could be
ensured of quality materials. You can tell a high-
ranking mummy by their wrappings which
would be made of the best linen money could
buy. The embalmer would take their time to be
sure the process was not rushed. It is estimated
that that mummification took seventy days.
Heiroglyphics 3000BC, used as a form of
documenting particularly of high priests, rich
young men, pharoahs, with 700 symbols/signs.
Minsan ginagamit din as designs sa temples, and
tombs nila.
Two categories : Idiogram- literal meaning for
the symbol ; phenogram- sounds; di ko nabanggt
pero the priests actually used it to document mga
important events like wars, story ng gods nila
and maski ng pharaos nila. It was disuse during
391AD by Byzantine emperor theodosius kasi
pinasara niya mga pagan temples meaning wala
mag iinterpret nung mga heiroglyphics since it
would take an egyptian to learn it yearsssss bago
ma master kaya not all are literate of using it.
Pero, after 1,500years si Jean-Francois
Champollion na discover nuya yun rosetta stone
na consist of the same same or similar symbols
ng heiroglyphics yun nga lang it is in greek
language.
Tas remember! First writing system is the
cuneiform ang heiroglyphics is first FORMAL
EGYPTIAN WRITING SYSTEM
The Pharaoh Pyramid in Egypt
Name: Pyramid of Giza or also known as Great
Pyramid. Kasama siya sa Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World
Nakatayo ang great pyramid sa west bank of the
nile river
1st Pyramid: Pharoah khufu- tallest pyramid,
with a height of 481.4ft. Largest Pyramid of the
world
2nd Pyrmaid: Pharoah Khafre- Middle pyramid,
son of Khufu. Height of 240ft long.
3rd Pyramid: Pharoah Menkaure- Shortest
Pyrmaid, Son of Menkaure. Height of 218ft
Side NOTES:
 Approx 2.3 million blocks yung ginamit
sa pyramid
 100,000 yung workers na gumawa
 Pwede ba pumasok sa pyramid? Yes,
makikita mo don Kings Chamber and
Grand Gallery.
 Ang mga bayad sa 100k workers para
gumawa ng pyramid eh mga libre sa
medical pag nasugatan, libre mga food
and drinks and tirahan.
 Kaya pointed ang pyramid bec
naniniwala sila na pointed din sa Sun
which is God nila yung sun, so mas
mataas din kasi iniisip nila the more na
mas mataas pyramid the more mas
malapit sila kay GOd.
 Kaya Impact Influenced modern
Architecture Example: Washington
Monument, back of the dollar bill, food
pyramid, symbol of Illuminati.
MODERN 19th century-now (GROUP 9)
1. TELEGRAPH
-A telegraph is any system that transmits
encoded information by signal across a
distance.
-In the 1830s, the British team of Cooke
and Wheatstone developed a telegraph
system with five magnetic needles that
could be pointed around a panel of
letters and numbers by using an electric
current. Their system was soon being
used for railroad signaling in Britain.
-During this time period, Samuel Morse,
worked to develop an electric telegraph
of his own which is the telegraph we
came to know now.
- In collaboration with Gale and Vail,
Morse eventually produced a single-
circuit telegraph. This action sent the
electric signal across a wire to a receiver
at the other end.
-Morse sent Vail the historic first
message: “What hath God wrought!” T
-Although the telegraph had fallen out of
widespread use by the start of the 21st
century, replaced by the telephone, fax
machine and Internet, it laid the
groundwork for the communications
revolution that led to those later
innovations.
2. TELEPHONE
 Invented and first patented by Alexander
Graham Bell in 1876 and it was first
called as the Electrical Speech Machine.
 Reason why Bell invented Telephone:
 A. Bell's mother and wife are deaf so he
wants to send voice signals down a
telegraph wire thus the creation of
telephone
 First phrase spoken over telephone:
 "Mr. Watson, come here - I want to see
you."
 (Thomas Watson - Bell's assistant)
 When picking up calls:
 Thomas Edison - Hello
 Alexander Graham Bell - Ahoy
 Today, "Hello" is the first word spoken
when picking up calls.
3. WALKIE-TALKIE
 -The walkie-talkie was first invented in
1937 by the Donald L. Hings, radio
engineer Alfred J. Gross, and
engineering teams at Motorola.
 -Reffered wireless sets, pack sets and
two-way field radios.
 -walkie-talkie’ was first coined by
journalists informing the public about
the then-new phenomenon.
 -Walkie-talkies and two-way radios
have come a long way since they were
first developed many decades ago.
 -When the Second World War broke out
in 1939, their benefits for soldiers
immersed in battle became clear.
 -They're particularly handy in places
where cellphone network coverage is
poor or unavailable (in disasters or
emergencies, for example)
 -police officers, military personnel, and
the organizers of public events.
4. PAGER
 Also known as beeper invented by alfred
gross in 1921. The first and simplest
form of paging, beepers provide a basic
alert to the user. They're called beepers
because the original version made a
beeping noise, but current pagers in this
category vary in the type of alert. Some
use audio signals, others light up and
some vibrate.
5. MOBILE PHONES
 Mobile phones were invented as early as
the 1940s when engineers working at
AT&T developed cells for mobile phone
base stations.
 The very first mobile phones were not
really mobile phones at all. They were
two-way radios that allowed people like
taxi drivers and the emergency services
to communicate.
 The first mobile phone invented 1983 is
the MOTOROLA DynaTAC 8000X the
invented for practical use by a Motorola
employee Martin Cooper who is widely
considered to be a key player in the
history of mobile phones
 The Nokia 3310 is one of the best
selling phones of all time. Between 2000
and 2005 Nokia sold 126 million of this
phone.
ROMAN INVENTIONS
1. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
- Roman roads and highways played
a pivotal role in the rise of the
Roman state, expanding all across
the Roman Republic and then the
Roman Empire. In a period of about
700 years, they built about 55,000
miles of paved highways around the
Mediterranean basin and across
Europe – a feat that ensured the fast
and efficient movement of goods,
soldiers, and information across the
entire empire. Roman roads usually
followed a straight route across the
countryside, making travel efficient
and fast. These expertly engineered
routes were easy to navigate and the
Romans were one of the first to use
road signs and mile markers. They
also made sure the majority of
highways were well protected and
patrolled.
- AQUEDUCTS Back in the times of
the Roman Empire and Republic,
the Romans enjoyed many facilities
which would not have been possible
had they not mastered the technique
of building aqueducts to transport
water from rivers, springs, and
reservoirs. The first Roman
aqueducts were built around 312 BC
and from then on took off as an
engineering marvel that used the
downhill flow of water to supply the
city centers. The entire aqueduct
network relied on various factors
and the use of gravity to maintain a
continuous flow, which made the
overall engineering concept
remarkable for its time. Once the
water reached bigger cities like
Rome, large reservoirs would then
contain it. The public baths,
fountains, toilets, and private villas
could then all tap into the network
and access the water. Being one of
the most visible symbols of the
ancient water transport system, the
aqueduct stands as a true testament
of ancient Roman engineering and
innovation
2. JULIAN CALENDAR
- Proposed by Julius Caesar in 36 BC
and replaced Roman calendar. As
the ancient Romans became the
biggest civilization of the ancient
Western world, they realized the
complications of maintaining a
standard calendar which could apply
to the whole empire. It did not help
that they introduced months with
odd numbers of days because of a
prevailing superstition against even
numbers. Eventually, the calendar
was so far from a regular timeline
that Julius Caesar implemented a
new reform, making the duration of
a solar year the basis for the
calendar. He also instituted the 12
months of the year. It is clear from
the name that the calendar was
named after Julius Caesar himself,
and some Eastern orthodox churches
use it to calculate holidays even
today. Even though it was a
seemingly perfect innovation for its
time, the Julian calendar
miscalculated the solar year by
about 11 and a half minutes. This
eventually led to the creation of the
Gregorian calendar that relied
heavily on the Julian model and was
adopted in 1582 AD. It is important
to historians because they use it to
record events as early as 1900’s. It
is still use in some countries such as
in North Africa, Mount athos and
orthodox churches to calculate the
moveable feast.
3. SURGICAL TOOLS
- The ancient Romans invented a
number of surgical tools and
techniques that led the way for
 subsequent developments in the
fields of medicine and surgery. The
Roman medical scene was heavily
influenced by surgical advances
achieved by the ancient Greeks.
Medical practitioners in ancient
Rome not only utilized all available
tools, but also developed many new
tools themselves and invented
procedures such as the cesarean
section. But they made the biggest
surgical leaps on the battlefield by
making field medicine a primary
concern. During the reign of
Augustus, a military medical corps
was established to assist injured
soldiers in battle. The Romans
mastered medical innovations to
curb immediate blood loss in battle,
thus saving thousands of lives. They
also invented tools like bronze
scalpels, obstetric hooks, bone drills,
and forceps, and also the rather
frighteningly named vaginal
speculum. The Romans are also
credited with pioneering the earliest
form of antiseptic surgery since they
used to dip medical tools in hot
water to disinfect them before
surgery.
4. SEWERS
- Background/History: Main point:
HYGIENE
- The ancient Romans were the first
to use the concepts of using proper
toilets and underground sewage
system. The engineers laid whole
cities above a systematized grid of
sewage lines, all interconnected with
chains of toilets and public baths. -
Originally designed to aid in the
removal of excess water from low-
lying during flood. - Studies of
Rome, Herculaneum, and Pompeii
have shown that Rome’s main goal
in the construction of most
sanitation systems was flood
management and the removal of
dirty water from areas where it
would hinder cleanliness, economic
growth, urban development, and
industry. Use - To manipulate the
flow of water for the purposes of
both waste removal and the
transportation of fresh water
- Importance: - Community
wastewater management and
adequate sewer systems play
important roles in sanitation and
disease prevention.
5. NEWSPAPER
- The history of newspapers goes far
back in time. The first proto-
newspaper appeared as early as 131
B.C. It was an ancient Roman daily
gazette called Acta Diurna (Daily
Acts sometimes translated as Daily
Public Records). Acta Diurna
informed citizens of political and
social happenings in ancient Rome.
News of events such as military
victories, gladiatorial bouts and
other games, births and deaths and
even human-interest stories were
inscribed on metal or stone and
posted in areas with heavy foot
traffic, such as the Roman Forum
where free citizens met to discuss
ideas, philosophy and politics.
Sometimes scribes made copies of
the Acta and sent them to provincial
governors for information. Later
emperors used them to announce
royal or senatorial decrees and
events of the court.
THE BABYLONIANS
Concept of Time
The Babylonians, who lived 5000 years ago in
today's Iraq southern region, were the first to
record astronomical phenomena that were
periodic, which means that they repeat. Driven
by a huge curiosity, they made observations over
long periods of time of the Moon, planets and
the stars, and were also the first to apply
mathematics to predict their motions. To better
measure the position and movement of the
celestial bodies, the Babylonians developed
instruments, some of them to be used by night,
others to be used during day time. This allowed
them to perform time measurements.
Babylonians observed the periodic movement of
the Sun and constructed the Sundial, which was
the first version of a Wall clock or a hand watch.
Using the Sundial the Babylonians divided the
day into twenty-four hours. From there on we
know what time it is and organise daily life
together.
Cuneiform
Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed
by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c.
3500-3000 BCE. It is considered the most
significant among the many cultural
contributions of the Sumerians and the greatest
among those of the Sumerian city of Uruk which
advanced the writing of cuneiform c. 3200 BCE.
There are 2 epics that was written in cuneiform
one is the epic of gilgamesh. This was also
written in clay, since this was there resource.
Cuneiform was mainly influenced by
Mesopotamian culture.
Mathematics
knowledge of Babylonian mathematics is
derived from some 400 clay tablets unearthed
since the 1850s. Written in Cuneiform script,
tablets were inscribed while the clay was moist,
and baked hard in an oven or by the heat of the
sun.
using symbols for singles, tens, and hundreds,
showing that they probably used a decimal
system for everyday life.
Early mathematics was essentially a form of
counting, and was used to count things like
sheep, crops and exchanged goods. Later it was
used to solve more sophisticated problems
related to irrigation and perhaps1 architecture
like for the measurement of plots of land, the
taxation of individuals, etc. In addition, the
Sumerians and Babylonians needed to describe
quite large numbers as they attempted to chart
the course of the night sky and develop their
sophisticated lunar calendar.
The majority of recovered clay tablets date from
1800 to 1600 BC, and cover topics that include
fractions, algebra, quadratic and cubic equations
and the Pythagorean theorem.
Imago Mundi
The Babylonian World Map, also known as
Imago Mundi is usually dated to the 6th - 7th
century BC and is the one of the oldest known
world maps (if not the oldest) and certainly the
most famous.A close-up view of the Babylonian
map of the World. This partially broken clay
tablet contains both cuneiform inscriptions and a
unique map of the Mesopotamian world.
Probably from Sippar, Mesopotamia, Iraq. 700-
500 BCE. The British Museum, London.
A close-up view of the Babylonian map of the
World. This partially broken clay tablet contains
both cuneiform inscriptions and a unique map of
the Mesopotamian world. Probably from Sippar,
Mesopotamia, Iraq. 700-500 BCE. The British
Museum, London. According to the Babylonian
view, this map represent the entire world known
to them. The tablet contains both a cuneiform
inscription and a unique map of the
Mesopotamian world at the time of Sargon
(2300 BC) as a circle surrounded by water, with
Babylon at its center.
GREECE( Ancient Greek Inventions)
1.ASTROLABE- by HIPPARCHUS ,ancient
"laptop" like or a multi function calculator
solving geometry and trigonometric function;
used in navigation,time keeping, astronomy and
for accurate measurements of the position of
celestial objects.
2. ANCHOR - (592 BC) by Eupalamus then
improved by Anacharsis. Prior to the Ancient
Greeks, ancient ships would often throw large
stones that were tied with ropes over the side of
the boats to keep them steady. The Ancient
Greeks solved this problem by creating the first
real anchors, which they often referred to as
“teeth”.
3. Waterwheel - started with the Pechora wheel
that use both water and gear technology. It is
invented in around 3rd Century BC and Philo of
Byzantium made the earliest known reference
about this in his work, Pneumatica and
Paraceuastica. The mill used the water to power
the mill and milled the grain to produce flour.
4. Alarm Clock- The Alarm Clock was invented
in the time of Ancient Greece. The idea of a
alarm clock came from a engineer called
Ctesibus. Time was tracked by a water clock.
Ctesibus made a system of dropping peddles on
a gong to make a sound which is the first alarm
clock. The dropping peddles were set to end at a
specific time. Then Pluto, also made his own
version of a alarm clock with vessels. His alarm
clock works by vessels filling up with water and
the peddles drip, hitting the floor and making a
sound. In Greece, the alarm clock could be used
in many ways. It can alert you when a hour goes
by or when it is time to eat. Since they didn't
have the technology we have, the alarm clock
was maybe the most advanced invention at the
time.
Classical Greece influenced the alarm clock in
many ways. Without a alarm clock, you may
wake up late for school and miss the bus. Alarm
clocks play a huge role in a adults life. Adults
work maybe 5 days per week and they have to
wake up very early to get ready. They can't even
be late or their boss will get mad. The problem
is, how do adults wake up so early? An alarm
clock goes off to what time they set it too. The
modern alarm clocks we have making a ringing
sound, showing the time.
5. Archimedes screw
popularly known as the Archimedes' screw and
also known as the screw pump, Archimedean
screw, or Egyptian screw,[1] is a machine used
for transferring water from a low-lying body of
water into irrigation ditches. It was invented by a
scientist name Archimedes.
It was used to empty water out of leaking ships
and flooded mines. Fields of crops were watered
by using the screw to pull water from lakes and
rivers. It was also used to reclaim flooded land,
for instance in Holland where much of the land
lies below sea level.
Today, there are many other uses for the
Archimedes screw. Things like grain, sand, and
sawdust flow in a similar way to water, and so
the Archimedes screw can be used to move them
as well.
Modern uses:
The Archimedes Screw is still used today in
some limited applications (usually electrically-
powered), and can range in size from a quarter
of an inch to nearly 4 meters (12 feet) in
diameter. A large screw or banks of screws may
be used to pump rainstorm runoff or to lift water
or wastewater, for example
CHINA
GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Started in 221 BC in regime of the First
Emperor Qin Shi Huang
 21, 196 km total Length all in all
 Largest Man-made Structure of the
world
 Largest Military defense project of the
world
 Symbol of Chinese civilizations
enduring strength
 Symbol to repel foreign influences and
exert control over the citizens
 As of today, it become a reminder that a
unified china, a unity of different
Chinese people who once divided now
united to stand for a better future for all
the Chinese people.
GUNPOWDER
 •A mix of Saltpeter, Sulfur, and
Charcoal
 •Discovered in 9th century China
 •Accidental discovery as Chinese
Alchemists wanted to find the Elixir of
Immortality
 • Used in rocket propulsion and guns
 •Gunpowder allowed the rapid
evolvement of warfare which then
shaped and molded all of the countries
as we see today.
EARLY CHINESE COMPASS – 400 BC
The first compass was used not to point
people in the right direction literally, but
figuratively.
Knowing what direction, you are facing
is a very valuable piece of information. This is
especially true if you are traveling: because you
can use the information to help find your way or
guide your safe return. There’s nothing much
worse than getting hopelessly lost in the woods
or successfully exploring a new frontier, only to
find that you have no idea how to make it back
home. Such problems were much more common
before the invention of the compass, an
instrument that indicates direction. Before the
compass, people had to rely on landmarks,
constellations, or other visual means to help
steer them in the right direction. This, of course,
caused difficulties under less than ideal
circumstances, such as a cloudy night or a dense
fog.
The first compasses, however, like the
one appearing here, were not designed for
navigation. Appearing in China around the 4th
century BC, primitive compasses showed people
the way not literally, but figuratively, helping
them order and harmonize their environments
and lives. served as designators of direction that
the Chinese primarily used to order and
harmonize their environments and lives. Today
many westerners are familiar with this kind of
use of direction as part of feng shui, an ancient
Chinese practice that has evolved into a
decorating trend. The earliest mention of a
compass and its use appears in The Book of the
Devil Valley Master. Its author notes that in
addition to its main purpose, the compass, or
“south pointer” as the Chinese called it, could be
carried with jade hunters to prevent them from
getting lost during their journeys.
People usually built early compasses
using lodestone, a special form of the mineral
magnetite that, as a natural permanent magnet,
aligns itself with the Earth’s magnetic field.
exhibits north-south polarity. Fashioned into the
shape of a spoon or ladle, the lodestone sat upon
a flat, square-shaped plate made of bronze,
which served as a representation of Earth. In the
center of the plate, was a large circle
representing the Heavens appeared in which the
lodestone was placed. This circle represented the
Heavens.
The lodestone spoon itself symbolized
the constellation the Great Bear (also called Ursa
Major), which contains the collection of stars
known as the Big Dipper. Because of the
properties of lodestone, the handle of the spoon
always pointed towards the south.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a form of treatment that
involves inserting very thin needles through a
person’s skin at different depths. This practice
was believed to restore balance to a person’s qi,
therefore healing sickness. Originally the
practice was done using sharpened animal bones
and stones before the discovery of metals. Its use
has been documented in the Esoteric scripture if
the Yellow Emperor, an ancient text that
contains the fundamental doctrinal source for
Chinese medicine.
PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS
Filipino invention #1: Bamboo incubator
Often, life finds a way — sometimes, even
earlier than expected. Premature babies (infants
born before the mother’s 37th week of
pregnancy) are typically underdeveloped and
low in body fat percentage, inhibiting their
ability to maintain their normal body
temperature. The modern medical incubator
addresses this; however, not all people who need
it have access to such technology. This is a
particularly serious problem in rural areas,
where such devices are generally inaccessible.
Fortunately, a solution came in the form of the
first Filipino invention on this list: the bamboo
incubator, widely credited as the brainchild
of Dr. Fe del Mundo. This makeshift device is
relatively inexpensive and easy to reproduce,
making it ideal for use in rural communities and
areas with no electricity. Developing this
ingenious take on a life-saving machine, though,
is far from her only accomplishment. In 1936,
Dr. del Mundo became a Research Fellow in
Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
In addition, Dr. Del Mundo was the first woman
to be recognized as a National Scientist here in
the Philippines, way back in 1980. In addition to
all that, her passion for pediatrics and medicine
led her to establish the Children’s Medical
Center, the first pediatric hospital in the
Philippines. Truly, Dr. del Mundo is a pioneer
thinker, and an inspiration for Filipino women.
Filipino invention #2: Erythromycin
Antibiotics are typically prescribed to us by our
doctors as a remedy to ailments caused by
microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi.
Nowadays, most antibiotics are synthetically
created in laboratories by pharmacists and
chemists. Before the onset of modern medicine,
however, humans depended on nature in order to
deal with disease-causing microorganisms.
The first-ever antibiotic, Penicillin, was
discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1926 after a
mould termed Penicillium notatum contaminated
one of his experiments. That kicked off a race to
discover all sorts of antibiotics from plants,
insects, and even marine organisms.
Many followed this path to discovery,
including Dr. Abelardo Aguilar. In 1949, via soil
samples he obtained from his backyard, Dr.
Aguilar stumbled upon 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘴
𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘦(now 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢
𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘢), the bacteria that would lead to the
discovery of erythromycin. Erythromycin is an
antibiotic used in treating infections of the
respiratory tract, Legionnaire’s disease, and
diphtheria, as well as urinary tract infections and
sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis.
During that time, Dr. Aguilar worked under Eli
Lily Co., a pharmaceutical company from the
United States. The company marketed
erythromycin under the brand name Ilosone,
earning billions of dollars from the drug.
Unfortunately, international patent laws stood in
the way of him getting his fair share of the fruits
of his discovery. His 40-year struggle to receive
royalties from the drug he discovered ended
when he died at the age of 76.
As former Philippine Health Secretary Juan
Flavier put it: “Dr Aguilar has contributed so
much in the discovery of erythromycin. It is sad
to hear that he got nothing out of it.”
Filipino invention #3: Challenge 21
Even in this digitally connected age, people still
love playing board games. You’ve probably
tried some of the more popular ones, such
as chess, checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble, Game
of the Generals, or Snake and Ladders.
Chances are you may have heard of — or
perhaps even tried — Challenge 21, a relatively
new board game invented by, you guessed it, a
Filipino. The mind behind this remarkable
Filipino invention is Mr. Leonardo Meija Yu, a
68-year-old retired economics professor and
Philippine Ports Authority officer.
The board game borrows and incorporates
aspects from games such as tic-tac-toe, scrabble,
bingo, chess, and (according to the creator
himself) even basketball. The game, which can
be played by up to 4 players, was designed to
promote and develop abstract thinking,
observation, and impromptu strategizing.
Mr. Yu has received recognition for his
invention, including the TUKLAS Award at the
National Invention Contest and Exhibit (NICE)
in Pasay City.
Filipino invention #4: Mango flowering
The Philippines is a major source of mangoes in
the world. With million worth of exports in 2015
alone, the country ranks seventh in the global
market. Regions such as Ilocos, Central Luzon,
and Western Visayas are among the country’s
biggest producers of this seasonal fruit. The
operative word here, of course, is “seasonal,” as
mangoes only flower during a specific period in
the year. For quite some time, Filipinos relied on
smudging –the use of smoke from burning
materials — to keep up with the demand for
mangoes.
National Scientist Ramon Barba, however, had a
different idea.
Barba believed that smudging was tedious and
expensive. Furthermore, the process also emits
pollutants into the atmosphere. He proposed an
alternative: the use of a chemical spray called
Etherel (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid). His idea
was met with derision and rejected for
experiments, until one day, his friends Mr. and
Mrs. Jose Quimson allowed him to conduct a
trial using 400 mango trees. And the rest, as they
say, is history.
In 2008, a documentary from the World
Intellectual Property Office highlighted Barba’s
discovery:
The prolific mango production in the Philippines
is due in large measure to the ingenuity of one
man (Barba) … His invention, widely used
today, revolutionized the Philippine mango
industry, making the crop one of the country’s
top export earners.”
Even though Barba held the patent to the
process, he charged no royalties for it. With the
chemical being cheap and readily accessible, this
allowed many mango farmers to benefit from his
idea, leading to the boom in the mango industry
that we enjoy today.