8 ancient technologies that are re-emerging

There seems to be no place for obsolete technology in our digital world. It’s not true; the ancient inventions that our ancestors used are becoming popular again. But once, these technologies were predicted that they would soon be forgotten.

Sailing ships

The sail was invented a little later than boats, and it has been in use for thousands of years, allowing you to sail rivers and seas at a fairly high speed. With the industrial revolution and the creation of steam engines, sailing ships gradually began to be supplanted by ships of their power. Then diesel and atom came, and boats, driven by the wind, disappeared, remaining only in sports and hobbies.

But in our time, interest in sailing ships is reviving. These are no longer those primitive boats but modern ships, the sails of which are similar in shape to the wing of an airplane. When the wind fills the fabric, it creates a lot of force. Instead of lifting the ship into the air, it pushes the ship forward. Some sails resemble giant kites. In addition, solar panels are installed on one side of them, which allow charging batteries for autonomous operation in the absence of wind.

The sailing structure is of interest to engineers on Earth and in space. Engineers are designing satellites with solar sails that can move in space due to the wind from our main luminary.

Vinyl records

Vinyl records were invented in the late 19th century and were the only way to listen to music for a long time. Later, cassettes appeared, and then CDs. It was predicted that these media would replace vinyl in a short time, and it would be forgotten forever.

Cassettes have long gone to the dustbin of history, discs are still on sale, but there is practically no demand for them, even MP3-players have disappeared, and vinyl is the most alive. Interest in this medium is constantly growing, confirmed by the opening of offline and online stores with records and the release of well-known manufacturers of vinyl players. The main thing for which vinyl is appreciated is a warmer natural sound, of course, on tube technology.

Trams

Trams were invented back in the 19th century, and during their existence, they switched from horse-drawn to electric traction. Gradually, tram lines began to disappear in favor of the expansion of highways. This transport seemed clumsy, slow, and unprofitable.

But today, the trams are making a comeback. Moreover, they are becoming even more popular than the metro because it is not necessary to drill tunnels underground for the construction of new branches. Modern cars accelerate to more than 60 kilometers per hour and have a comfortable low-floor design, making this transport accessible to all population segments. Importantly, they allow you to get without traffic jams from one point to another.

Developing cities are designing new lines, correcting the mistakes of past generations, who decided that the tram was outdated technology. This eco-friendly and fast transport is on trend again.

Home canning

Home canning has not gone anywhere, but interest has constantly fallen. Indeed, why canned foods when they can be bought in a store and quite inexpensively. Now interest in homemade canned food is growing, primarily due to people’s craving for healthy food.

Even expensive purchased canned food contains preservatives, which does not correspond to the concept of proper nutrition. In addition, the spice sets, the ratio of salt and acid in industrial canned food do not suit many buyers.

As a result, the good old ritual of rolling vegetables, berries, fruits, all that tasty and healthy that is pleasant to open on a cold winter evening, returns.

Instant photos

“Polaroids” – cameras capable of printing photographs immediately after a shot appeared in the late 1940s. In our country, the boom for these cameras came in the early 90s. But with the arrival of more or less high-quality digital cameras, Polaroids disappeared from the shop windows.

Polaroid counterparts became popular again after releasing models capable of instantly printing photos from social networks, such as Instagram. Combining retro with digital technology has proven to be a successful solution and has made instant photography in demand again.

Roman concrete

The Romans built their buildings from concrete 2 thousand years ago. It was not the Portland concrete we are used to today, but the so-called Roman concrete: a mixture of sand, lime, volcanic rock, and gravel. From it was built, for example, “Pantheon” in 128 AD. It has been standing for almost 2 thousand years and does not deform. Scientists have found out that this is due to the extraordinary strength of the components, due to the interaction between the seawater and the alkaline environment.

Such durability is inaccessible to modern types of concrete, which can withstand several decades of environmental influences. Revealing the secret of the Romans, the industry is turning more and more attention to this technology. Such concrete is cheaper to manufacture, less susceptible to moisture, and less harmful to the environment.

Paper books

Paper books were predicted to disappear after the advent of e-books. Their sales dropped in the early part of the last decade when electronic options were trending. But after a few years, interest in digital media disappeared, and the popularity of paper copies returned.

This is due to the special atmosphere created by paper books. Their smell, the rustling of the pages, the clarity of the printed characters – all this attracts people.

Electric cars

Electric cars are not the brainchild of Elon Musk. The invention is not even the 20th century. The very first mass-produced cars were just electric cars, and only later did gasoline and diesel engines appear. But due to the limitations of the 19th century and primitive batteries, this technology was forgotten for many decades because liquid-fueled cars had great autonomy.

At the end of the 20th century, there were attempts to return electric vehicles to mass production, but without much success. And only at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, interest in electric vehicles increase. Today, all well-known automakers are fighting for buyers’ wallets, releasing their models of electric cars with a fairly large autonomy.