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Reality TV -

Back in 1973, there was a TV show called 'An American Family,' which followed the real life of Pat and Bill Loud, and their children.

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Vending machines -

Hero of Alexandria also came up with a vending machine-like invention that allowed people in Ancient Egypt to buy limited amounts of holy water with a coin-operated system.

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Brain surgery -

An ancient grave was found in Ensisheim, France. A skull was discovered, which showed signs of holes that had healed, caused by surgery.

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Text message slang -

People started sending telegrams in the late 19th century, and they were charged by the letter. Therefore they would abbreviate words, like in modern text messages.

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Contact lenses -

The concept for the contact lens was invented by Leonardo da Vinci, who suggested that the cornea could be improved by contact with water.

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Soda -

The first soda dates back to 1783, when Switzerland native J.J. Schweppe started selling soda water in Geneva.

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Telephone -

The first telephone came long before Alexander Graham Bell. It was invented by the Chimu civilization in Peru, and consists of gourds and twine.

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Video games -

A physics professor named Thomas Goldsmith, Jr. invented the first video game in the 1940s. He achieved this by connecting a cathode ray tube to an oscilloscope.

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Central heating -

The ancient Romans had a system called a hypocaust, which would circulate warm air under the floor and into the walls.

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Digital music player -

More than two decades before the iPod was launched, the IXI System was created. The portable music player was invented in 1979 by Kane Kramer and James Campbell.

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Animation -

The first moving images were discovered in cave paintings in Lascaux, France. The effect was created through observing the walls in the light of oil-burning lamps.

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Toilet paper -

The first record of paper being used in the bathroom comes from Chinese scholar Yan Zhitui in 589 CE.

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Escalators -

Nathan Ames was a lawyer and poet who invented the escalator in 1859. He described it as "revolving stairs."

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Batteries -

The first battery dates back to 250 BCE, and was discovered in Iraq. It was capable of producing up to two volts of electricity.

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Automatic doors -

The first automatically opening door was invented by the Greek mathematician and engineer Hero of Alexandria.

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Computer -

The first computer was invented in 1821 by British mathematician Charles Babbage. It was enormous, and was effectively a giant calculator.

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The Seismoscope -

The first machine to detect earthquakes was devised by Chinese inventor Zhang Heng in 132 CE.

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Social media -

In 16th century Netherlands, there was a system whereby books were passed around from friend to friend, and new "posts" were entered.

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Flamethrower -

The Syrian engineer Callinicus invented the flamethrower in 678 CE. Highly combustible fluid was released from a siphon, and would turn into flames when hitting its target.

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Music streaming -

New York resident Thaddeus Cahill invented the Telharmonium in 1898. It transmitted music to restaurants and hotels by telephone.

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Nintendo -

The Japanese company was founded in 1889, and was initially just a small company that specialized in playing cards.

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Fast food -

Ancient Romans were able to buy hot food from street vendors. The typical dish would involve meat, cheese, and lentils, and would be served with wine.

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Submarines -

Mathematician William Bourne came up with the prototype for the submarine back in the 1500s, but didn't live long enough to see his invention come to fruition.

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3D films -

This art form is far older than you think. The 1922 silent film 'The Power of Love' was the first 3D cinematic motion picture.

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Fax machine -

The first fax machine was invented by Scottish mechanic Alexander Bain in 1843, and transmitted images in the same way a telegram transmitted text.

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Color film -

The first color film was created by chemist and photographer Edward Raymond Turner in 1899, 40 years before they hit theater screens.

See also: Inventors killed by their own inventions

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