Most Things Worth Doing Are Hard.
But humans are pretty good at doing hard things.
15 EPIC achievements and their cost in lives and treasure, from 2600 BC to the present:
But humans are pretty good at doing hard things.
15 EPIC achievements and their cost in lives and treasure, from 2600 BC to the present:
The Great Pyramid of Giza
What: largest pyramid ever built, served as a tomb for Egyptian king Khufu.
When: built over 20+ years around 2600 BC
Cost: required 2.3 million blocks of stone and a daily workforce of 20K laborers.
Impact: tallest building in world for 3,800 yrs
What: largest pyramid ever built, served as a tomb for Egyptian king Khufu.
When: built over 20+ years around 2600 BC
Cost: required 2.3 million blocks of stone and a daily workforce of 20K laborers.
Impact: tallest building in world for 3,800 yrs
The Great Wall of China
What: 15-50 feet high, 13,000 miles long
When: began around 5th century B.C. and continued for 2,000 years
Cost: workforce in millions. Estimated 400,000 people died during construction.
Impact: largest architectural project ever undertaken
What: 15-50 feet high, 13,000 miles long
When: began around 5th century B.C. and continued for 2,000 years
Cost: workforce in millions. Estimated 400,000 people died during construction.
Impact: largest architectural project ever undertaken
The Printing Press
What: Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press that made mass book production possible.
When: 1455
Cost: Gutenberg spent years perfecting his invention in secrecy, borrowing vast sums.
Impact: a revolution in knowledge sharing and literacy.
What: Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press that made mass book production possible.
When: 1455
Cost: Gutenberg spent years perfecting his invention in secrecy, borrowing vast sums.
Impact: a revolution in knowledge sharing and literacy.
Circumnavigation
What: Ferdinand Magellan led an expedition of 5 ships around the world.
When: 1519-1522
Cost: only 1 ship with 18 of 260 men returned to Spain. Many died of disease. Magellan was killed in the Philippines
Impact: revealed the extent of the Earth
What: Ferdinand Magellan led an expedition of 5 ships around the world.
When: 1519-1522
Cost: only 1 ship with 18 of 260 men returned to Spain. Many died of disease. Magellan was killed in the Philippines
Impact: revealed the extent of the Earth
Telephone
What: enabled voice communication over long distances
When: researched from 1840's onward. Alexander Graham Bell's patent approved in 1876.
Cost: unknown
Impact: by 1905 over 2 million phones existed, transforming long-distance communication forever.
What: enabled voice communication over long distances
When: researched from 1840's onward. Alexander Graham Bell's patent approved in 1876.
Cost: unknown
Impact: by 1905 over 2 million phones existed, transforming long-distance communication forever.
Electricity
What: electrical current used to produce heat, light, etc.
When: 19th century
Cost: Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb before succeeding in 1879.
Impact: Electricity has transformed life and underpins most modern innovation.
What: electrical current used to produce heat, light, etc.
When: 19th century
Cost: Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb before succeeding in 1879.
Impact: Electricity has transformed life and underpins most modern innovation.
Wright Brothers' Flight
What: Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft
When: 1903
Cost: <$28K, which the brothers earned from their bicycle business
Impact: sustained flight transformed warfare and travel forever.
What: Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft
When: 1903
Cost: <$28K, which the brothers earned from their bicycle business
Impact: sustained flight transformed warfare and travel forever.
Antibiotics
What: Penicillin was first mass-produced antibiotic
When: bacteria's role in infections understood in 19th century. Mass production of penicillin began during WWII.
Cost: unknown
Impact: Infections were leading cause of death, now treated routinely.
What: Penicillin was first mass-produced antibiotic
When: bacteria's role in infections understood in 19th century. Mass production of penicillin began during WWII.
Cost: unknown
Impact: Infections were leading cause of death, now treated routinely.
Nuclear Weapons
What: scientists split or join atoms to create massive amounts of energy in explosive devices
When: first nuclear explosion July 16, 1945
Cost: Manhattan Project cost $23 billion in today's dollars
Impact: reduced likelihood of WWIII
What: scientists split or join atoms to create massive amounts of energy in explosive devices
When: first nuclear explosion July 16, 1945
Cost: Manhattan Project cost $23 billion in today's dollars
Impact: reduced likelihood of WWIII
Solar Energy
What: harnessing light as an energy source
When: photovoltaic effect discovered in 1839, allowing people to make electricity with light. First solar cell invented 1949.
Cost: $100Ms in research funded each year
Impact: 2% of world's electricity is solar (2019)
What: harnessing light as an energy source
When: photovoltaic effect discovered in 1839, allowing people to make electricity with light. First solar cell invented 1949.
Cost: $100Ms in research funded each year
Impact: 2% of world's electricity is solar (2019)
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
What: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin traveled 240,000 miles in 76 hours to became first humans on the moon.
When: July 20, 1969
Cost: ~400,000 workers and $100 billion in today's dollars.
Impact: Cold War achievement. Inspiration to future generations
What: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin traveled 240,000 miles in 76 hours to became first humans on the moon.
When: July 20, 1969
Cost: ~400,000 workers and $100 billion in today's dollars.
Impact: Cold War achievement. Inspiration to future generations
Smallpox Eradication
What: Global vaccination campaign
When: Smallpox existed for >3,000 years. Killed 300 million since 1900 alone. W.H.O. launched eradication campaign in 1959, officially ended 1980.
Cost: $300 million
Impact: Millions of lives saved annually.
What: Global vaccination campaign
When: Smallpox existed for >3,000 years. Killed 300 million since 1900 alone. W.H.O. launched eradication campaign in 1959, officially ended 1980.
Cost: $300 million
Impact: Millions of lives saved annually.
Human Genome Project
What: scientists mapped 3 billion base pairs in human genome
When: 1990 - 2003
Cost: $1 billion. Now costs <$1,000 and takes only a few days.
Impact: improved understanding of genetic disease, enabling new treatments and predicting their effectiveness.
What: scientists mapped 3 billion base pairs in human genome
When: 1990 - 2003
Cost: $1 billion. Now costs <$1,000 and takes only a few days.
Impact: improved understanding of genetic disease, enabling new treatments and predicting their effectiveness.
Three Gorges Dam
What: world's largest power station, generates 95 terrawatt-hours per year
When: built 1994-2015
Cost: $30+ billion, 60,000 workers, 27M cubic meters of concrete and enough steel for 63 Eiffel Towers.
Impact: electrical output covered costs in < 10 yrs
What: world's largest power station, generates 95 terrawatt-hours per year
When: built 1994-2015
Cost: $30+ billion, 60,000 workers, 27M cubic meters of concrete and enough steel for 63 Eiffel Towers.
Impact: electrical output covered costs in < 10 yrs
Coronavirus Vaccine
What: successful vaccine against COVID-19
When: first FDA-approved mRNA vaccines in 2020
Cost: 1,000's of scientists + billions spent to produce new vaccine in record time (<1 yr)
Impact: millions of lives saved, hastened economic recovery
What: successful vaccine against COVID-19
When: first FDA-approved mRNA vaccines in 2020
Cost: 1,000's of scientists + billions spent to produce new vaccine in record time (<1 yr)
Impact: millions of lives saved, hastened economic recovery
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I tweet about marketing, startups and human ingenuity. Follow me at @bbourque
Thanks for reading!
I tweet about marketing, startups and human ingenuity. Follow me at @bbourque
Thanks for reading!
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