1961 gave us some technological discoveries & inventions. We have written a list of the top 5 inventions that were made in the year 1961
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Electronic spreadsheet
Invented by – Richard Mattessich
Richard Victor Alvarus Mattessich was an Austrian-Canadian business economist and Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of British Columbia. He is best known for pioneering analytical and philosophical methods in accounting, as well as introducing the concept of electronic spreadsheets into the field of business accounting in 1961. An electronic spreadsheet (or simply a'spreadsheet') is a computerised version of the classic paper spreadsheet used by accountants. It stores numeric data in two-dimensional tables and displays the results of calculations performed on the data.
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Wearable computer
Invented by – Edward O. Thorp and Claude Shannon
In 1961, Thorps and Shannon devised the wearable computer. The author's first wearable computer idea was to predict roulette in 1955, culminating in a collaboration with Claude Shannon at M.I.T. in 1960-61. Shannon's basement home lab was used to test the final operational version in June 1961. When betting on the most popular "octant," the cigarette pack-sized analogue device provided an estimated gain of +44 percent. In the summer of 1961, the Shannons and Thorps tested the computer in Las Vegas. The projections were in line with the laboratory's predicted gain of 44%, but a minor hardware issue put a stop to long-term betting.
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Frozen carbonated beverage
Invented by – Omar Knedlik
Omar S. Knedlik was a businessman and entrepreneur from the United States. He was most recognised for inventing the ICEE frozen drink, which he created in 1961. Knedlik didn't have a soda fountain, thus bottled soft drinks were served semi-frozen. He discovered that these were extremely popular, so he collaborated with a Dallas firm to create the ICEE machine. He spent five years perfecting the consistency of slushy soft drinks. The first ICEE machines were sold in the United States in the mid-1960s.
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Biofeedback
Invented by – Neal Miller
Miller is well recognised for being the first person to recognise and promote biofeedback, which he did in 1961. He demonstrated in an experiment that people can learn to control their heart rate and digestion in the same way they can learn to walk. He was one of the first scientists to use electricity or chemicals to stimulate the brains of rats in order to induce sensations such as hunger or worry. Many of Miller's ideas have since been expanded and added to, but he is credited with developing the majority of the basic concepts of biofeedback. Miller discovered biofeedback while experimenting with rats and conditioning.
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Cordless Tools
Invented by – Black and Decker
In 1961, Black & Decker introduced the first cordless power tool. Martin Marietta Corporation hired Black & Decker to design tools for NASA in the mid-1960s. For the Gemini project, the tool business created a zero-impact wrench that spun bolts in zero gravity without spinning the astronaut. For the Apollo moon programme, Black & Decker created a cordless rotary hammer drill. The drill, which could function at severe temperatures and in zero-atmosphere conditions, was used to collect rock samples from the moon's surface. Black & Decker developed a number of spinoffs, including cordless, lightweight, battery-powered precision medical tools and the Dustbuster, a cordless tiny vacuum cleaner.
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