An important consequence of the Scientific Revolution was the effect it had on people's attitudes
towards science and technology. There was a growing confidence that science could accomplish anything.
This belief, more than actual scientific inquiry, helped to bring about the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Age was principally powered by steam. The steam engine found use in many places, from
factories to trains to ships. For a short time, hybrid sail-steam vessels cruised the seas. In
factories, the concept of standardized products with interchangeable parts allowed manufacturing
to become cheaper and more efficient. Firearms were among the first products to benefit from such
mass production methods. Various design modifications further improved the quality of guns:
breach-loading, rifled barrels, and percussion-fired bullets all became standard during this period.
Several scientific breakthroughs made major impacts on civilization. In medicine, the germ theory of
disease was highly influential. Pasteurization and antiseptics, which kill microorganisms, contributed
to the near doubling of life expectancies over the next 150 years. Darwin's Theory of Evolution,
coupled with Gregor Mendel's work on heredity and genetics, made possible a deeper understanding
of life on earth.
Electricity, previously a scientific curiosity, found its first practical applications in the
Industrial Age. Once the first electric batteries and generators were invented, electric power
became available to perform all sorts of feats. The electric motor was developed to convert
electrical energy into mechanical energy. The telegraph, followed closely by the telephone,
revolutionized communications. And the incandescent light bulb lit up the night.
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