Innovation That Changed History -- Compass

Innovation That Changed History -- Compass

Jui Wang

Where would we be without the compass? We'd be lost, that's where. The compass is a navigational tool that uses the magnetic poles of the earth to find magnetic north. It is an extremely powerful invention that changed the world forever. It improves the safety and efficiency of travel, helps make bigger discoveries, and harmonizes environments and buildings.

The first reason the compass is the best invention of all time is that it greatly improved the safety and efficiency of travel, especially oceanic navigation. Ancient mariners navigated by the stars, but that method didn't work during the day or on cloudy nights, and so it was unsafe to voyage far from land. With the compass, explorers would not get lost as easily because of inaccurate signs like seaweed and dead fish in the water [1] (both of which were used before compasses were invented). Since the compass helps us to determine the correct direction, it has become very important to map makers and for the navigation of ships. Those of us who hike in the woods or fly various aircraft have the compass to thank for guiding us home safely.

Another reason the compass is a great invention is that it helped make great discoveries. If Columbus had not picked up his compass and set out on a mission to go around the world then we might not be living in the States. The compass has been also used by some of the most famous people in history: Chinese explorer Zheng He, who used the compass as a navigational device; and Marco Polo, who is said to have carried a compass with him when he returned to Venice after twenty years serving the Kublai Khan Court [2]. The Vikings used the compass [3], as did Arab traders and Pirates. Therefore, the compass has crossed the world with its extraordinary power, and everyone from ordinary people to royalty has used it to guide the way to new places and back home.