10 Everyday Products That Used to Be Completely Different
From gritty toothpaste to self-driving cars, everyday products have transformed dramatically over time, evolving from crude inventions to the sleek, high-tech essentials we rely on today.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Products we now take for granted in our everyday lives began as radically different, sometimes even crude, devices. From bone-crushing ancient toothpaste to the development of cars from hand-cranked contraptions to autonomous wonder vehicles, the changes show us how innovation dominates our existence. Delving into these changes is an interesting peep into the human imagination and the never-say-die spirit to enhance the world.
1. Toothpaste
莎莉 彭 from Unsplash
Ancient toothpaste was not a minty gel but a gritty paste of ground bones, oyster shells, and charcoal. Egyptians employed a mixture of ashes and burnt eggshells, while the Romans used added flavorings such as bark and powdered mouse brains for “freshness.” Contemporary toothpaste, smooth in texture and containing fluoride to prevent cavities, only gained popularity in the 20th century.
2. Phones
Đức Trịnh from Unsplash
The early telephones were huge, wooden phones with a handle you cranked to produce a signal. It was brief when you spoke, and you had to yell at the receiver. At present, we are using sleek, glass smartphones that can act as a camera, video game players, and global connectivity hubs.
3. Coffee
Clay Banks from Unsplash
Before coffee became the popular brewed drink, East African tribes used to grind coffee berries and blend them with animal fat to create energy-dense snack balls. It wasn’t until the 15th century that humans started roasting and brewing the beans as a beverage. Now, it’s a worldwide ritual with limitless varieties, ranging from espresso shots to pumpkin spice lattes.
4. Television
Diego González from Unsplash
Early televisions of the 1920s were mechanical, with very small, blurry screens and revolving disks to provide moving images. These grainy images could hardly display shadows, much less high-definition detail. Today’s ultra-thin, 8K smart TVs can provide lifelike images and stream content from anywhere in the world with just a click.
5. Shoes
Paul Gaudriault from Unsplash
The earliest shoes were crude, utilitarian wraps of animal skins made only for protection. Left and right were not distinguished, and comfort was a luxury. Today, footwear combines high-tech ergonomics, aesthetics, and technology—consider sneakers that monitor your steps or shoes that lace up by themselves.
6. Maps
Annie Spratt from Unsplash
Centuries past, maps were drawn by hand, frequently based on rumor and fantasy, leading to wildly inaccurate representations of the world. Some even had mythical beasts to cover up areas unknown. Now, GPS mapping gives real-time, pinpoint-accurate directions, available from a device that fits in your pocket.
7. Ice Cream
ian dooley from Unsplash
Ancient Romans loved ice blended with honey and fruits, while early Chinese versions blended milk with rice and then froze it. The rich, churned dessert we enjoy today didn’t become popular until the invention of refrigeration. Today, it comes in a limitless variety of flavors, ranging from traditional vanilla to exotic ones such as lavender or chili chocolate.
8. Lighting
Salohiddin Kamolov from Unsplash
Individuals used to depend on open fires from torches or oil lamps to illuminate their dwellings, complete with attendant smoke and fire risks. Animal-fat candles were an expensive indulgence. Today, LED technology provides clean, glowing, and tunable light at the touch of a switch.
9. Clocks
insung yoon from Unsplash
Early clocks were massive systems driven by weights and gears, sometimes filling a whole room in medieval churches. They weren’t even particularly accurate, losing hours in a day sometimes. Today’s atomic clocks, on the other hand, can measure time to the billionth of a second, making them precise enough for such things as GPS systems and internet data streaming.
10. Cars
Campbell from Unsplash
The early cars were sluggish, open-air vehicles powered by steam or gas engines, hand-cranked to start, and with no safety features whatsoever. They were noisy, temperamental, and the exclusive domain of the rich. Today, we have electric cars that can drive, park, and move quietly with little harm to the environment.