Technology old and new in the England and America

Technology old and new in the England and America

England and America have been two of the leading countries in the world in inventing technologies and using them.
When America was first settled, it took months to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The Fulton steamship, invented in the USA in 1807, shortened the trip to a matter of weeks. The aeroplane, which was first flown by Americans in 1903, has shortened the trip to six hours, although the Concorde does it in even less! (Find out how long it takes). The trip has also become a lot cheaper over the years.
Railroads were built across the United States in the 1800s. they helped unite the western areas with the east. Nowadays high speed trains have speeded up this form of travel, too, making it even more comfortable and convenient.
The first underground railways were built in London and New York and now they, too, have become the most popular means of transport in all the larger cities across the globe.
The Channel Tunnel, or “Chunnel”, opened in 1994. It goes under the English Channel to France. It is the first physical link between Britain and the European Continent in recorded history.
Today cars are the main means of travel and the production of cars is one of the largest industries in the western world. But cars have their drawbacks – fuel consumption, air pollution, road maintenance and, last but no means least, accidents.
America and the Soviet Union had a race to send a man to the moon in the 1960s. America supposedly got there first.
Since the Cold War ended, America and Russia have been co-operating on manned space shuttle missions, along with Europe and Japan. Unmanned explorations also continue. The “Galileo” spacecraft visited the planet Mars – known as the Red Planet – has become the target for many scientists. Water is present on Mars in the shape of ice, which has been discovered thanks to satellite screening. The former sci-fi dream of colonizing this planet could well become reality. In fact, plans are being made to send couples to settle there, taking with them the advanced technologies required for reproducing an atmosphere enabling earthlings (that’s us!) to live there.