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From Oral Tradition to Ballpoint Pens |
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In the present day, armed with a mere twenty-six letters, we possess the
ability to correspond with our friends through written letters or tackle the
challenges of examination questions. However, countless centuries ago, such
a writing system did not exist. News, knowledge, and information were
relayed orally, from one individual to another. If you have ever engaged in
the game of "rumor clinic," where a message is whispered from person to
person, you would comprehend the inherent inefficiency of this method. As
messages were passed along, they became unreliable due to speakers
potentially misinterpreting or omitting portions of the information.
The earliest form of written language was conceived by primitive cave
dwellers. They fashioned rudimentary brushes by tying together animal hair
and depicted their hunting experiences on cave walls through paintings.
Several centuries later, diverse writing systems emerged, such as Chinese
characters and Egyptian hieroglyphs. The alphabetical system we employ today
came into being only after many decades of development.
In addition to the alphabetic characters themselves, the invention of
writing tools also marked a significant transition. In ancient times, the
choice of writing tool was contingent upon the medium used for writing. For
instance, in regions abundant in clay, like the Middle East, early
civilizations employed hollow reed "pens" to inscribe messages onto wet clay
tablets. These clay tablets were subsequently baked to transform them into
durable artifacts, ensuring the longevity of the writings. In ancient Egypt,
Egyptians wrote either on thin, scraped animal skins referred to as
"parchment" or flattened stems of the papaya plant known as "papyrus." Their
writing instrument resembled a primitive version of the modern fountain pen,
featuring a reed filled with ink.
It was not until the 1880s that fountain pens were invented. Prior to this,
individuals primarily utilized quill pens made from sharpened bird feathers
or nibbed pens, which necessitated dipping into ink before writing. Later
iterations of fountain pens offered both advantages and drawbacks. With
miniature ink reservoirs, fountain pens surpassed quill or nibbed pens as
the ink lasted longer without needing frequent replenishment. However, a
disadvantage lay in the possibility of the nibs breaking, causing ink to
leak and stain the writer's fingers.
The shortcomings of fountain pens spurred further investigation, ultimately
leading to the successful invention of the first "ballpoint" pen by a
Hungarian named Ladislao Biro. Numerous individuals subsequently endeavored
to enhance the appearance and functionality of ballpoint pens. Nowadays,
ballpoint pens have become commonplace tools, widely and conveniently
utilized across the globe. |
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