Key Innovations That Shaped Humanity

Controlled fire didn't just cook food, it literally rewired our brains.

Around 400,000 years ago, when humans mastered fire control, they started cooking

meat. This made digestion incredibly efficient, freeing up energy that was previously

used for breaking down raw food. That extra energy went straight to our brains,

making them bigger and more complex. Second invention, the wheel. But they didn't

use it for transportation initially. The Sumerians invented it 5,500 years ago specifically for

making pottery. It took 300 years before someone thought to put it on a cart. Third invention,

agriculture. This changed everything because it made us settle down, created food surpluses,