Modern invention is often conveyed as a march toward progress, led by diligent workers trying to make the world a better place. But in his new book, Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World, Steven Johnson argues that many of society’s greatest advancements started as jokes and games.
Consider the mechanical flutes and peacock-shaped soap dispensers that scholars say were popular in the Middle Ages; the gadgets were trivial, but the mechanical processes invented to power them would later be used to make robots, steam engines and more. Similarly, the technology behind automatons like dancing dolls, popular around the turn of the 19th century, inspired Charles Babbage to invent the Analytical Engine, widely considered to be the first programmable computer.
Looking for a glimpse of the future today? More often than not, Johnson concludes, you will find it “wherever people are having the most fun.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com