The CES tech show (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show) displays the newest and wackiest ideas in tech. But the Bible tells us “there is nothing new under the Sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) People have always had the same basic needs and many of the same wants. As years go by, they use their God-given creativity to satisfy them in new ways.

BACK THEN:

• As far as we know, John Joseph Merlin invented the first roller skates back in the 1760s. His also featured wheels in a single line. His were hard to control. Mr. Merlin whizzed through a party on his skates while playing a violin. He crashed and broke a huge mirror.
• The really, really old-fashioned version of the mixer was a bowl, a spoon, and your arm. Then Willis Johnson came along in 1884. He invented the mechanical egg beater. Johnson’s beater had two containers: one for eggs, one for batter. What would Mr. Johnson think of the Smart Mixer?
• Maybe you’ve read this part of the story of Jacob in the Bible: “He came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the Sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.” (Genesis 28:11) So we know at least one ancient guy used a head rest for sleep—even if it was a hard one. Later in history, people used pillows made from cotton, feathers, straw, or reeds. Ancient Greeks lounged on pillows during mealtime. Would they have enjoyed the “breathing” pillow?
• Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company. In 1914, his assembly line shrunk the time to build one car from over 12 hours to 90 minutes! Painters decorated these cars with the cheapest color: black. The line didn’t have to stop moving to switch colors. Mr. Ford famously said, “Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black.”