A recent award ceremony in the UK celebrated that undersung but much needed vehicular invention, The Roundabout.  There is no under singing at the UK Roundabout of the Year awards so to celebrate quiet, but useful inventions… Here is our Top 3:

1. Spring: The first coiled spring was invented in the 18th century and from ballpoint pens to shock absorbers, they’ve been integral in making things around us work.

2. Elastic: First evidence of elastic materials are traced to the ancient Mayans with the most use in rubber bands, being patented in 1845. Imagine your underwear without it.

3. Battery: All power to Alessandro Volta who set the battery thing rolling in 1800. In the room where I’m writing this, five gadgets wouldn’t work without the humble AA battery.