12 Lightning-Inspired Inventions That Changed Human History

LumenHarbor Updated: 2025-07-15

2. The Electric Telegraph: Communicating at the Speed of Light

Developed in the 1830s and 1840s, the electric telegraph drew influence from the quick transmission of electrical energy noted in lightning. Long-distance communication was transformed by this creation, which also drastically reduced the planet and brought in a new era of worldwide connectivity. Along with other engineers, Samuel Morse developed a method for long-distance wire transmission of coded messages using electrical pulses.
The effect of the telegraph on society was significant and all-enassing. Information could move quicker than actual transportation for the first time in human history. Once weeks or months to send, news, personal notes, and commercial communications may now be sent practically quickly over great distances. This fast information flow changed commerce, diplomacy, war, and media.
The construction of the railway system also benefited much from the telegraph, which let train movements be better coordinated and enhanced safety was guaranteed. By allowing real-time price and transaction communication, it helped financial markets to expand. One of the most important lightning-inspired inventions in human history, the telegraph set the foundation for other communication technologies including the phone and, finally, the internet.