Ink - Yesterday and Today

Have you ever stopped to think about the impact that ink has had on our civilization? What if nothing in our past had been written down on paper (or papyrus)? History, our knowledge of the past, would essentially be lost. We wouldn't be able to learn from our mistakes, make improvements on existing ways of doing things, or pass on stories without leaving out a lot of the details that made them special. Ink is the archstone of history, and it could be argued that we wouldn't be where we are today without it.

In the days before ink cartridges, inkjet and laser printers, toner and refills, people had only one way to communicate with one another - through words. They didn't have pens and paper. History was passed down from generation to generation by telling stories. It isn't hard to imagine that after hundreds of years, the story begins to take on a new life, and is much different than the original told long ago.

Then the invention of ink came along and changed everything. People were now able to "put things down in ink" and preserve the information they were trying to convey. Ink can last tens, and even hundreds of years, and the best thing about it is the information stays the same. It never changes. Documents and stories are able to be passed down, intact, and relay the same message it had years and years ago. Think about it. The Bible was written long ago, and still carries the same stories and expresses the same message as when it was created. Without ink, it would never have been possible.

Nowadays we take ink for granted. That is, of course, until we're printing out some important documents or jotting a note down on a piece of paper and all of a sudden we've run out of ink. Yes, it is all around us, and it is an integral part of our lives which allows us to communicate, record, and pass on information.

Ink plays a very important role in society. We would be living completely different lives without it, and some of the most important pieces of history would not even exist. Think about the Constitution, the Bible, the history books - they are all important documents that directly affect the way we live our lives today. Knowing this, ink could arguably be one of the greatest inventions known to man.