FASTER! Humanity’s Quest to Save Time, investigates the time-saving inventions we depend on and explores their impact on the world at large.

At any given moment there are about 18,000,000 elevators operating around the world. They’re the backbone of the modern city and have quite literally shaped the world in which we live. But have you ever given any thought to just how much time they’re actually saving you? Or maybe even costing you?

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They’re the backbone of the modern city and they’ve shaped the world around us. But, have you ever thought about whether elevators are actually saving us time?

The Elevator

Since the beginning of time, humanity has been on a quest to go further and get there faster. Over time, roads have evolved from the footpath to the high speed limited access highway. Today we take them for granted, but have you ever given any thought to whether they’re really saving us any time?

The modern highway systems have turbocharged the global economy, transformed the world’s landscape and revolutionized the way people around the world think about time.

The Highway

Over a lifetime, many of us spend hours, days, weeks, and even months in their covered, climate-controlled, everything-under-one roofs. Shopping malls didn’t only change the way we shop, they changed the way we think about shopping. And for better or worse, they changed the way we spend time.

The shopping mall didn’t only change the way we shop. It changed the way we think about shopping. And for better or worse, they’ve changed the way we think about time.

The Shopping Mall

The invention of the sealable plastic container in 1946 changed the way we shop for food, the way we cook, and the way we eat. They allow us to eat on the move, prep in advance, and reduce food waste. But somewhere along the way, did they also contribute to an expectation of hyper-productivity?

The sealable plastic container has changed the way we shop for food, cook, the way we eat, and where we eat. And it’s changed the way we think about our time.

The Plastic Container

Discovered by accident in 1946, the microwave oven revolutionized kitchens and today is one of the most ubiquitous household appliances in the world. But the technology behind it is about so much more than popping popcorn. In fact, it might just be the greatest time saver of all time.

Discovered by accident in 1946, the microwave oven revolutionized kitchens and today is one of the most ubiquitous household appliances in the world.

The Microwave

Originally invented to save lives, the disposable cup would become an international symbol of busyness, a must-have multitasking accessory. But is it all an illusion? Do these single-use cups actually save us any time? Or do they simply contribute to our perpetual on-the-go, no-wait culture?

The disposable cup lets us stay on the move. But does multitasking really save us any time in the long run? Is our desire to do more actually costing us time?

The Disposable Cup

The barcode shortened check-out times, advanced the global supply chain, accelerated next-day delivery, and made same-day delivery possible. They’re scanned some 6 billion times a day around the world and counting. The question is not whether they save us time, but if we can keep up.

The barcode could be considered the fingerprint of high-speed capitalism. Everything they touch just suddenly moves faster. But does this convenience come at a cost?

The Bar Code

It’s responsible for nightly fights around the world; to pre-rinse or not? Whose turn to load? Knives up or down? But the dishwasher also saves you about 230 hours a year, is kinder on your wallet and on the environment. So why is it one of the most under-appreciated kitchen appliances?

In millions of homes around the world today, doing the dishes means loading the dishwasher. But when it comes to time, how do they stack up against hand-washing?