Throughout history, one can track each monumental technological advancement that man has ushered forth. Each one uniquely distinguishable in the affect it had on elevating human prosperity. Each advancement has been met with a better and more robust version, as humans have incremented their creations time and time again. Humans are distinct from any other animal simply because we have the ability to preserve time, our most valuable asset, through our technological upgrades. In this article I will be going over man's first creation, the one that started it all, and how this creation sent man down the evolutionary path we know today.

What was man's first creation that set him apart from other creatures? Something that is truly foundational to every human creation thereafter. I'll give you a hint, its red and hot. You got it, its fire. When early humans discovered fire, it was truly game changing. Yet, in todays world we don't think of fire as some amazing technology that changed the world. Most don't even think of fire as a technology, because it seems so rudimentary and simple to our modern minds. We think of technology as computer gadgets, wifi, and 5g, rather than something humans used as a tool to preserve our time. So how did fire make man's life easier and help him preserve his most coveted asset: time?

First, fire gave man the ability to digest food in a more thermodynamic manner. The body no longer needed to exert immense energy in order to digest its food. Think about most of the food in todays world, it all has something in common, its cooked. Cooking food puts less of a strain on the bodies energy stores. Eating raw food is extremely energy intensive. The body has to do extra processing in order to convert that food into energy. This aligns with the first law of thermodynamics: energy is neither created nor destroyed, but only changes form as it is transferred from one object to another. When eating food, you are really just converting energy from your food source, into an energy source your body can use (aka ATP). In order to maximize that energy transfer what would be the best practice, cook the food, or eat it raw? Wouldn't cooking the food require less energy of the body, ultimately maximizing energy stores?

Second, think about early human conditions, there was no AC or heat at the flip of a button. Humans were constantly exposed to environmental stressors, especially the cold. The cold required a considerable amount of energy from the body. With the advent of fire, man no longer needed to deplete such a drastic amount of energy in order to stay warm, instead, he could use an external energy source. This external energy source didn't starve him away, making him less efficient when he needed it most, like during his search for food.

Third, fire gave man the ability to extend his days hunt, increasing the probability of securing food in a successful hunt or gathering. Sunset on an unsuccessful day's hunt/gathering was a devastating blow. Early humans had no choice but to return to camp, successful or not, hours prior to sunset. The sun was their only source of light, and if they were separated from their camp at dark they would be putting themselves in danger. Fire allowed them to prolong their hunts/gatherings, up until the moment the sun set. If the probability of securing food increased, humans would have less a chance of starvation, thus adding lifespan to their lives.

Fire, one of mans greatest technologies, is also a derivative of energy. Every task has an input of expended energy. If a technology can reduce the amount of expended energy on a given task, the user is therefore left with more energy than before. The user can expend his energy elsewhere, thus freeing the amount of time spent on a given task. This is why fire made man a distinct animal, it was an investment, and its returns were denominated in time.

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