How the ladder has evolved Inventing a new product or idea is not easy.

Most great inventors spend years up on years in failure before they come across any proficient development. Thomas E dison himself was stated as saying that inventing something new is 99% perspirat ion and 1% inspiration. However, that 1% of inspiration is what it takes to prod uce the next great invention. A great example of an everyday product that has become an important tool is the step ladder. The step ladder is a vital instrument to many different occupations : engineering, architecture, carpentry, and even emergency services. It is safe to say that without the step ladder, life as we know it on this planet would be vastly different. A ladder is a fairly simple tool that comes fitted with vertically inclined step s. Ladders today come in two separate categories; rigid ladders and rope ladders . Rigid ladders are those with only one or two sets of legs. This type of ladder can either be set upon a surface like that of a building, wall, or house or it can be set up with the two legs apart like a triangle. Rigid ladders can range f rom being very heavy or weighing very little. Rope ladders are those that must b e hung from the top of the ladder from a higher surface. The history of the step ladder is intriguing. The ladder was first known to be i n existence when found on Mesolithic rock paintings and date back to about 10,00 0 years ago. The next instance in history where the step ladder was documented t o exist was over 6,000 years ago. The ancient Egyptian and Hebrew cultures utili zed ladders to perform various engineering and carpentry tasks. How the ladder has evolved over the years demonstrates the dedication of great i nventors. The purpose of the ladder has evolved since they were first created. T hus the composition of the ladder itself has also evolved. Ladders originally we re carved out of brick or wood. Usually one large piece of wood or brick was emp loyed to carve out the ladder. However, with innovations of technology the ladde r slowly started to be made out of metal, hardened plastic, or fiber glass. When researching how the ladder has evolved it is important to understand how th is invention has improved our lives. From ancient times human beings were forced to climb up natural structures to reach high items. Then with the improvement o f carpentry and the necessity to build housing structures the ladder became indi spensable. During the Industrial Revolution very large buildings were being erected in citi es across the world. Construction workers were tasked with carrying heavy loads of equipment several stories high. The strength of a metal rigid ladder was key in the construction of these massive structures. With more and more people migrating into cities the need for emergency services became an important aspect in urban areas. Firefighters utilize step ladders to rescue stranded people in burning buildings. Without the invention of the ladder this emergency service would undoubtedly be less efficient. Creating an invention requires a keen mind to technological developments and the evolution of needs for human beings. The ladder demonstrates how a simple inven tion can evolve to become a necessary tool to everyday life for billions of peop le throughout history.