Mexican Inventions That Changed The World

Mexican Inventions That Changed The World

Earthquake Resistant Foundations

Mexican engineer, Manuel González Flores, invented control pilings, also known as earthquake-resistant foundations. Coming into existence in the late 40s and early 50s, these unique foundations can adapt to the movement of a building, redistributing energy generated by an earthquake. His invention would go on to play a vital role in cities with high earthquake risk.

Mexican Engineer, Manuel González Flores

Chocolate

Chocolate now tends to be correlated with the Swiss and the Belgians, however, the origin of chocolate goes back to Latin America. It is widely regarded that chocolate was invented/discovered during the Mesoamerican period. 

The Olmecs developed the first iterations of chocolate by using cocoa beans and eventually creating a fermented beverage. The Mayans loved hot chocolate while the Aztecs preferred having it cold and bitter. 

 A jug of cacao is offered to an Aztec noble.

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum was invented in Mexico by the Mayans. The Mayans extracted the sap from trees to create their own version of chewing gum. The Aztecs would not only enjoy chewing gum but they also used the sticky substance to hold objects and projects together.

Sapodilla tree, used to make traditional Mexican chewing gum

Mexican farmers revive organic gum tradition

Anti-Graffiti Paint

Mexico City has a real problem with graffiti. To combat the growing problem, in the early 2000s researchers from UNAM’s Applied Physics and Advanced Technology Centre in Querétaro developed Deletum 3000, a paint-like substance that would go on to be dubbed “anti-graffiti paint.” 

This special biodegradable ‘paint’ prevents anything oily or wet from adhering to it. In short, Deletum 300 keeps paint from gripping to the walls.

Indelible Ink

Ten years before the creation of Anti-Graffiti Paint, Mexican researchers created a special indelible ink. However, this ink had a very specific purpose, and that was to prevent electoral fraud. This ink soaks into the hand of voters and remains there for 24 hours. 

This helps prevent people from going on to vote a second or third time, which was very prevalent at the time. This indelible ink was not just a hit in Mexico, but would go on to play a vital role in elections across Latin America, including Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives would play a tremendous role in the culture of both the 1950s and the 1960s. In 1951, 26-year-old Luis Miramontes synthesized one of the key ingredients found in the pill dubbed as “progestin norethindrone.” He eventually earned the title as the “father of the pill.” 

Mexican chemist, Luis E. Miramontes

Color Television

Invented by Guillermo González Camarena at the young age of 22, he would go on to introduce his self-built color television to the country in the 1940s. His research and inventiveness would eventually lead him to create the trichromatic, field-sequential system and an improved chronoscopic adapter that enabled color transmissions. In 1942 he obtained the official patent and finally would fully enjoy color images from his lab in 1946.

Mexican engineer and inventor, Guillermo González Camarena

Popcorn

The Aztecs were one of the first groups to discover popcorn and used it in many ways, including as food, decoration, and offerings to their gods. The Aztecs believed that popcorn resembled hailstones and offered it to their gods in water to protect their fishermen. They also had a word for the sound of popcorn popping, totopoca. 

Afterwards, it fell into the hands of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés by way of the Aztecs. These popped kernels were known as momochtli. They were made in hot clay pots, and not in the microwave.

Caesar salad

Caesar salad was invented in the early 1920s by Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. He moved to Tijuana from California to avoid Prohibition, and it was here, on July 4th, 1924, where Caesar is believed to have invented the Caesar Salad.

A Caesar salad beside Italian Chef, Caesar Cardini

The number zero

The Mayans developed zero as a placeholder around A.D. 350 and used it to denote a placeholder in their elaborate calendar systems. 

Despite being highly skilled mathematicians, the Mayans never used zero in equations, however. 

Robert Kaplan, author of "The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero," describes the Mayan invention of zero as the "most striking example of the zero being devised wholly from scratch."

The Mayan Numeric System from 0-19

Toilet float valve

A simple automatic level control valve uses a ball float to shut off the valve. Apparently the modern ballcock was invented by José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez, a Mexican priest and scientist, who described the device in 1790 in the Gaceta de Literatura Méxicana.

Mexican priest and scientist, José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez

Tequila

Tequila first came into existence in 250-300 A.D. when the Aztec Indians produced a fermented juice of the agave for their ceremonial wine, 'plaque'. This liquid was very important to Aztec culture as they worshipped two Gods – Mayahuel (the goddess of the Maguey) and her husband Patecatl, the god of pulque.

The preparation of pulque

Many believe that the Spanish invasion of the Aztec civilization in the 1500s marks the beginning of a distillation process used for the agave plant to make tequila. When brandy supplies ran low, Spaniards used mud and agave to create a drink (one more similar to modern-day mezcal).

Mexican farmer with giant tequila agave

Not only is it North America's oldest distilled spirit, but it is intrinsically important to Mexican culture and heritage and a symbol of national pride and craftsmanship.

Mexico actually copyrighted the term “tequila” in 1974 and made it illegal for anyone outside of certain regions of Mexico to bottle and export the liquor. There are other strict regulations for what can and cannot be referred to by this name. 

The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico (TRCM) makes these decisions. For example, up until 2004, it was illegal to label any flavored mezcal as tequila, even if it was made from blue agave. Another example of regulatory action surrounding the liquor was the creation of the añejo tequila category in 2006, which can only include distilled spirits from blue agave that have been aged for at least 3 years.