Name: The magic washing machine
Uploaded: 2011-03-21T13:33:00Z
Duration: 8 min 58 s
Description: What was the greatest invention of the industrial revolution? Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine. With newly designed graphics from Gapminder, Rosling shows us the magic that pops up when economic growth and electricity turn a boring wash day into an intellectual day of reading.

Hans Rosling: The magic washing machine

The magic washing machine

What was the greatest invention of the industrial revolution? Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine. With newly designed graphics from Gapminder, Rosling shows us the magic that pops up when economic growth and electricity turn a boring wash day into an intellectual day of reading.

The washing machine transformed lives by freeing people—mainly women—from hours of manual labor, unlocking time for learning and growth. When a Swedish family first used one, even the grandmother sat mesmerized as electricity did what firewood and scrubbing once demanded. Today, two billion people have access to washing machines, while five billion still wash by hand, longing for this tool of liberation. As economies grow and energy use rises, the machine stands as a symbol of development’s real promise: giving people time and opportunity.