Modern Technologies That Are Way Older Than You Think
Contact lenses - 1887
In a weird transition from ordinary eyeglasses, contact lenses of the late 19th century were made entirely of glass and meant to cover a person's whole eye. They were initially called "scleral lenses," referring to the white of the eye, and they were invented by artificial-eye manufacturer F.A. Mueller. Bulky, sure, but at least you could find them if you dropped one.
