The world's first sunglasses were invented about 2,000 years ago by Arctic indigenous people. They carved animal bones or ivory to fit the face with thin slits, preventing snow blindness from UV rays reflected off the snow.

The lighter was invented before the match. In 1823, German chemist Döbereiner created the first lighter using hydrogen from a zinc-sulfuric acid reaction. The friction match wasn't invented until 1827, four years later, by English chemist John Walker.

About 1,700 years before James Watt, the Egyptian mathematician Heron invented the first steam engine, the Aeolipile. A sphere filled with water, when heated, released steam through nozzles, spinning the ball — likely used to open temple doors.

In Korea, only two companies can make soju bottle caps—not due to technical difficulty, but because the National Tax Service since 1972 restricts production to designated firms, cross-checking cap counts against liquor output to prevent tax evasion.

The hot air balloon invented by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783 was made of hemp sacking and lifted by burning straw and wool. The only skills required were sewing and fire-making—technically possible since the Neolithic era.