The Clock
It has been called the greatest invention of the Middle Ages and scholars speculate that it also had the greatest impact seeing as even man, rich or poor, could benefit from knowing the time. The actual invention of the mechanical clock was in the 13th century, but later others like Giovanni di Dondi perfected the design in the 14th century. In fact Giovanni created the most extraordinary clock that would sound every hour.
Usually clocks weren't owned by locals because they were costly, but were installed in the churches in town centers. This way all of the inhabitants were able to use it at the church's expense.
Clocks had an invaluable effect on the lives of Middle Age Europeans as they were now able to better plan their day around the hours in it and were therefore able to become more productive and better organized. The whole invention of the clock gave Europe a better sense of awareness and they realized how to better use the time in each day.
Usually clocks weren't owned by locals because they were costly, but were installed in the churches in town centers. This way all of the inhabitants were able to use it at the church's expense.
Clocks had an invaluable effect on the lives of Middle Age Europeans as they were now able to better plan their day around the hours in it and were therefore able to become more productive and better organized. The whole invention of the clock gave Europe a better sense of awareness and they realized how to better use the time in each day.
Eyeglasses and Paper
The invention of eyeglasses, in the 13th century, and Middle Age paper, also in the 13th century, actually correspond with each other, in that one couldn't read the small writing on the old parchment without glasses. The small writing was common because of the high cost of the parchment, so to utilize the paper the authors and scholars would write as small as possible. To eliminate this problem, as the Middle Age glasses weren't very helpful, a new, cheaper type of paper was produced and sold. This new paper was made of cotton rags and was very susceptible to water and insect damage, but is still considered superior to modern paper.
Gunpowder and Cannons
The invention of gunpowder is attributed to the Chinese, but was soon seen in the West. It was usually seen in warfare, and specifically in the use of cannons. In fact gunpowder and cannons were influential tools used by the French in the Hundred Years War to defeat the English. It wasn't long after the appearance of cannons that problems arose, mainly that they would explode in the heat of battle killing the men firing the weapon instead of the intended targets. In fact this fatal flaw proved to be the downfall of the Scottish King James II during his siege of a castle.