Why Did It Take Us 5,000 Years to Put Wheels on Luggage? Seriously, What Happened?

Who doesn’t own a wheeled suitcase today? A practical invention perfected by Samsonite that has become so ingrained in our lives that we hardly stop to consider the brilliance behind combining something as ancient as the wheel with something as mundane as carrying stuff. Yes, the wheel—an invention that emerged some 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, revolutionized transportation, built empires, and serves as the foundation for everything from humble carts to the iconic Tesla

But here’s the real mystery: how on earth did it take us nearly 5,000 years to put wheels on luggage? It’s a particularly pressing question for someone like me, currently nursing an injured elbow. Seriously, if anyone can help me verify the exact year the wheel was invented, I’d be grateful. But still—5,000 years!

Let’s put this in perspective: after inventing writing, building pyramids, raising cathedrals, and even developing vaccines, we continued lugging our bags around like our early Homo sapiens ancestors almost at the same time NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration was sending people to the moon! (take a look at this note from Forbes, since Michael Goldstein made a better job investigating about this)

Yep, it wasn’t until 1970 when Bernard Sadow finally had an epiphany: “Hey, wouldn’t it make sense for this thing to roll?” Eureka! The wheeled suitcase was born. Because, of course, it wasn’t until the 20th century—after 35 to 50 centuries—that we collectively realized we’d rather drag our luggage than risk a hernia.

Fun fact: in the 19th century, we had already decided to put wheels on our feet with roller skates. Priorities, right? Why worry about hands-free travel or working comfortably when you could spectacularly wipe out on pavement?

Social Synapses: From Waiting 5,000 Years to AI Doing Our Thinking While We Scroll Through Memes

Ah, the brain’s synapses—those magical junctions where neurons fire and, with a bit of luck, spark ideas that become real and useful. The same phenomenon now occurs at a societal level.

Today, the internet doesn’t just connect people; it connects ideas that might never have crossed paths otherwise. Between funny cat videos and quantum theories, we now have AI—an innovation that doesn’t just link concepts faster than we ever could but also augments our capacity to think. It helps us spot patterns and make connections that our limited biological "RAM" might never have noticed. If it took humanity 5,000 years to slap wheels on luggage, imagine what we can accomplish now that machines are doing the heavy lifting. Perhaps luggage that packs itself—or better yet, one that reminds you you’re carrying pointless items like that book you’ll never read.

But here’s the catch: our responsibility is no longer just about finding answers. It’s about learning to ask the right questions and harnessing technology’s potential to make groundbreaking connections.

So, next time you watch your suitcase rolling gracefully through an airport, take a moment to reflect on how it represents centuries of human inertia finally ignited by a spark of brilliance. And ask yourself: am I asking the questions that matter?

By the way... Thank you, Bernard Sadow! My elbow will heal faster because of you :)