Scientific and technological advances have changed the course of history. An example of a technological advance would be sword making. An example would be the Katano, a samurai sword from the old sword period. An example of a scientific advance would be the fire balloon. The fire balloon is a weapon used as an explosive, but was not very affective. These advances were used in World War II. A technological advance was sword making. Sword making was used from around 900 A.D. to the present. The oldest sword period was known as jokoto, or the ancient sword period. Many people believe that jokoto is a person, but really it is a time period. The newest sword period was known as shinsakuto, or newly made sword period. An example of an old sword would have to be the Katana, a samurai sword. The katana was characterized be its curving, slender features. It was a single-edged blade, with a circular or square grip so long that it accommodated two hands to hold. The sword was first made in the Fedeul Era of Japan. Today, the sword is mostly known for its sharpness and strength. Most swords had names, such as; Tachi, Uchigatana, Tsubagatana, and Wakizashi. The katana was of the sharpest and strongest, commonly known as the samurai sword because only a samurai could hold it and battle with it. Further into the future making swords became a mass production, but was not made with the same recourses as Japan. Many were replicated and never sharpened as well. A scientific advance would be the fire balloon. The fire balloon was an explosive used in WWII. They weren’t very affective, the balloons would only cause minor damage and had only killed 6 people, and it was an accident. The Japanese made two types of balloons; the first balloon was named “Type B Balloon” and was made by the Japanese Navy. It was 30ft in diameter and was made of rubberized silk. It was used mainly for meteorological purposes. The second types were bomb-carrying balloons. Th