Science makes everyday life easier than it ever has been. The most powerful example is the importance of electricity; the scientific discovery of a method for harnessing electric energy changed people's lives forever. Electric light benefits people every day in inventions such as traffic lights, refrigerators and communication devices. Science is the reason for the quick pace of modern life. A journey that took weeks on foot or horseback was shortened to a few days' travel by the use of steam-powered locomotives followed by personal automobiles. Finally, travel by airplane allowed people to make the same journey in just minutes. Science makes life safer as well; antibiotics and vaccines protect people from diseases that were once feared as deadly, such as measles or syphilis