Thermal imaging is an invention that gave us the ability to see through structures. This ability is similar to an X-ray, but the focus of thermal imaging is to find heat signatures rather than peering inside the human body. These devices are often called infrared cameras. The ability to pick up any heat signature behind a solid object of something that would otherwise be invisible has benefited us. A good example is the ability to locate termites within a house to see just how extensive that threat has become.
Thermal clothing is a development that has brought comfort to people out in the cold. This type of clothing uses fabrics -- including wool, fleece, silk, polyester and nylon -- that keep your body heat from escaping, which is why you feel warmer in them than in other types of clothes. Different kinds of thermal clothing are made, from shirts to gloves to underwear, but the purpose of each is the same, to fend off dropping temperatures.
The advent of solar heating has provided society with a number of benefits. Drawing on the power of the sun, solar devices have been able to heat water and our homes. Experiments with devices that gather solar energy for thermal uses began in the 1700's. As new methods develop, more and more people around the world are using these devices as a practical heating solution. The rising costs of fossil fuel sources are also making solar thermal heating a more economical option.
Thermal night vision came into being to assist the military in their night maneuvers; for example, in World War II the invention aided in combat. In the time since, the idea has found its way outside the military and has seen some development commercially, so private citizens can use thermal inventions for their own purposes, including for protection or for extreme gaming.