What is the greatest invention ever? (1 Viewer)

[Josh Dial]

I would have to second clothing. As I remember from my anthro classes (shame on me for being an anthro minor and not remembering exact numbers) it takes roughly 10,000 years for a species to adjust to a 1 degree change in average temperature. Without clothing, our race would still be stuck in the only place where we could thrive without clothes - the plains of Africa.

cheers!

Josh

 

[Jeremy Illingworth]

I'd say before the printing process came paper

That's the problem with this topic. The plough is good but useless without the tools to build them. The printing press is good but worthless without the paper on which one prints. I love my internal combustion powered car but with out the wheel (and the tools to build and maintain it) it is nothing. All inventions are build on those previously invented. Using this logic it is safe to assume that the first invention must be the greatest. I think the greatness of all inventions must be considered in their time. Who said "If I have seen great distances it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." Thats as close as I can remember it today.

My pick for greatest invetion ever is language. What would we do if we couldn't communicate with each other?

jeremy

 

[Joseph Howard]

The clock.

 

[Steven K]

Nuclear Weaponry...

no telling how the Cold War would have turned out had it not been for mutually assured destruction

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

The Patent Attorney.
How else could lawyers skim off money from the act of inventing things?

 

[Max Leung]

All inventions are build on those previously invented. Using this logic it is safe to assume that the first invention must be the greatest.

In that case, the single-celled organism! On second thought, how about the bacterium! No wait...amino acids! No wait...RNA! No...what about...organic molecules!
Oh hell...how about: The Universe! Great invention, almost as great as the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Yeah!

 

[Eve T]

Pffffft this is easy!
Cheese in a can.

 

[John_E]

I can't believe that nobody has mentioned DUCT TAPE!

 

[Andy_Bu]

velcro

post-its

the pocket rocket

 

[Zen Butler]

Paper-I could not live without books, or be who I am today.
Condoms-they save lives

 

[David Oliver]

Home pizza delivery.

 

[Matt_Briol]

I say computers definitally. Im on my computer like 24/7 and I dont know what the heck I would do if I didn't have it (besides watch DVDs).

 

[JasonKrol]

id have to say the tool, as we all know that gave us the leap from apes to mankind.

then id give 2nd to electricity. although, is that an invention, or taming similar to fire?

 

[Mike__D]

Air Conditioning

 

[Chuck C]

The traffic light was a pretty good invention

 

[Henry Gale]

When I'm contemplating what era I would have preferred to live in, an important consideration is; "did they have anesthesia?"
So, maybe not the greatest invention, but during surgury you'd be hard pressed to name one more important to you.
My chosen time period, 1890-1947, is safe from painful operations of the, "put this stick between your teeth" variety.
Jim

 

[Henry Gale]

...duplicate...
I thought HTF was idiot proof.

 

[paul_v]

The top 5 most important inventions according to paul_v

1. Irrigation/Farming - explained in earlier posts
2. Sanitation - This probably doubled the human lifespan
3. Refridgeration - No more spoiled food
4. The telephone
5. The Computer


Of course these inventions relied on other inventions but you get the idea =)

 

[DennisHP]

ice cream

 

[Max Leung]

I thought HTF was idiot proof.

Now THAT would make a great invention!