The Most Important Inventions of Mankind

[Matt Flynn]

An open question. What are the ten greatest inventions of mankind? Exclude language as an inate function (even if you disagree), the harnassing of fire, the use of tools, and roads/trails and create seperate lists for the following categories:

Off the top of my head in no order:

Primitive:

Religion
Farming
Cultivation of livestock
Music
Visual arts

...you finish...


Postprimitive:

Writing
Metallurgy, especially iron working
Irrigation
Mining
Mass government
Sailing (?)
Domestification of animals such as horses (?)

Many others, but you might argue against many great discoveries, such as mathematics, navigation,...

...you finish...


Warfare:

Metal working
Sling
Arrow
Stirrup
Phalanx
Gunpowder
Bullet
Nuclear bomb
Mechanized warfare (includes tanks)
...you finish / argue ....


Post-1400

The printing press
Electrification
Telegraph/telephone
Railroads
Computers
Flight
Electrification
Highways
Accurate timekeeping

...you finish or argue...

Matt

[pshreck]

This is the most confusing way ever to express something that is probably a clever post.

[NLSoldier]

I don't see the wheel mentioned anywhere on your list but maybe I just missed it.

[Freakin]

Steel
The radio

I feel like I'm playing Civilization

Freakin

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
Steel
The radio

I feel like I'm playing Civilization

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking the same thing. That game was sweet.

[bugstud]

I think Bronze working needs to be specifically mentioned in the metallurgy

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking the same thing. That game was sweet.

[/ QUOTE ]
You guys kick as[/i]s! I never did get into CivIII, but I dominated CivII Gold Multiplayer.

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking the same thing. That game was sweet.

[/ QUOTE ]
You guys kick as[/i]s! I never did get into CivIII, but I dominated CivII Gold Multiplayer.

[/ QUOTE ]

kinda hard not to

[Ray Zee]

clothes
sunscreen
dental fillings
eye glasses
fingernail clippers
preperation H
suspenders or belts
laywers to protect us from doctors
beer
toothpicks
philips head screws
macadam
toilet paper

[andyfox]

There's a new book out about this. I browsed through it at the bookstore the other day. Can't remember the others, but I know the wheel was number one.

Also:
http://www.scenta.co.uk/100greatest/100greatest.cfm

[andyfox]

The book is "The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2,000 Years," by John Brockman.

[Sredni Vashtar]

Have you ever heard of medicine, Dr.? /images/graemlins/smile.gif A bit general, but that one helped a bit.

Fire, the wheel, pizza, beer, to cover some of the basics. Without fire they can't cook the pizza, without wheels they can't deliver it and without beer.. well never mind.

On a more serious note, there have been so many, and they are so dependant on that what came before, that it's hard to really say. Look how important the internet has become. The enormous exchange of information that is now occuring is remarkable. For this we needed so many other things to be discovered. But mass communication and it's ramifications have yet to be fully seen.

But inspite of this vote for the most important discovery of them all: the minraise.

SV.

[Shilly]

Alizeé. Still not over it.

[andyfox]

One can, I suppose, make an argument for the greatest of all being the chip. Where, after all, would we be without the computer chip, the poker chip, the chocolate chip, the potato chip, and the chip on one's shoulder?

[Shilly]

How about industrialization, specialization of labor, and interchangable parts?

[The Ocho]

pottery was huge. Definitely one of the top 3 for the "primitives." In fact, I'd use pottery as the dividing line between primitives and post-primitives.

[ QUOTE ]
Domestification of animals such as horses (?)

[/ QUOTE ]

The invention of the yoke/plow for horses was indeed pretty big. Having horses plow fields without them choking to death was a big deal.

[andyfox]

Baseball
Coffee Ice Cream
Saran Wrap
The Photograph
Music
The Telescope
Books
Back Surgery

[brassnuts]

The remote control.

[Bill Murphy]

Religion is the worst invention of mankind, although(sadly) prolly the most influential.

[sam h]

The steam engine was an incredibly important invention, one that many economic historians think was crucial to triggering the Industrial Revolution in England.

I also think the semiconductor is arguably the most important invention of the post-WWII age.

[oreogod]

I think religion belongs no where on the list. Its helpfulness at the dawn of civilization is now outweighed by its closemindedness keeping us back.

Im not really into fairy tales anyway, and as far as church goes they mis-interpret to whatever fits their view...I have yet to be shown where it says in the bible to wait till you are married to engage in sexual intercourse...

I therefore place Alizee before religion on this scale, and shes not even as hot an exgirlfriend of mine.

[oreogod]

As a sidenote, an organized form of religion was inevitable as there was always a belief in an afterlife or some sort of continuation after we die.

It just stems from the fact that its hard to accept nothin-ness, much like its hard to comprehend the beginning of say the universe...there always has to be a beginning to something. Or does there...

[sfer]

Caffeine. Specifically, coffee.

[Zeno]

Mr. Zee was the first to mention beer so I wish to be the first to mention single-malt Scotch.

Others that come to mind:

The G-string
The Rumba (or dancing in general if you prefer)
Representive Government
Girl Groups
The Anecdote

But inventions do not occur in a vacuum. Though that point was already made also.

-Zeno

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

accurate timekeeping has been around for 1000's pf years. Standard timekeeping is a diff story.



has anyone mentioned computers?

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]

preperation H

[/ QUOTE ]

don't forget Bean-O

[Rhone]

My vote: not a single invention, but a series of related ones: vaccines. Think how different life would be like with the constant fear of smallpox, polio, influenza...

[Lawrence Ng]

The female birth control pill
The condom
Viagra
and so on and so on..

Lawrence

[Ten7offsuit]

Porn
The Cotton Gin
Rolaids

[housenuts]

vaginas

[jasonHoldEm]

The concept of money in the form of legal tender and the related financial institutions.

[felson]

[ QUOTE ]
accurate timekeeping has been around for 1000's pf years. Standard timekeeping is a diff story.

[/ QUOTE ]

Having the first accurate non-sundial clocks was instrumental in solving the problem of longitude, which didn't happen until the 1600's or so. I assume that's what you meant here.

My nominations for inventions (which have not yet been mentioned):

the transistor
interchangeable parts
money

Whether or not you think religion is good, I think the human desire for it is innate rather than an invention.

Oh, and the scientific method.

[Phat Mack]

Vise Grips.

[JaBlue]

n/t

[apd138]

[ QUOTE ]
There's a new book out about this. I browsed through it at the bookstore the other day. Can't remember the others, but I know the wheel was number one.

Also:
http://www.scenta.co.uk/100greatest/100greatest.cfm

[/ QUOTE ] From this link "13 1.32 Adidas Predator Boot Craig Johnston Australia 1991" "Adidas Predator Boot
The Predator boot was developed by Australian Craig Johnston, an ex Liverpool football player. The Predator boot is a significant development as it allows players more control over the ball, more swerve and more power when they shoot. The boots have had many guises since they were first developed by Johnston and a new model makes an appearance every few years. The boots are worn by some of the world's most renowned footballers, including the current England captain, David Beckham."
Your trying to tell me this crap is 13 on their list? Above fire, the lightbuld, and the condom among other things mind you, I was about to call bs on email at 11 but this at 13 is so much worse.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]

Primitive:

Religion

[/ QUOTE ]

That one has had the most impact of anything, but it's been quite negative. It carries all the destruction without the practical application of the atomic bomb.

~D

[elwoodblues]

Give me my avatar back

[RogerZBT]

Tivo and Ipods.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
laywers to protect us from doctors


[/ QUOTE ]

I can't believe you included such a sick answer. When you consider what doctors have done for society throughout history compared to lawyers, it is a no-brainer... take the doctor, lose the lawyer.

[smudgex68]

[ QUOTE ]
But inventions do not occur in a vacuum

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you saying the vacuum pump is not a great invention!

[swede123]

Fake boobies...and it's not even close.

Swede

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

How about the freaking WHEEL? Also, one that gets overlooked a lot but is huge is the threaded fastener/powerscrew/inclined plane.

[TylerD]

Lever, valve.

[Sporky]

i would think penicillin would be a pretty important invention/discovery for mankind. it's hard to put it high up in a list with the printing press, electricity, computers, and flight...but it seems like it should be up pretty high in my opinion.

[CanKid]

Don't forget Adult Diapers

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
i would think penicillin would be a pretty important invention/discovery for mankind. it's hard to put it high up in a list with the printing press, electricity, computers, and flight...but it seems like it should be up pretty high in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lame. I wanted to see a picture of a spork.

With a name like Sporky your post should have looked like this:

http://sporkisbetter.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/spork.gif

[Sporky]

i agree. i'm quite lame. your pic didn't work:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1810/whatisaspork/kfc.jpg

[sfer]

Excellent.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
i agree. i'm quite lame. your pic didn't work:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1810/whatisaspork/kfc.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude!!! I love sporks! I actually have very nice metal ones at home that I use all the time. They're especially awesome for rice dishes, or cake and ice cream. Things that neither a fork nor spoon is just right for.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

There's something wrong with a metal spork.

[kyro]

The 2-5-4

[andyfox]

What do you expect from the English? They take yesterday's vegetables and fry them and call it "bubbles and squeak" and think it's good.

[Matt Flynn]

well then clearly it's alchemy, because you can then build the Philospher's Stone and use it to leapfrog to Galileo's Telescope and the London Exchnage.

terribly addictive game. i am trying to repay the sonofabitch who introduced me to it by getting him into poker. ;-)

matt

[Matt Flynn]

good one.

[Matt Flynn]

sredni,

i had medicine as a separate category but after the first two (vaccination and penicillin) it kinda died. the third on that list is fleshing out now: biologics - targeted designer drugs that hit specific points in the immune system, like Enbrel.

and of course minraising was nicely done sir.

matt

[Matt Flynn]

chip wins.

[Matt Flynn]

great answers. both are now on my top ten: replace computers with semiconductors especially. mass communication as a separate topic - helps to cover television.

matt

[Matt Flynn]

vaccination clearly wins the top ten for medicine. as a global invention do you think it's that important? e.g., vs the steam engine, semiconductors/computers, mass media, ...?

matt

[Matt Flynn]

great book Longitude by Sobel. perfect in flight reading as it's short. on reflection navigation would then take precedence, so accurate timekeeping is off my list.

the transistor is a good one - i'll replace electricity with that on my list.

matt

[Matt Flynn]

et ergo sum.

[Matt Flynn]

the nail! kind of sums up the basic building fasteners. but everyone will vote for "screw" on principle - the ungrateful bastards.

matt

[GuyOnTilt]

Just glancing through this, the ones that haven't been mentioned that first come to mind:

Antibiotics
Antiseptics
Refrigeration
Photography
Currency
The Battery
Photography
Refridgeration
Combustion Engine

GoT

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Just glancing through this, the ones that haven't been mentioned that first come to mind:

Antibiotics
Antiseptics
Refrigeration
Photography
Currency
The Battery
Photography
Refridgeration
Combustion Engine

GoT

[/ QUOTE ]
Meh. Passing fads.

[fluff]

Free Internet Porn.

It's what separates us from monkeys (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=exchange&Number=1631956&Fo rum=f20&Words=%2Bjuice%20%2Bmonkey&Searchpage=0&Li mit=25&Main=1631956&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name =&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=y&olderval=&old ertype=&bodyprev=#Post1631956) .

[Phat Mack]

Vise Grips
Peanut Butter
Golf
Playing Cards

Least important, but most amazing invention: Bottled Water.

[Bill Murphy]

[ QUOTE ]
Give me my avatar back

[/ QUOTE ]

Both of ya need Alizee avatars anyway. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[fimbulwinter]

and it's not even remotely close,

fim

[Ian J]

Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies.

[natedogg]

The folks at www.edge.org (http://www.edge.org) addressed this question with some interesting results.

http://www.edge.org/documents/Invention.html

Enjoy.

natedogg