Top 10 Most Important Inventions of All Time

[blakjeezis]

<p>As compiled by me, based on the impact each one had on humanity and civilization as a whole. I've tried to include a mix of ancient and modern inventions. What I have omitted are scientific discoveries, like Newton's and Einstein's theories, and Galileo's discoveries. I also didn't include fire, because I'm not sure that's an invention. Feel free to argue.</p><p>10. Steam Engine - This ushered in the age of locomotion. Whether by boat or train, vast distances were now able to be covered in much less time than ever before, shrinking the size of the world. Intercontinental travel became possible. Ocean crossings took weeks instead of months. The shipping of goods and people from one side of the world to the other was now a reasonable endeavor. <br /></p><p>9. Assembly Line - When not trying to rid the world of Jews, Henry Ford became the father of modern manufacturing. By changing the way in which goods were manufactured, and implementing the use of interchangeable parts, Ford made mass production a reality, and lowered the cost of nearly everything from cars to appliances, to enable the common man to afford the conveniences that heretofore were available only to the very wealthy.</p><p>8. Turing Machine - To put it simply, in 1936 Alan Turing invented the computer. The design he described, the use of simple switches to perform advanced calaculations, has essentially remained unchanged in the past 70 years, and exists inside the machine you're using to read this. Also killed himself after being prosecuted for homosexual acts.</p><p>7. Incandescent Lightbulb -&nbsp; I mean as this as more than Edison's single invention. We all know the story, Edison when through 10,000 different materials until he found the right one. But this is more symbolic of man's taming of electricity itself. By harnessing and using the power of a lightning bolt, man has brought power, light, and heat into his home in a way that is easy and relatively safe, a completely revolutionary achievement. </p><p>6. Guttenburg's Movable Type Printing Press - In much the same way Ford revolutionized the production and availability of goods, Guttenburg changed the way information was distributed. Before his invention, knowledge was available only to the clergy or the very wealthy. After, the common man could read and learn just the same as the elite. Information was now available and disseminated on an unparalleled scale. Created the fertile ground for the the seeds of all the many revolutions, religious, political and social, that would follow. <br /></p><p>5. Penicillin - Discovered quite by accident, Alexander Fleming's little mold spores would forever change medicine. Now armed with an effective way of combating bacterial infection, man could now increase his health and lifespan immeasurably. Many formerly fatal diseases could now be cured with a simple dose of anti-biotics.</p><p>4. Simple Tools - One day several thousand years ago, a caveman chipped a rock and saw that what was left was an extremely sharp edge. His primitive brain also realised that he could use this edge to pierce, slash, and cleave. An absolute watershed moment in the evolution of humanity. From hunting, killing, and skinning animals, to working and harvesting in the fields, these tools would separate man from the beasts and allow him to become the dominant species on the planet. </p><p>3. Hay - Another giant step forward in the evolution of human civilization. Man used to be nomadic. Because of seasonal weather changes, even after he had domesticated animals, he was still forced to follow the climate to ensure that there would always be readily available food for his herd. Upon the discovery that he could dry out the food during the harvesting season and store it for later use, he no longer had to have his herd on the move. He was now able to keep them in one place and fat year round. This paved the way for the rise of villages, towns and cities, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with them.</p><p>2. Telephone - The foundational invention of the modern &quot;information&quot;

[PhishHead]

Yea I would defintely have to move Aquaduct up the list, i mean it provides clean drinking water to people, Romans lived by that crap, otherwise we would still be boiling our water or carrying it from a running water supply.

[A.J.]

Didn't R&amp;F do a list like this a while back?&nbsp; And wasn't the top invention refrigeration?

[CuzBum]

Written language

[crb1]

<p>Would language count as an invention?&nbsp; If so, that has to be at the top.&nbsp; But it sounds this list is aimed at objects.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>looks like I was beaten to the post...</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by crb1 on 8-15-06 @ 12:47 PM</span>

[keithy_19]

<p>I'ma&nbsp; jackass and didn't see the part about the printing press. </p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by keithy_19 on 8-15-06 @ 12:49 PM</span>

[Marc with a c]

<strong>keithy_19</strong> wrote:<br /><p>What about the printing press. It made information easily accesible for the common person. </p><p>#6</p>

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>keithy_19</strong> wrote:<br /><p>What about the printing press. It made information easily accesible for the common person. </p><p>Also, for better of for worse, the internet has changed life for everyone. </p><p>6. Guttenburg's Movable Type Printing Press - In much the same way Ford revolutionized the production and availability of goods, Guttenburg changed the way information was distributed. Before his invention, knowledge was available only to the clergy or the very wealthy. After, the common man could read and learn just the same as the elite. Information was now available and disseminated on an unparalleled scale. Created the fertile ground for the the seeds of all the many revolutions, religious, political and social, that would follow. <br /></p><p>Sigh.</p><p>What good is the written word if no one will read it?</p>

[phixion]

<p>Created the fertile ground for the the seeds of all the many revolutions, religious, political and social, that would follow</p><p>you might want to say that the printing press laid the foundation for the renaissance. </p><p>if your gonna throw hay in there then why not food surplus? without that no one would ever focus on basket weaving, or pottery making. food surplus is the foundation of civilization. and hay really wouldnt be an invention it would a discovery. no one invented dried grass, it was discovered. </p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by phixion on 8-15-06 @ 1:00 PM</span>

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>phixion</strong> wrote:<br />if your gonna throw hay in there then why not food surplus? without that no one would ever focus on basket weaving, or pottery making. food surplus is the foundation of civilization. <p>Doesn't hay help bring about food surplus?&nbsp; </p>

[JustJon]

While I agree fire is a discovery and not an invention, the ability to create fire should be there, in my opinion.&nbsp; The creation of simplified methods of creating it (two sticks, matches, lighters, et al.) allowed the ability to create light, provide warmth, and cook food without the need of waiting for something like lightning to strike a tree.<br />

[blakjeezis]

I'm not sure I would put refrigeration on the same level as all the others. As far as food is concerned I don't think it's as civilization altering as the others I have listed. I suppose there are the medical applications, as far as organ donation, transplants, cryogenics and the like, but still not as important as tools or the printing press. Maybe near the bottom of the list. <br />

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>blakjeezis</strong> wrote:<br />I'm not sure I would put refrigeration on the same level as all the others. As far as food is concerned I don't think it's as civilization altering as the others I have listed. I suppose there are the medical applications, as far as organ donation, transplants, cryogenics and the like, but still not as important as tools or the printing press. Maybe near the bottom of the list. <br /><p>I think the curing process was a bigger step in food preservation.&nbsp; It allowed people to keep meat (albeit in a slightly different form/taste) much longer. </p>

[blakjeezis]

Yeah, I was considering putting salt and salting on the list, but like fire it seemed to be more of a discovery than an invention. I guess the process of salting could be included, but that would be like including cooking on the list. I mean that's really what it is, just a different method of cooking. <br />



<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by blakjeezis on 8-15-06 @ 2:34 PM</span>

[feralBoy]

<p>What about the Laser.&nbsp; It's basically helped shape how we currently live our lives, and is a key component in many new inventions.&nbsp; Just saying...</p><p>EDIT - Also, what about the transistor.&nbsp; That's a pretty important one as well.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by feralBoy on 8-15-06 @ 2:38 PM</span>

[A.J.]

<strong>feralBoy</strong> wrote:<br /><p>What about the Laser.&nbsp; It's basically helped shape how we currently live our lives, and is a key component in many new inventions.&nbsp; Just saying...</p><p>&quot;Thanks to the Alan Parsons Project.&quot;</p><p><img height="220" src="http://lair.evyl.org/Images/DrEvil/ozone1.jpg" width="320" border="0" /></p>

[JustJon]

<p>What about silicon?&nbsp; The silicon chip has allowed us to usher in the digital age.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And no, Tenbats, not silicone.&nbsp;</p>

[Judge Smails]

<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I'm going to have to go with the Sports Illustrated Football Phone</font></p><p><img src="http://www.promotionalproductsandideas.com/FOOTFONE.GIF" border="0" /></p>

[Mike Teacher]

<strong>feralBoy</strong> wrote:<br /><p>What about the Laser.&nbsp; It's basically helped shape how we currently live our lives, and is a key component in many new inventions.&nbsp; Just saying...</p><p>EDIT - Also, what about the transistor.&nbsp; That's a pretty important one as well.</p><span class="post_edited">This message was edited by feralBoy on 8-15-06 @ 2:38 PM</span> <p>Feral ya nailed it, the laser, while used in lots of applications, pales in comparison to the transistor, which changed everything; revolutionizing all aspects of electronics. It's in everything, it's the basis of all of modern electronics; and revolutionized not just in what it did, but in being [now] so tiny and so cheap. </p><p>And it was invented right here in NJ at Bell Labs, by Shockley, Bardeen, and someone else I cant remember. Got them the Nobel Prize in Physics. </p><p>= </p><p>We didnt invent language, many other lifeforms have it, but we are the first species to store our info, so the press/computers, etc. are all a line of storing data for building and maintaining the mountain of knowledge we've been building since science began. </p><p>=</p><p>Huge inventions that changed everything not sure if mentioned above:</p><p>Dynamite</p><p>The proximity-fuse</p><p>The Atomic Bomb/Nuclear Power</p><p>Nylon/Plastics/Synthetics/Exotic materials [the whole revolution]</p><p>The Microscope/Telescope</p><p>Controlled, powered flight</p><p>The number Zero.</p>

[kevcala]

<p>I've often thought of this same subject, and I seem to come back to plastic.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;I understand the effect all the other inventions have had on society, but I just couldn't imagine some of the things we use everyday if they were made of metal or wood.</p><p>&nbsp;Just an opinion.<br /></p>

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>Mike Teacher</strong> wrote:<br /><blockquote /><p>The number Zero.</p><p>and you my friend are what helps to make 1 the loneliest number.</p><p><img height="200" src="http://i.biblio.com/b/377m/2035377-0-m.jpg" width="133" border="0" /></p>

[jeffdwright2001]

<p>The 3-M corporation.&nbsp; They don't make things, they just make them better.</p>

[SatCam]

What about radio and radio waves? Without them, we'd have no ron and fez, no cell phones, no microwaves, no religious or voice of america shortwave stations, no antenna tv and no radar (an honorable mention on your list)....

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>SatCam</strong> wrote:<br />What about radio and radio waves? Without them, we'd have no ron and fez, no cell phones, no microwaves, no religious or voice of america shortwave stations, no antenna tv and no radar (an honorable mention on your list).... <p>We would just have had to rely on the party phone.&nbsp; And we'd have been damn grateful to have it.</p><p><img height="180" src="http://www.the-waltons.com/waltons1art.jpg" width="160" border="0" /></p>

[blakjeezis]

Synthetics and dynamite are two big ones I missed; the transistor too. The harnessing of atomic power is another one, but I'm not sure that's as established as all the others just yet. If established is the right word. <br />

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by blakjeezis on 8-15-06 @ 3:26 PM</span>

[jeffdwright2001]

<p>Is porn an invention or a process?</p><p>aspirin isn't very sexy, but it certainly is amazing with a multitude of uses.</p><p> We now know that even small doses of less than 100 mg acetylsalicylic acid, equivalent to, for example, one 100 mg Aspirin&reg; tablet, inhibit the body's production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are extremely effective, hormone-like substances that are produced by the body in miniscule quantities and are involved in the regulation of such varied processes as pain, fever and inflammation, the inducement of birth contractions, the development of malignant tumors (cancer) or the obstruction of blood vessels by thrombi. </p>

[ShelleBink]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>JustJon</strong> wrote:<br /><p>What about silicon? The silicon chip has allowed us to usher in the digital age.</p><p> </p><p>And no, Tenbats, not silicone. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I prefer the silicone tit to the silicon chip&nbsp;</p>

[Quinn]

<p>I'd move Guttenberg's movable type to the top of the list. Because with it, news and specs for the other inventions were more easily pread amoungst the people. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I recall a few yearsa go on on of those A&amp;E/Discovery/History channel shows around the end of the year, that does lists like this, put Guttenberg as the first of second most influential people due to the mass use of his invention.&nbsp;</p>

[blakjeezis]

If I recall in 1999 Time magazine listed Guttenberg's movable type as the most important invention of the previous millenium.<br />

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>blakjeezis</strong> wrote:<br />If I recall in 1999 Time magazine listed Guttenberg's movable type as the most important invention of the previous millenium.<br /><p>But no mention of his Police Academy films.&nbsp; </p>

[MadMatt]

<p>I would change &quot;Hay&quot; to &quot;Agriculture&quot; (or the Development of Agriculture), since it would cover food surplus for both humans and animals.&nbsp; </p><p>It can also cover all of the inherent advantages the development of agriculture has allowed - similar to how moveable print translates to advances in communication.</p>

[Gvac]

<p>The fact that air conditioning didn't make the list at all proves it's a farce. </p><p>It's #1 in my book.&nbsp;</p>

[feralBoy]

<strong>blakjeezis</strong> wrote:<br />The harnessing of atomic power is another one, but I'm not sure that's as established as all the others just yet. If established is the right word. <br /><span class="post_edited">This message was edited by blakjeezis on 8-15-06 @ 3:26 PM</span> <p>I think nuclear power (currently)&nbsp;is pretty much a modified steam engine, so you kinda included it already.&nbsp; maybe.</p>

[SatCam]

masturbation

[MadMatt]

<strong>SatCam</strong> wrote:<br />masturbation <p>That's probably more of a discovery than an invention...</p>

[Enabler]

<img src="http://uk.gizmodo.com/tivo.jpg" border="0" />

[sr71blackbird]

Id say the toilet bowl, baby wipes and pain killers are high up there too. The car, and telephones too.&nbsp;

[FUNKMAN]

<strong>jeffdwright2001</strong> wrote:<br /><p>The 3-M corporation.&nbsp; They don't make things, they just make them better.</p><p>i thought that was BASF?</p><p>only reason why i paid attention to the commercial is my two of my brothers had worked for them...</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p>what about Concrete?</p><p>it was even on Amazing Inventions...&nbsp;&nbsp; put alot of guidos to work too</p>

[outlawfrank]

i've got three, how about johnson &amp; johnson baby shampoo, it's&nbsp;amazing my eyes don't burn. or coca-cola, finally col. sanders secret recipe.&nbsp; That extra crispy flavor make me want to take up religion.

[Bulldogcakes]

<p>You people are all lost</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><font size="6">Sliced Bread</font></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Nobody ever says &quot;Thats the greatest thing since Hay&quot; </p><p>Silly. &nbsp;</p>

[FezPaul]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f281/FezPaul/DCP00924.jpg<br /><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Lock it.</font></strong>

[Stankfoot]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uUStHBRDwQ&search=groove%20tube" target="_blank" title="brown 25">brown 25</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[MadMatt]

<strong>Stankfoot</strong> wrote: <p><a title="brown 25" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uUStHBRDwQ&search=groove%20tube" target="_blank">brown 25</a></p><p>That was horrible.</p>

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>FUNKMAN</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>jeffdwright2001</strong> wrote:<br /><p>The 3-M corporation.&nbsp; They don't make things, they just make them better.</p><p>i thought that was BASF?</p><p>only reason why i paid attention to the commercial is my two of my brothers had worked for them...</p><p>You're right, I was confusing my corporations.&nbsp; I think I had sticky notes on the brain (not that painful until I put down the punctuation), which are part of 3-M.</p><p>But secretly invented by these two:</p><p><img height="307" src="http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/bugden1/aaaaa.jpg" width="200" border="0" /></p>

[A.J.]

<strong>FUNKMAN</strong> wrote:<br /><p>what about Concrete?</p><p>it was even on Amazing Inventions...&nbsp;&nbsp; put a lot of guidos to work too</p><p>In the cement shoe business.</p>

[CuzBum]

<p><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/Wawa.jpg/325px-Wawa.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>10&quot; Classic hoagie for $4.99, need I say more?</p>

[Flea_Man]

I think toilet paper needs to be up there.