We have already done a “your view” on the best human invention and as I was recently browsing the forums, I saw a post by The Doppleganger suggesting a your view on the opposite subject – what is the worst human invention. So – here it is! Be sure to give your reasons in the comments.
What is the Best TV Show Ever?
My answer: Television. Looking through the recent channel listings for cable, there is very little of merit to be seen there. Aside from the news (which is always biased one way or another) and documentaries – which also often have a bias, the television seems to have contributed nothing to society. In fact, I think you could safely say that television, having become a nanny for so many children, and an escape for so many adults, has helped to dumb down our society and reduce our ability to use our imaginations. I should confess that while I almost never watch TV, I do occasionally watch “made for TV” programs which I have downloaded (to avoid ads).
the womans vibrator…
ROFL
seriously though…i think it sucks.
Lawn Jarts! http://snag.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/jarts.jpg
Remember those things? Really fun game but someone should have seen the writing on the wall that kids (like me) would throw them up as high as possible not knowing where or who they will land on.
OK not really the worst human invention but for some reason Lawn Jarts came to my mind.
Oh I disagree with television being the worst. I have learned a lot of things from the simpsons and it has also taught me to be more open minded to other cultures and societies by watching and learning about them.
My worst thing, although it was probably already said, is religion.
Not god, but religion.
I agree with u Buckslim.KFC suppliers cram birds into huge waste-filled factories,breed and drug them to grow so large that they can’t even walk and often break their wings and legs.So, ladies and gentlethinker let us boycott Kentucky Fried Cruelty(KFC)
A pity we have no opening parameter to define what was intended to constitute an invention here. Presumably though it was intended to cover material gadgets and implements, not philosophies and religions, attitudes, natural resources or human behaviour, etc. Many of those non-material *inventions* add little but pointless aggro to this thread, as elsewhere in LV.
Maybe the following point has already been made explicitly or implicitly, but the definition The Worst Human Invention doesn’t have to signify it has no beneficial side. E.g. despite saving lives in emergencies, improving business deals and the like, cell phones still qualify. Likewise the openingchoice of TV.
Perhaps this needs splitting into two: The most terrible human ionvention AND The most irritating human invention!
Tobacco isn’t an invention. The cigarette is. It has just killed one of my two best friends, despite his having given it up immediately the anti-cancer campaign started all that time ago. So don’t give me that codswallop about cigarettes not being an awful invention danmoo, despite my learning so much from those wonderful little informative picture cards they used to put in the packets.
simple; the zike
I will agree with TV to an extent; at one time it was informative and educational. However with the advent of this “reality TV” bull ***** all use for TV is gone and that is the reason we got rid of our cable.
The Federal Reserve
TV while it has many bad things, is the reason you can travel around the world and SPEAK ENGLISH to people. If you have ever been to a country that doesnt teach English in school and were able to survive speaking english, this is most likely because the people that COULD speak English watched a lot of TV
Nuclear bombs. Why would we want to create something that could blow us all up?
Gonna be hard to get any kind of consensus here.
Nukes are TERRIBLE when used…but what has their very presence done to the world? We’re a lot less willing to engage in major wars–look at the 1800s and compare to the 1950s and later; there have been tons of small wars (which are no less horrific) but no massive conflicts so far. Here’s hoping.
Petroleum distillation? On one hand, it brought us to our modern age. On the other, it might wipe us out. Who knows? That throws it in with the same potential as such things as robotics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology–each of which COULD rock, or they COULD annihilate us.
Or religion. It’s one of the things that led to civilization rising at all. When Rome fell, the only reason that not all the works and ideas of Rome and Greece were lost was because of monks making copy after copy. Tons of people can only find contentment in religion. And yet, at the same time, it’s been abused to justify atrocities and manipulate people. You can probably say the same thing about any economic or governmental system.
How about this as an idea: Tobacco.
Talanic,
(Sighs) There’s a pretty extensive tobacco thread above you already. It goes down as far as Post 126.
(Sighs again) There’s also a fair consideration of the pros and cons of nuclear weapons. It reaches Post 119, and then crops up again in Post 131 without reference to previous discussion.
Interactive discussion is actually far more interesting, believe it or not. And Talanic, regulars just HATE seeing something presented as brand new which has long been discussed in the thread. It may even be their *worst human invention*! Hahaha.
Atomic bomb is by far the worst invention of mankind.
it is enough to say that the creator of the bomb Robert Oppenheimer after seeing first nuclear test said : “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” .
Anything that has power to take so many lives should not be in people’s hands.
Godless philosophies that have led directly to wholesale slaughter?
Nazism and communism to name a couple (and let’s not forget the fans of eugenics that were popular in the 18/1900s)…killing over belief is not solely a religious thing.
I know blaming religion is a REALLY popular, but lets be fair. Mankind has shown it can kill for many reasons.
Worst invention, any philosophies or governmental forms that take away from the individual rights of people…or to be more partisan, anything that takes away from free markets or liberties.
inb4 capitalist pig or religious fundie
Yep…cigarettes have to be right up there. They smell, are bad for your health, highly addictive and completely pointless.
Religion.
#124 Fazrin – you’re confusing me with the animal rights lunatic fringe. I enjoy chicken, chopped up, dusted with flour and salt, deep fried and slathered in sauce, or roasted, or the filling in a Philly sandwich, or only the wings with bbq sauce or cold from the fridge the next day.
So, to quote Maddux, for every animal you refuse to eat, I’m going to eat three, negating your fondness for the salvation of the animal kingdom put on this planet to be consumed by us.
Teach that chicken to build a hospital or drive a car, and I’m on your side.
The macarena,
People saying that religion killed more people than anything else, how ignorant can you be. Who ever taught you this was wrong. War and disease have kill way more people then religious persecution. There have been far more persecuted people because of their race, nationality’s, ideas, and tribal ancestry. Look at Africa since the imperialism of the land, its people have been subjected to killings, slavery, and torture. Even now, they are killing each other just because of the tribal differences. WW2 Nazi’s killed millions of people because of their heritage, Japan slaughter millions of people because their race/nationality. Mention one war on religion I’ll raise raise you 10 wars started over other reasons. Don’t be so blind sided by your vendetta towards religion, that you believe one thing you’ve read or heard.
Jackie:
Goddamn high fructose corn syrup peddlers, trying to force their clear semi-liquid Koolaid on us… forcing us to buy more and more and more, keeping The High Fructose Council and the High Fructose High Lord of Sweetness in perpetual business… damn them all to hell.
That, or like I said, the hydrogen bomb. Not a nice invention. Scary, very scary. But has hurt fewer people than High Fructose Corn Syrup, I betchya. Hmmm. Tough choice.
Actually, you know, if you put high fructose corn syrup in ANYTHING, Americans’ll buy it. Did you know that? It’s true.
Ah well. This truly is a silly Your View.
Television the worst invention? (!) PSSSHAWWW!!! Think of the world without TV… (as Homer Simpson said–I paraphrase cuz I can’t remember the exact quote–”friend, parent, secret lover…”) No televised boxing! No Monday Night Football! No Diana Rigg in her skin-tight leather outfits (drool). No Marianne in her lil’ short shorts and cut off top (double drool). None of the sheer delight of waiting for those odd moments when Joyce Dewitt would wear something tight or revealing, and you’re yelling at the TV for that dumbass Jack Tripper to get the hell out of your way! No Star Trek (original only!) with the Spock and the Kirk and “Dammit I’m a doctor, not a concierge!” (“I’m not a madam! I’m a CONCIERGE!”—and how would I have heard that when the damn movie came out when I was only THREE, but for TV? I ask you!) No “Circus of the Stars” or “Battle of the Network Stars!” No “Love Boat” and no… well wait, I’m making the argument for it here, aren’t I? Well… no Star Trek! That was a damn good show! So was Seinfeld! Cripes! No Twilight Zone, no Naked City, no The Defenders, no Wild Wild West… am I making my point? No, I didn’t think so.
I do like Ghost Hunters and How It’s Made though… the quality of my life would be lessened without them.
I also think Cheez Whiz is pretty sucky, and should be considered as another terrible invention. Wonderbread too. Yick.
JB is a *****ing moron. anyone who thinks that inventions like the television are making people “lazier” should go live in an amish town. the purpose of all invention is to ease the toil of man, and if you look at it from a cavemans point of veiw, all humans are lazy. and as for the making people stupider part, its only dip*****s like you who think like that. in fact, why do you turn in your computer and buy a nice stationary kit, so you can mail people stupidity.
Automatic-flush toilets. They inevitable flush at the most inopportune time, and are notorious for splashing one’s nether regions with whatever vile substance is in the bowl.
can anyone who posted homo*****uality please explain why you think it is wrong? outside of religion, I have yet to find a single intellegent answer to that question. I keep hearing it destroys families but noone can say why!
The worst inventions all can be found on an infomercial staring Billy Mays….he’s a great salesman but all the products he promotes are useless!
and to theSKIN, ever hear of manifest destiny? its what europenas belived. it means that god ordained them with holy right to conqure africa and america. hitler specifically killed the jews and atheists becouse of his roman catholic veiws, whitch he said many times[also, jewish is not a race, dumbass.]. the crusades were in the complete name of christianity. the salem witch trials, saddam hussein s slaugher of shiites, etc. etc.
in short, you are a *****ing idiot.
The Cartoon Network has destroyed society!
Life was better before children had access to cartoons 24 hours a day.
In “the old days”, Saturday morning cartoons were a meaningful part of our lives. We got up early, fixed a bowl of cereal (our first experience at “cooking”), snuggled up in our favorite chair or with a favorite pillow and settled in for 5 or 6 hours of pure kidertainment. Followed by “GASP” going outside and playing… nowdays cartoons are aways on, never giving kids a chance to “PUT DOWN THE FOOD AND STEP AWAY FROM THE TV”
Saturday mornings were something to look forward to all week(teaching patience)
Saturday mornings were a privilege and could be taken away
(teaching actions have consequences)
Saturday mornings were a good thing.
sigh…Stupid Cartoon Network…
Holy crap…Hitler…a Catholic? Raised maybe. But observant? Hell no.
Hitler’s numerous crimes were not committed out of his zeal for the Catholic church. Check it out…http://www.lawandreligion.com/nurinst1.shtml
Fool.
And “Jewish” can refer to both a religion or a ethnicity.
And Saddam’s persecution of the Shiites was much more about their revolt…not their religion. Saddam was pretty secular…Islamic only when it politically suited him.
Give me a religious conflict, and i’ll give you secular reasons for a ‘religious’ war.
Settle your 16yo butt down ringo, no one is trying to convert you.
ringo get your facts straigh, Hitler was Catholic,but he`s motives werent influence by it,to say that is just plain ignorant, read Alfred Rosenberg(one of hitler`s chieff ideologist) “The Myth of the 20th Century” in wich he blast the catholic church pretty damn hard, he`s hatred of the jews wasnt religion motivated, study first.
the manifest destiny was an american manifest, not European, and it was NOT influenced by God, but rather by power,nationalisim etc..
get your facts straight buddy.
And religion is always and excuse, not the reason, ideology gone extreme is the fault, communism(Stanlin), religious fundamentalism (kkk)..ideology, not religion.
Meth !!!!
war
intelligence
religion
the air conditioner! it allows people to stay inside even on hot days so they do not need to go take part in their community and stuff. less people meet i guess. idk
on intelligence, think about back before we could create, we had no ozone holes, or many extinct/endangered species
look at it now
i rest my case.
God invented humans- the most harmful invention ever
Organized religion is the worst “invention” of mankind. Ever.
119. Anon: segue, (117), Ah, one of our very rare bit civilised points of disagreement then?
****
Yes, it is. I remember so vividly my grammar school days; once a month the civil defense sirens would sound, and you would crawl under your desk (if at school, a table if at home) curl into a ball, and clasp your fingers together behind your neck. When one next siren sounded we’d lineup and march to our underground lunchroom, where we’d wait for the next “all clear” siren.
I had an ulcer by nine, sure I’d be dead one of those times the sirens sounded. I’d seen the civil defense films, I knew crawling under the desk was a waste of time.
During the Cold War, my dad was Supervisor of a construction crew which was putting up perimeter fencing around minuteman silos in the Northwest. In all of the little towns around the sites everyone, children included, wore dogtags so that, in case of nuclear attack (they’d be a first strike location), the bodies could be identified. I was 12. Imagine what kind of influence that had on my psyche.
Dischuker: you have a good point about funding and religion but I don’t know of any hospitals funded by the church and every religous school I know of costs a fortune to go to and brainwashes children or atleast attempts to about religion I would know I started in a catholic pre school and finished all my schooling years at a catholic school. That aside if religous people’s ethics are only due to a childhood like reward system, that being good you get rewarded (heaven), bad you get punished (hell) then what people are they anyway? they merely act good or bad on a reward basis not because they have any real moral fibre but because a book told them to. I think or atleast hope it goes a bit deeper than that and their actions and morals are more concrete than that for there sake and everyone else’s too. As for bob #98,#99 firstly how is homo*****uality an invention? And even if it was how is that bad unless you were raped and are holding a grudge I suppose and as for godless philosophy being a bigger killer than religion? Where did you pull that from I’m sure even the religous people will back me on saying that’s a lie. In fact it was the philosophical teachers who were killed and imprisoned by religous fanaticals and I can list quite a few.
CLOTHING
GUNS
RELIGION
TIME
CELL PHONES
MCDONALC
KAVIAR
TELEVISION
If I would have to chose just one, it would be RELIGION !
The Xbox 360, the Wii and PS3 are much better
In my opinion, the Casket. I believe people should contribute to the environment instead of being locked in a box unable to decay as every other thing does. Burial grounds take up tons of space as well. Not entirely sure if this was an invention or more as a rite of passage, but either way someone along the line more or less brought it to be.
deep friers. it makes people fat and fat people fatter.
cb
There are numerous Catholic hopsitals…feel free to google ones in your area.
As for your schooling, well, I think the fact that you were ‘brainwashed’ from pre school to graduation is a great example of someone coming from a religious backround, and still making decisions for themselves.
So how then again are schools brainwashing the kiddies? I think we can both agree that when we are adults, we make our own decisions, and someones adult faith is certianly one of them.
You view that religon=wars shows you really do not have a firm grasp of historical fact nor a realistic concept of why wars/conflicts are fought. Most conclicts are over resources, cultural influence, or just plain old power lust.
Very rarely is relgion in itself a motive to go to war.
But, I think your rather simplistic interpretation (“a book that promises rewards”) take on religion, and let’s be honest, you are talking about Christianity, shows you to be someone is who is really more concerned with maligining a denomination you disapprove of than anything else.
The DVD rewinder is THE king of stupid inventions
Text messaging, its created a barrier for real communication, its dumbed down our youth, and it’s anti social. I am an avid texter. Urgghh.
McDonalds 15 cent cheeseburgers.
Ringo710:
First, if you are going to write something anywhere (public forum or private note) go back to school or use a dictionary and look up the word. Spelling mistakes, poor syntax, etc. just make you sound plain ol’ dumb!
Second, if you’re going to pontificate (look it up) about Roman Catholicism, Hitler, and other things try to get your facts straight. If you have only a vague idea of the actual historical facts and context then google the subject or look it up in a school textbook before making a fool of yourself in public. Otherwise you just strike all observers as ignorant.
Needless to say, your arguments have fallen flat and doubtless have turned others off to your way of thinking.
On the other hand, if you are – as I suspect – just some angry kid spouting off then all your spittle-flying hate phrases will neither rouse us nor satisfy you. And frankly I truly feel sorry for you.
Mr. Plow
The closest catholic hospital to me is nearly 6 hours away still a valid point though. In my post I wrote “brainwashes children or at least attempts to about religion”. It’s quite easy how they brainwash children, I had to have studies of religion as a compulsory lesson in my HSC, I was given a bible I had to read and do exercises in. I was made to participate in a re-enactment of the crucification of Jesus, made to go to church weekly and do the rosary amongst other things. I have many friends who were brainwashed into religion. One of them said if it wasn’t for him being tutored in physics he would still believe what the school fed him and many other smart friends of mine still do. Still religious brainwashing is slightly off topic. As for me saying religion = wars that’s very much out of context all I said was religion was a bigger killer than godless philosophies and how mindless drones fight for their god that’s hardly stating that religion = wars. (except these posts are a good example of some listverse wars hehe).
All in all I still believe torture (whether that include the rosary is up to you) is still the worst invention but religion is up there for it’s brainwashing, slowing down of civilization (Galileo, killing and imprisonment of ancient philosophers, men & dinosaur business etc), Sacrifices, Jihads, conflict (note conflict not war), Eating only certain things ie haram, kosher,being a vego etc and the taking away of people’s rights.
dude quit saying nukes, if the stupid jap bastards didn’t have to blindside us in the first place nobody would know their power is except for the testers, and cigarettes, you have a choice, the worst invention is whatever makes the largest number of people miserable, yea religion is pretty stupid too, look how many wars it has created, therefore requiring upgrades in weapons to kill your ‘inferior’ religious opponent, religion probly
dude and mr. plow, i just heard on the news the other day that every war being fought right now is religious, and look how many in the past, so it is a huge motive
CB, I hardly see where religion, the rosary, or your unhappiness at a Catholic school have anything to do with inventions. If you have a beef with religion, Catholicism, etc. that is your business. But let’s focus on the question here: the worst invention.
Inventions by the very definition are intended to improve something. If the invention has worked then hopefully it has improved upon its purpose. So to me the questions here are:
a) What invention was truly a horrible invention;
b) What invention was completely and utterly useless.
My choice for a) is nuclear weapons. My choice for b) is poison gas in WW1 (devastating for both the intended victim as well as the user).
The internal combustion engine.
Steam, Wind and Hydro power were already in use when petroleum based technologies were developed. If the internal combustion engine had not been invented, mankind would have focused on developing those clean and renewable energy sources much sooner.
Narvik, it was not religion that caused wars. It is the greed, selfishness, and lack of moral center that caused wars. Plenty of unscrupulous individuals have hidden behind the mantle of a religious cloak. But that does not inherently prove that that religion is bad nor that religions in general are the cause of the problems. It simply shows that human nature is generally corrupt.
nice job Theodoric.
Theodoric of York:
“I hardly see where religion, the rosary, or your unhappiness at a Catholic school have anything to do with inventions”
Religion is an invention hence the relevance in this forum that being “Your View: What is the worst human invention”
Invention is simply something that was invented.
Invented by definition is the following:
1. To produce or contrive (something previously unknown) by the use of ingenuity or imagination.
2. To make up; fabricate: invent a likely excuse.
Hope this helps clear up why I suggested religion and then named several reasons why it is one of the worst inventions.
171 York, agreed.
Navik, whatever troll.
cb, you still are no longer a practicing Catholic, so why are you NOT brainwashed and all those you graduated with ARE? Either you are supremely brilliant or maybe the brainwashing is not that effective.
And are you really that surprised that a religious school endorses a religion?
Also i’ve never heard of eating kosher violating anyone’s individual rights. Religion is a choice, just like your choice to leave, there are no taking of liberties, one simply chooses a lifestyle in which they know they will have certain rules.
AS for religion being such a killer, peruse this link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_disasters_by_death_toll
Is religion really the biggest killer…or conflict causer? It is a myth that religion is the prime cause of conflict…the historical record simply does not bear that out, read for yourself.
I agree on the torture, but still maintain that liberty killing philosophies and governments are the worst invention humanity has created.
Without TV we would have no Listverse.
Telemarketing.
Reader comments.
Bigwig Rabbit -
you wascaly wabbit! as much as i ***** and moan about commentors..at times…it is what makes this site so entertaining. otherwise it’d just be lists..which is great but the internet is about interaction NOT just reading.
so pooh pooh on your comment bashing commentors!
for shame you wascaly wabbit!
Mr Plow
Have you ever heard a brainwashed person say they’re brainwashed? All those people that follow cults, mass suicides, suicide bombers that believe they will go to heaven and get heaps of virgins etc are they not brainwashed?
The conclusion that you came to stating that either I am supremely brilliant or the brainwashing in not that effective is fairly limited. Could it be perhaps that I was further educated than those through science or philosophy. Perhaps it was that I was not as ignorant as others the possibilities are far more than the my brilliance or the ineffectiveness of their brainwashing.\
Thank you for the link even if it is misguided as you keep stating that I believe religion is “such a killer”. It’s just more of a killer than a godless philosphy is all I said. However the human sacrifice statistics were interesting.
Annoying forced 4chan internet memes. God dammit man, it was funny for about… Two minutes! No more!
CB, Let’s objectively look at the numbers, shall we? In terms of “religious wars” we can easily lump in the Jihad by Muslims from 632 to at least the suige of Vienna in 1638; on the Christian side the Crusades in retaliation from the 11th century on; the Dutch Revolt (1560s to 1648); the 30 Years’ War (1618-1648) but really almost nothing afterwards (unless you include the Taiping rebellion 1850-1864 in China). The Napoleanic Wars were fought for a secular ideal. The wars of the 19th century (Crimean War, wars of Italian and German reunification; American Civil War) were all for nationalism in one sense or another. The British, French and Russian imperial wars were simply expansionist. Thus we are left with the 20th century. Those wars (WW1, WW2, colonial struggles in Africa and Asia, proxy fights of the Cold War, etc.) were all purely secular. Unless you consider Nazi-ism, Communism and Western liberal democracy religions (I don’t and I have never heard anyone who does). The death tally from the 20th century wars – easily more than 100 million (20 million WW1; 60 million WW2; 40 million Chinese civil wars; etc.) were all secular. Casualties in the Crusades were sometimes as low as a few dozen in battles and never more than a few 10s of 1000s. There were not that many combatants. Even the worst excesses of the Muslim-Christian wars (eg Vienna, Constantinople, etc.) were 100,000s. At most the tally from the Thirty Years’ War was 1 million (largely thru starvation and disease).
Now, tally up how you get religion to blame for those numbers or where you find a larger tally of deaths directly attributable to ANY religion?