Your View: What is the greatest human invention?

1. Athena - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 pm

I believe harnessing electricity (which brought forth the internet) is humans’ greatest invention

2. Quiana - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 pm

condoms.

3. God - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 pm

Television

4. God - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Oh yea and God…NOT.

5. Elana - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Anything that has to do with space and space exploration. It baffles the mind to think where the hell we are, in the midst of dark infinity.

6. jfrater - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm

umm - guys - how about giving reasons for your choice?

7. AZ - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm

life…God invented it.

8. Reyairia - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm

The Printing Press.
Without the printing press we would have no internet or computers to begin with and the public would not have access to common education. As the public wouldn’t have much education, democracy would not exist and the Renaissance would not have happened.

We’d have little advancement from the dark ages to put it simply, without the printing press.

9. JwJwBean - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm

Well geez sliced bread. Duh!

Just Kidding. I will think on a more serious note and get back to you.

10. Mystern - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm

the gutenberg press is certainly the most influential, it made it so that the general public could become literate. i would even hazard to say that it is the greatest human invention due to the social revolution it caused

11. Duke of Omnium - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:14 pm

The steam engine. The ability to produce large amounts of kinetic energy is the beginning of the industrial age. And pollution. Until the steam engine was made, people could only go as far and as fast as horses or sails could take them.

12. Athena - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:15 pm

how was I able to do this with athena’s name? When I loaded this page, Athena’s name and e-mail address were already loaded into corresponding boxes. Is this possibly a site malfunction?

13. Athena - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm

ok, the e-mail address keeps changing everytime.

I dont understand what is happening.

14. Leah - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:17 pm

The wheel…

15. jfrater - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:24 pm

Athena: it is a malfunction - I am trying to resolve it as we speak.

16. SocialButterfly - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:27 pm

Printing press…hands down.

I believe it was made by Johan Gutenberg? In any case, if not for the printing press knowledge could not be share with the world.. very important… imho.

17. gromit - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm

a camera. not photoshop, not digital effects or any of that… just a camera. because a camera lets you capture life, phenomenon’s, and beauty, for all to see. and in my opinion, the only thing more powerful than a photo, is the scene itself.

18. warlord 1 - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm

the harnessing of metals like bronze because it allowed for man to move away from a farming only lifestyle to cities where they could master other vocations that led to our modern society

19. That guy - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm

Electricity, plain ‘n’ simple

20. Mike - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:30 pm

the wheel…

21. islanderbst - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:32 pm

I agree with Athena (#1): Electricity. (battery, generator, transformer)
This has lead to basically everything we have today. Think about the change to lifestyle that happened when a family could read/play/entertain/shop by steady, dependable light rather than candles and torches, and then bringing things like radios and fridges to the home.

And sorry, its not the Internet. People learned quite well before the internet. (Einstein and Newton did pretty well without it) Maybe once it evolves into something more than just PerezHilton and lolcats, then I’ll reconsider (Listverse is a great start though!)

22. MPW - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:32 pm

indoor plumbing because i dont like taking dumps in the woods:)

23. Tiffany H - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:32 pm

air conditioning. it helped people settle in places one unheard of, and it’s saved lives.

24. MPW - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm

electricity is harvested it was not invented

25. EXE - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:34 pm

right MPW.
Electricity is what makes our hearts beat. It would be damn hard to invent something to make our hearts beat if they weren’t….y’know….beating

26. theSKin - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm

Language and written formal language, is hands down the greatest invention man has created. Many people may overlook this; but, none of the inventions stated would have been possible. It takes knowledge of many other fields to invent something and the only way to learn it is by reading or hearing about those fields. We would still be stuck in tribal clans.

27. Diogenes - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm

Sorry to get out of the view so soon here:

As for those who speak of Mr. G’s famous press:
I know where I can get three Gutenberg (not Steve’s) Bibles, that are on current public view, and if each and every listverser sends me…mmm… fifty bucks, I will burn my fingerprints off with an un-named acid and make sure that three(3) lucky investors (by lotto luck) get their very own.

28. MPW - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 pm

surely the computer is important, without it there is no internet

29. Mastermind - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm

I think the written alphabet is the greatest invention. Civilization could not have advanced without it.

30. Magnolia - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:46 pm

The printing press. Naturally.

31. Phillies - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:51 pm

The wheel. Without it, we would not have advanced very far as a species. We go places because of it, and it makes transportation much easier. The best is always the first: The wheel

(Politely waiting for applause)

32. GOD - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm

Me

33. sdggrant - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:55 pm

Language. We would be a bunch of big, hairless chimps without it.

Phillies…the wheel would be pointless and only benefit the creator unless he knew how to communicate with others.

Hence——–Language > wheel

>=)

34. Diogenes - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:56 pm

But islanderbst , electricty existed before human intervention. It’s well known that the God’s are pissed off at Hephaestus.

35. jfrater - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Okay - I was meaning things that man invented - not that we harnessed or discovered - so that excludes electricity!

And remember - tell us WHY!

36. 20Fan20 - June 2nd, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Jesus

Just Kidding!!!!

37. MPW - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm

oh yeah thank you very much j

38. J.O.N. - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:02 pm

Twinkies.

39. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:03 pm

agriculture. without which, there would be no need for civilization.

40. J.O.N. - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:04 pm

Or those little things on the ends of shoelaces. Aglets! That’s what they’re called.

Their true purpose is sinister.

41. J.O.N. - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm

Oh wait, babies. Yep. The people who invented babies sure were smart…

42. ecsurf - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:08 pm

Fire….even though humans did not invent fire (as neither they did with electricity), the ability to create fire has assisted humans expansion and development for thousands of years (from tool making to migration away from the equator).

43. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:09 pm

heterosexual sex. whoever invented that is a god among women.

44. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:11 pm

balut. the poor guy must be so hungry to eat something like that.

45. Shlufi - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:12 pm

Monotheism - Despite the fact that I’m atheist, without this intellectual invention Western Society, all their inventions, their ideas of justice and liberty, would never have come to be. Despite the violence and inhumanity that came as a result of the old testament, it continues to be the most influential and fundamental piece of human literature ever written, and without it we would not have our ethics that compose what we consider humanity.

46. Peter - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:14 pm

God, and the monotheistic religions that dominate the world today.
Masturbation? SIN!
Oral sex? SIN!
Premarital sex? SIN!
Questioning authority? SIN!

Religion has killed millions, and continues to psychologically damage people to this day. Everything that makes us human becomes sin, and therefore we all need to pay our minds and money to the gatekeepers as to avoid hell.

I dont think this is what you meant by “great,” but when it comes down to it, what is greater than god?

that, and I think pillows are a great invention

47. Sen. Ego/Id - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:15 pm

Internet porn-
As long as freedoms persist, I shall continually fullfill my obligated longevity into the sewers and trash dumps of the outer extremes, pound per pound. There is no end to internet porn. It is beter than sunshine or puppies. Thank you humans! Social difficulties are blurred within the matrix of my libido. It has improved and expanded my uderstanding of the illusionatory aspects of reality that I shall never control fully or materialize into actualized dreams.

48. J.O.N. - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 pm

JANDAMAN! ACCUSE YOU OF THEFT OF MY SACRED IDEAS! FLIBBERTIGIBBET YOU BASTARD!

49. asdf - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:19 pm

1. written language
2. mathematics
3. formal logic
4. social organization
5. the scientific method
6. any and all artistic endeavor
7. agnoticsm
8. music
9. negotiation
10. the kama sutra

50. jasontimmer - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:19 pm

how about logic? we may not have intentionally “invented” it, but it is ours, and without it we could not have any of our other inventions.

51. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 pm

yeah… religion is a prime motivator for just about anything. i guess this could be mankinds greatest invention. a tool to manipulate the masses and invent agriculture, language and transportation. even atheism is just a derivative of religion.

52. Mom424 - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm

It is kind of hard to pin down. Yes the printing press was hugely important; it made knowledge widely available, previously it had been a tool of the ruling class.

The steam engine provided power for the industrial revolution and the empowerment of western society.

Electricity furthered industrial development and allowed for 24 hours a day of productivity.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible if we were still following the herds. The single most important human development is agriculture. Agriculture allows for towns, cities, and surpluses. Surplus allows for trade. Trade leads to written language (who owes who? who owes what?), math, government, and every accomplishment of human society.

Every milestone since pales in comparison to the effect agriculture had on the development of humanity.

53. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 pm

sex = babies. not bad J.O.N.

54. Gravemind - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 pm

antiseptics
for many reasons
all relatively obvious

55. Luke - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm

BEER….then the wheel to get to the beer

56. Jen - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm

Public health.
A thousand times over public health…with a nod to aseptic practices and germ theory.

(The reasons should be obvious.)

57. S_R - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:33 pm

The atomic and hydrogen bombs… Star Wars weaponry (both known and unknown). Explosives, The SR-71, B2B, and F-22, the modern aircraft carrier, modern warfare weaponry, the upcoming F-35, ICBMs with MIRVs, spy satellites, HAARP (for wether control), Echelon/Carnivore, crack, meth, pcp, acid (LSD, purple microdot, peyote, windoow pane, etc.), alcohol, handguns, rifles, machine guns, terrorism, Islam, the PATRIOT ACT, liberals, abortinons, homosexual couples having the same rights as normal man-woman marriages. The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, Bohemian Garden, Skull and Bones club, Masons, reviving the secret religions of Babylon–the occult, implant chips, The Catholic Church, etc., etc. OH! And Spongebob SqurePants!!!

Can anyone say “New World Order?”

58. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:33 pm

my god. it just hit me. mankind’s greatest invention might as well be sex, drugs and alcohol. sex to produce the masses and populate the earth. drugs to pave way for religion by inducing visions and heavenly messages and alcohol to suppress our motivation in subverting our superiors which paved the way to civilization. that’s it you dudes! wow. i think i have had too much booze.

59. Phender_Bender - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm

I’d have to say Seinfeld. That show is the best.

60. Colinius Romul - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm

I am goign to have to agree with all those that have said Language is the most important invention humanity has come up with. While not an ‘invention’ in the way a computer is, language and the written form have been incredible not only during any particular moment in history whereby people are using language to communicate and basically make the world go around, but also historically. I am an avid comparative philologist, and find it fascinating how much one can learn about a people, their culture, history, values, etc…by the evolution (or devolution) of a particular language or word or group of words. It is very interesting to find out how large an impact various factors have on language and it is very obvious that humanity would not have been able to do much without the ability to communicate, categorize, organize, and keep track of their ideas, accomplishments, thoughts, etc. Language gets my vote.

61. jackit - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm

I’m glad we invented gravity! Just kidding, let me get back to you.

62. jfrater - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:42 pm

S_R: Those are certainly some interesting choices.

63. Mom424 - June 2nd, 2008 at 8:55 pm

Jfrater: If you want a specific thing instead of a process (We invented agriculture) it would have to be the plough. It directly increased productivity which of course led to surpluses and trade etc.

64. Vera Lynn - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 pm

Hands down and away, VACCINES.

Luke, Benjamin Franklin said,”Beer is proof G-d loves us.”

Privately? How did early man learn to take flour (ground from a plant) add milk (from an animal) Sugar (from another plant) egg ( from some weird squarky animal) and make bread? It is beyond me.

65. Vera Lynn - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 pm

Work is done.
Cubs are winning.
All is right in the world.
How’s that for egocentric thinking.

66. KannonKitsune - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm

Written language. It allows up to learn, to communicate, to keep records, to be creative. Written language allows us to do all sorts of neat things.

67. YogiBarrister - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 pm

The invention I’m most proud of as a human being is the Hubbell Telescope. The one that has had the greatest impact on my life is written language of course, without it, the inernet would have nothing but porn.

68. jasontimmer - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 pm

I keep hearing people say, “the most important invention is _____ because without it, we couldn’t have ___ and____ and ___” I don’t think too many people realize that sooo many of these inventions are interdependent- that they all relied on each other for their further development. It wasn’t like one day we were all hunter-gatherers, then suddenly POOF and there are vast fields of corn. I think the most important invention has to be something far more fundamental, but I bet we’ll find even that is dependant on another. And for the record, KannonKitsure, we don’t rely on written language for creativity.

69. Tonny SS - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm

Cathode Ray Tube.

70. x420psykoticx - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm

Fire..

basis for survival which allowed further inventions.

71. Patches - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find access to it, but a professor in college once told us that the Economist rated the top 10 inventions of the past millenia (1000 to 2000 A.D.)and #1 was the birth control pill (something along the lines of empowering women with the ability to stop the production of children)… Although I personally don’t think it’s the greatest, it’s probably the most interesting.

Any Economist readers that might have seen the article, or was the prof lying?

72. frozen_midwest - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm

*from The 2000 Year Old Man skit (Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner) *

Saran Wrap! You can wrap an olive in it! You can wrap TWO olives in it! You can look through it!

73. Lawrence - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 pm

Electricity and the wheel

74. Clantargh - June 2nd, 2008 at 9:57 pm

Computers, they have allowed us to accomplish so much in so little time. The internet gives us nearly all the knowledge of the world (and enough deviant porn to satisfy anyone other than my roommate). Nearly all our older forms of work have been changed by this made either easier or more effective. The rapid speed of calculations has made space travel and satellites possible.

Although give it a few decades and nanotechnology may possibly surpass this.

75. Dustfinger - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm

Vera Lynn: “Privately? How did early man learn to take flour (ground from a plant) add milk (from an animal) Sugar (from another plant) egg ( from some weird squarky animal) and make bread? It is beyond me.”

Wasn’t early bread really just flour and water? I mean I don’t know exactly what it was made of but I’m pretty sure it didn’t have sugar or milk in it at least.

76. scaramouche - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 pm

I think written language is the most influential and important. Communication has always been crucial for a civilization, and I believe human success has come from the ability to communicate through symbolic language that solidifies our ideas into something that anyone can understand.

77. Van Buren - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pm

Astronomy

78. MPW - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm

Vera Lynn: vaccines are a great invention.

You’re a cubs fan,you must be from chicago or somewhere near there.

congrats they are hot right now.

im an angel fan:) go halos

79. Clantargh - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Another amazing invention that tends to be overlooked, photography. Think of how much of your knowledge was learned through images you might have not seen otherwise. While it might not be on the scale of the printing press, it isn’t far behind and since a picture = 1k words, you can do the math. Who here doesn’t know what for example exotic animals they have never seen in person look like?

80. kazorek - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pm

written language. recording everything is what allows us to have a first hand account of human history, and to movie forward from it.

81. kazorek - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pm

move**

82. Heaven72 - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm

1. Fire
2. Tools
3. Language
4. The Wheel
5. Penicillin

83. Tomo - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 pm

Anything that has brought people of the world closer. These would include the ships, cars, planes, printing press, the telephone, the television and of course the grand daddy of all communication tools - The Internet.

I can’t imagine how people lived before any of the above were invented.

84. astraya - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm

Spoken language - the one thing that separates us from animals.

I once read that the greatest human *accomplishment* was the domestication of the dog - extra warmth at night, early warning from predators and extra capability for hunting.

85. UselessCamper - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 pm

teleportation and the invisibility potion are high on my list.

86. jake ryder - June 2nd, 2008 at 10:49 pm

Moveable type. It brought about reading for the common man which led to numerous inventions afterward.

87. Crimanon - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 pm

I’m going to go with metal smithing. The wheel good idea but nothing more than slipping on a rock and behold a Duh moment. Sharp rocks you say? just another case of using what’s around. We could take this further back and say a pointed stick, but there again is another possible slip and fall moment.

Metal smithing had to be thought of for a moment. you don’t just find sharp pieces of copper laying around, you had to work it first. After you accidentally leave it in the fire pull it out and drop it you get the snow ball effect and think of what else you could do with it.

Without metals you wouldn’t have movable type, electricity, or even basic tools.

88. Crimanon - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:27 pm

please excuse, very tired.

89. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 pm

The knife. That’s where it all began.

90. Schiesl - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 pm

The ability to create FIRE!! there is no doubt that our ability to create and manipulate fire is the number one invention of all time.

91. Eric - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:43 pm

Sometimes I think beer is among the greatest inventions ever. But by the end of the day, my choice is clear: The Bed !

92. Schiesl - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:43 pm

as much as i love sex, we didnt invent it so that cant count. but Listverse does count as an invention so that is number two on my list next to fire

93. Andrew - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 pm

you all got it wrong. the right answer is

DEATH FUCKING METAL

94. jasontimmer - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:46 pm

Schiesl- there is doubt, my friend. As i said in my last post, #68, all these inventions are interdependent. If fire is so important, wouldn’t out ability to manufacture firemaking tools (probably with sharpened stones) be even more important? Or are they the same, since fire then enhanced these tools further? I think this is actually kind of a silly question to begin with. There really is no single invention that can be isolated as the number one cause of our thriving on this planet.

95. Jandaman - June 2nd, 2008 at 11:57 pm

Then the root of all the interdependent inventions must be the greatest invention. The invention that spawned inventions. And we shall call it the Invention Machine! And what is our invention machine?

96. Silvarios - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03 am

I agree with the spoken language. Yep, its truly separates us from the beasts.

Next would be writing tools
from writing tools, we had spawned the everything else.
It allowed knowledge to be pass down, art to be created, allowed us to communicate, etc etc etc

97. TicoTuanis - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 am

1.Concept of Zero
2.Clock

98. Jono - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:06 am

I would have to say written language. Without written language, history that’s beyond a few tall tales wouldn’t exist. Written language essentially allows ideas to live on forever. It is one of the most fundamental things I can imagine. Without a proper way of communication to the FUTURE, things would be radically different. We wouldn’t have inventions, because it would take someone their whole lifetime to backwards engineer it, and then when they die, their work dies with them. It essentially would set everything back to square one when someone dies.

99. Jandaman - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 am

Hmmm… yes, I think spoken language is the invention machine. For with it, we can convey the ideas themselves that encapsulate each invention during its infancy. We use language to express our desire to have sex, use it to propagate religion and convince the masses to dull their senses using alcohol. That’s it you guys! It’s spoken language all along!

100. john - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:53 am

Vaccines. They saved countless lives and alleviated suffering on a massive scale.

101. Jen - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 am

Jandaman: Humans are the invention machine. =)

All of the inventions ever made have spawned from the fact that humans have a capacity to use logic and reason to solve problems.

102. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 am

Jandaman- the Invention Machine? Our brain! Unfortunately, we can’t take credit for it! Spoken or written language cannot be it, because it must have had a precursor. I’m willing to bet also that we had certain specific tools with specific uses before any sort of complex language was established. Indeed, animals and even plants have methods of communication, some verbal, others not. Many animals also use tools. Because the languages of animals are far more limited than our own does not exclude them from the inventors of the Earth.

103. Jen - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 am

…Spoken language, using simple tools, etc. things that other animals do, so shouldn’t be considered uniquely human. What IS uniquely human is our capacity for problem solving. (Pretend this is part of my previous comment.)

104. Jen - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 am

jasontimmer: jinx

105. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:06 am

Jen- jinx indeed. However I disagree on the problem solving bit. Go google “crow vending machine” for an amazing video of a lecture by a man who studied the astounding capacity of these animals to solve problems.

106. Ljopa - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:10 am

i would say, sanitation. don’t know if it was mentioned beforehand, but sanitation is one of the main reasons why we are still alive… Electricity, internet, computers, that’s all good, but sanitation is one first choice any time.

107. Andrey - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 am

Penicilin.Classic answer:)

108. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:14 am

you know, rethinking the brain bit, maybe we actually can take credit for our own big brains. According to evolution, our large, powerful brains are the result of our own willful actions. So is that it? Is the brain man’s greatest invention, even though it was “invented” somewhat unconsciously?

109. Jen - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:20 am

jasontimmer: I would argue that training is not the same as organic problem solving. Animals do, in fact, have a great ability to problem solve, based on their instincts. With several exceptions, it is only the higher primates that can solve problems in a nonnatural (i.e. not ingrained into their genetics) responsive way without being coaxed to do it.

Now, if I could only solve the problem of putting-off-this-paper-by-commenting-at-three-in-the-morning, all would be rainbows and ponies.

Ljopa: That would fall under the auspices of public health.

110. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 am

Jen- you obviously didn’t watch the video. The crows solve rather complex problems with no prompting or prior observation of the behavior.

For instance, crows in Tokyo have been observed dropping nuts on the street near intersections, waiting for a car to crush the nut, then waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change so they can go collect their nut.

Watch the video.

111. The-Dude - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 am

Takeshi’s Castle, without it mankind would have never made it out of the trees.

You could also have the worst invention; I hate the mobile phone. We have only had it a little while but i know of only a few people who could live without it. It must be worse than any A-Class drug on the streets.

112. The-Dude - June 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 am

Nice one ‘TicoTuanis’ without Zero we would not have:

Physics
Chemistry
Computers
and much more.

113. L.A - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:30 am

Err..Vibrators? lol

114. Jen - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:31 am

Jasontimmer: I watched it. Now I’ve watched it twice. In the case of the peanut machine, the dude has constructed a system by which the crow is rewarded for certain behavior. That is how you train animals. In a sense, that is how humans solve problems, too. Man is hungry, so man uses a spear to kill a mammoth. The leap comes in when man begins to solve the intangible problems.

For instance: man is a hungry hunter-gatherer. Man eats some seeds. Man poops out some seeds. Man goes onto his next campsite. Man comes back a year later to see that his latrines have served as excellent soil in which the undigested seeds have grown. Man repeats process. Man invents agriculture.

It’s when the problem-solving is used multilaterally in ways that don’t directly pay out to an instinctive need that reason and logic come into play. I watched your damned crow video.

115. ali157 - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 am

I would have to say the specialisation of tasks
back in the day when everyone had to grow their own food
no one got any leisure time so without the specialisation of tasks for individuals/communities/areas leisure time would barely exist, businesses wouldn’t exist and trhe economy just wouldn’t be the same and therefore alot of the things we have today wouldn’t exist

116. Mandy - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:37 am

THE PILL! and deffinatly the internet. But id have to say mobile… I get text messages everyday. it conects you to family and friends.

117. chubbybubba - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:52 am

Religion

118. domnick - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 am

the second wheel and the axel

119. Jandaman - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:16 am

1 and 0 is mandkind’s greatest invention.

The bipartisan property of every concept, invention and event related to man itself.

Knife (production) and wheel (distribution).
Stalk of grain and slab of meat(proponents of agriculture).
Spear(war/force) and laurel of peace(diplomacy/language).
Sperm and egg. (sexuality)
Yin and yang. (eastern religion)
Alpha and omega. (western religion)
Government and anarchy. (Politics)
Line and Point (Math/Architecture)
1 and 0 (Science/Electronics/Math)
True and false (Logic)
Good and Evil

120. Aaron - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:24 am

I believe that our most important and greatest invention was that of a formal system of communication. It was probably one of man kinds most difficult inventions and without it we would still be living naked in caves trying to hunt wild animals with big sticks, that is, if we survived, we’re not exactly the strongest or fastest thing out there.

121. romerozombie - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 am

For me, it’s either penicillin or the sanitation system. No one likes being sick and stepping on their own shit.

122. Drogo - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 am

A Rock Tied To A Stick.

Early man discovered the stick as a tool, and that you could hit things with a rock. The first major invention was when someone had the idea of tying a rock to a stick with a piece of vine, to make a more useful tool. It’s a machine made of multiple parts.

123. Daniel - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:00 am

Before answering, I think we have to define what “greatest” means… From what Jamie wrote in the question and in his answer, I have to assume that he was asking “greatest” in terms of “what invention was most influential”.

Correct me if I’m wrong, j

That said, I want to say two things… Democracy and the Internet.

Democracy: We have to give it up to the men who created this form of government. They invented a system of governing where all members of a society have equal access to power and all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. At least, that’s what it’s evolved in to.

Internet: Well, let’s put it this way; if not for the internet, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

I’d say that’s pretty influential!

124. Drogo - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 am

P.S. And then there’s that support thingy that keeps pizza from touching, and getting stuck to the lid of the box.

125. GForce - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 am

My girlfriend! JK she reads this then comments on my comments.

I’d choose the clock and the understanding of time and space. Time is the one thing that cannot be harnessed, made, built, or altered.

126. winglock - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:17 am

Agriculture. I recently read Robinson Crusoe and even though it’s fiction it made me contemplate how much security it must have provided in the sustenance and expansion of our ancestors.

127. winglock - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 am

Oh yeah and Jandaman missed out on one.

Shaft and gash.

128. James - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 am

the greatest invention is newton’s classical physics. the wheel, the printing press, the internet, the electric light, the photograph, all of these would have been invented sooner or later. but’s newton’s physics was truly an event.

penicillin also had a great impact, but it was not really an invention. it was discovered, but accident.

language was not invented. it evolved. so was religion

129. Ghidoran - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 am

Yes, I agree, agriculture.

130. Jack Deth - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:28 am

The jug, cup or what ever else was the first water containing vessel. Without it we’d be a bunch of monkeys unable to leave the side of fresh water ponds.

131. Iain - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 am

45. Shlufi - Uh you kind of forgot about the polytheistic Ancient Greeks

132. codman - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 am

the wheel… where would we be without it?

133. paul d taylor - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 am

as much power as it uses= AIR CONDITIONING. i cannot imagine the world without it. Think of how malls and supermarkets and museums and things would be such a pain if we didnt have A/C. Living in Dallas, it is a neccessity…..

Second Choice- JET ENGINE

134. Lewis - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:50 am

Exploitation…..

135. Tonny SS - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:53 am

Uh sorry, air conditioning in those senses is severely overrated. Fans, do you know them? Refrigerators, heaters, and for some special purpose, sure.

Some people (by that, I mean me) are uncomfortable in air conditioned room.

136. Bahar - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 am

sewerage system

The start of civilisation

137. Mom424 - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 am

I would debate language as an invention. I don’t believe we invented it, rather it is an adaptation for survival. It happened “to” us rather than us doing something to make it happen. (Other than living in groups, that is).

138. Cheesereader - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 am

PLASTIC

139. yokoshiogatame - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 am

Would you class time as a human invention to measure things that happen in space?

140. I Am An Evil Taco - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 am

The steam engine, definitely. with it came coal power plants, fueling a nationwide electricity grid which powers the internet. As well as that, the networking aspects of cross country travel, which created the framework for later achievements as the inter-state highway, and as well as that allowed mail to travel a bit faster than the week or 2 it took to cross america previously. Add to that the ease of trade, since you could make steam powered ships, and yeah…. beginning of the industrial revolution.

141. jake82 - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 am

anesthetics

142. abhilash warrier - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 am

Greatest invention(s) are waiting to happen: Cloning, Stem Cell related stuff, DNA re-engineering, and Time travel.

143. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:24 am

Jen- #114- thanks for watching my damned video. Sounds like you need some sleep after writing that paper. You seem to have missed my point. I was thinking more of the instances in which the crows used traffic to crack nuts and formed a piece of wire into a hook to retrieve food. This is not instinctive behavior. This is problem solving.

Are you saying agriculture doesn’t relate to an instinctive need? Its called hunger. Sure, there are steps in between that don’t relate to hunger. Just like as the crow waits for the streetlight, man waits for crops…

144. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:26 am

Mom424- It could be said that most (or even all) inventions are, in a sense, adaptations for survival.

145. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 am

ok one more post…Daniel, #123, are you so naive as to think that democracy, at least in the USA, gives equal access of power to all citizens? I mean seriously?

146. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 am

Language is certainly NOT an invention. It is basic to what we are, it evolved along with us, and is either the product of our advanced brains, or was one of the primary factors in evolving said brains–science isn’t sure yet. We don’t even know that other species don’t have “languages” of their own–there’s good reason to suspect that ceteceans (whales and dolphins) do, and some other species show evidence of it. So language may not even be exclusively ours.

No, the three greatest inventions were, in fact:

The lever. As an extension of human muscle power, it not only helped us to do many more physical tasks, and more demanding ones, with less expenditure of energy–but it also helped us *realize,* surely, the possibilities open to us and how we could materially change the world around us.

The wheel. For obvious reasons–in a sense another extension of ourselves.

The plow. Made agriculture far more efficient. Great improvement over the ol’ digging stick. Try it sometime. The plow, harnessed to a strong draft animal, vastly increased our farming capabilities, thus feeding more of us AND making, in the long run, civilization possible. When you have to struggle less for food, you can settle down and build cities and municipal services and Yankee Stadium and such.

The harnessing of electricity gets honorable mention. Made all of our modern conveniences possible.

147. stevezio - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:33 am

GUNPOWDER

148. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 am

jasontimmer:

Stop peeing on Daniel’s barbecue, there, jasont. Democracy is a wonderful invention, however flawed our application of it may be. Can you think of a more preferable form of government, after all? Not me.

149. otay - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:40 am

The handy-dandy back scratcher! life would be pure misery without it! lol

150. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:47 am

Randall- peeing on barbecue? That paints an interesting picture… well, I guess democracy is a good idea, but then so is communism. Too bad too much power to too few people corrupts both. As for an ideal gov’t, I can imagine myself living in a hut deep in a forested mountain all by myself. Yeah, that fits the bill.

151. JMB - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 am

The single best human invention is simply:

DEODORANT

Ever watch those movies where the setting is some Victorian Ballroom and everyone is dancing in their finest clothes? You have to know that their armpits are stinking up that room.

DEODORANT brought civility to civilization.

152. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:50 am

What a difficult question, I agree the internet is a great invention but the greatest, hm. I might agree with agriculture, cause when we invented that we settled (correct me if I’m wrong) and than we were able to invent everything that followed.

Printing press was defiantly a good one.

153. Zylen - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:50 am

I would have to say the greatest invention is Money. Rules and ruins the world and enslaves through credit/debt.

154. Sherrie - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 am

The mathematical concept of zero.

155. bucslim - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 am

My fat ass is living proof that the guy who invented the remote control is a goddamn genius. I have three of them on my couch right now (where a giant ass-print of my giant ass is) I don’t have to get off the couch to change the channel. Watching TV with me is like looking at a friggen strobe light.

I don’t think the dude who thought of putting cheese flavorings on the outside of chips or puffs gets enough credit either. I mean come on, without him we’d all be eating bland snack foods.

On the flip side, whoever thought of the DH and interleague play should be ass raped by a pack of mutant emperor penguins.

156. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 am

Ohoh! Clothes!

157. srichards - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 am

dildo

158. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:03 am

Jfrater: Those Chnlove.com ads are a fuckin good invention.

159. Zylen - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:07 am

Remote control is really good..Thank Nikola Tesla for that and I love whoever came up with the mute button.

160. Kreachure - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:13 am

Escellent question. Internet is an excellent choice, but I’m gonna have to go with…

The toilet.

Where would civilization be without it?

Yeah, I don’t want to think about it either.

Oh and the following are DISCOVERIES, not inventions:

Fire
Penicillin (accidental discovery)
Physics
Zero
Mathematics (basic operations, at least)

161. cassie - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:20 am

Dulce de leche cheesecake.

Seriously, have any of you ever tried it? If you haven’t, walk over to your nearest Cheesecake Factory and order some. I honestly believe that stuff has the ability to bring about world peace. It’s hte perfect amount of sweetness, the perfect amount of creamyness, and it makes one enter a state of extasy as soon as its goodness enters into one’s mouth. There is absolotely nothing better than dulce de leche cheesecake. I can’t imagine life without it.

162. Arkz - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:26 am

navigation well what i mean is more cartography making maps so we know were we have been

163. Celeste - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:30 am

SOAP and antibiotics.

164. miriah - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 am

grrr….I hate when people think we invented argiculture, fire, electricity, language, problem solving…ect.
Anti-biotics are a good one, but alot of them were discoveries so..cant pick that one. Hmmm…
I see one lonely person mention the clock. That is a good one. Helps people organize and problem solve better, communitate better.

The light bulb is a wonderful one as well.

165. jasontimmer - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 am

cassie- please, STFU

166. SlickWilly - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 am

miriah: You misunderstand. While humans may not have invented fire or electricity, they invented ways to utilize them and make them useful in our day to day lives. That does qualify as an invention. Anti-biotics too, and even many of those we *did* invent, so that’s a perfectly acceptable answer. Language was invented, not discovered, though a more appropriate word would be “developed.” And humans did invent “agriculture,” that is, the tilling and manipulation of the land to cultivate the growth of food stocks. There is a whole technology associated with agriculture, and it didn’t just fall out of the sky, sweetheart.

So don’t hate.

As it happens, I think the greatest human invention was the harnessing of electricity. Without electricity, none of the fantastic leaps in technology over the last 100 years would have ever existed.

167. sam - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:49 am

One word…BEER!!!

168. james - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:51 am

For me, the wheel. Without it, humans couldn’t travel larger distances in a shorter space of time, and it also meant the early founders could lug vast amounts of resources around.

In my lifetime, it’s the internet, without question. It’s certainly helped me learn alot of things I missed or were glossed over at school (we went to war with the US?) as well as finding items cheaper, and is also a good way to start a business or look for opportunities.

169. LooLoo - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:55 am

Air conditioning.
Think of it - it has dictated where people in the world can live regardless of how hot or humid the area is. Fans & open windows can only do so much.
2nd place: harnessing electricity.

170. 116880 - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 am

I think that the movie camera is the greatest invention. Before movies, people had to entertain themselves in different, often very odd ways. The people who invented the movie camera, created a new medium of entertainment. And if you say TV, you still owe to the people that built the movie camera, because it was the inspiration of the movies that prompted people to bring them into the home.

171. JLo - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 am

For me personally, it would be the heart/lung machine. I have had 2 major open heart surgeries, and I would probably not be here if not for this machine.

In terms of impact of mankind, history, etc., I would say the printing press.

172. 116880 - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:59 am

BTW, Jfrater, who is that in the picture?

173. Iâran - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:10 am

The written word, no doubt. Writing enables records to be kept, of everything from laws to medical procedures to recipes, ensuring that knowledge would not get lost.

Without it, knowledge would not be spread so easily between borders, and several other great inventions on this list would never exist. In addition to what it did to develop and expand some of the great early human civilizations…

174. jfrater - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:14 am

116880: tesla and mark twain

175. Solaman - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:17 am

Writen words

Tranferance of thought to the ages

176. mama-kali - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:35 am

One should go back I think to the very first invention. Back somewhere in the stoneage where someone thought of the first tools to use. Needles to sow and keep warm, spears to kill and eat. Without any of those man would be extinct and none of the rest would matter.

177. JayArr - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 am

WALLS! The invention of walls is quite possibly the most important invention of all. Why? Walls keep roofs over hour heads to protect us from the elements. Walls keep our fields safer from the critters that would eat our growing crops. Walls keep our livestock safer from predators and would-be thieves. Walls help keep our enemies at bay. Without walls, there may not have been much incentive to invent myriad other things which mankind has created to break walls, strengthen walls, build taller walls, blow up walls, beautify walls, etc. Think about it… that’s all I ask.

178. Mom424 - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:41 am

Randall; Great minds think alike!

179. mama-kali - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 am

As for the written word, whole peoples have survived ages without it. The Kiwis around here will concur that the Abo’s didn’t really need to write something down. They just passed the knowledge verbally from generation to generation.
@sdggrant #33
“Language. We would be a bunch of big, hairless chimps without it.”

We still are

180. Frogs - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am

Plastics.

The greatest human invention of the “modern” era. Developments in industry, medicine, agriculture, computers, aerospace and most of anything in our daily lives is made possible by this over-engineered product. Take a quick look around and count how many things you have within your reach that have plastic in them. Food for thought. Have a nice day!

181. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:53 am

Mom:

Of course they do. Because I’m in your head. Doing naughty things.

182. byrneman - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:55 am

Air conditioners kick ass, get over it.

183. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 am

Kreachure:

You’re a bit off-base.

While we may debate about fire, Penicillin is most certainly an invention–in the sense that it is “manufactured” and applied for a purpose it otherwise would not serve.

the Zero is most certainly an invention. There is nothing inherent in mathematics that allows for the existence of a place-maker. Someone (some Babylonian with a funky beard, probably) had to think that one up. All by his self. Brilliant, too. So give credit.

184. Jandaman - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 am

Im sober again. So I guess I’m going back to kinky sex (since sex per se is not an invention so i’ll invent a position and call it the spread eagled 69 shocker), drugs and alcohol.

185. Nikki - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 am

i’m going to agree w/ gromit. Cameras. It’s amazing how you can capture a moment in time.

186. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 am

miriah:

Sorry, but agriculture is definitely an *invention.* Agriculture is a system which does not otherwise exist in nature. You can go out in nature (or you *could* once upon a time) and find all sorts of yummy and useful plants growing wild. And you could collect all the berries and tubers and such that you could carry. But that ain’t AGRICULTURE. Agriculture is an invention by which human beings not only deliberately sowed these plants and controlled their growth, but also cross-bred them countlessly over generations in order to improve yield, nutrition, etc. Nature didn’t come up with that. We did.

Agriculture also isn’t just growing and nurturing plants. It’s harvesting them en masse, finding ways to store them, use them, etc. It was a DISCOVERY that we could do this. But we INVENTED the *ways* of managing it. We invented the *system* of agriculture.

Big human idea/invention, agriculture. Good for us. We should be proud. Chimps never would have thought that one up. Another reason why we’re better.

187. Vera Lynn - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 am

GForce: Time can be altered. It is affected by gravity. That has been proven. We are almost at the speed of light when the particle accelerator is fired up this summer in Geneva. They are talking about miniature black holes and all sorts of weird stuff.

188. Mom424 - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:08 am

Randall: I’m not so sure better is the best adjective. More intelligent yes, but our behavior certainly doesn’t seem much better. We have infanticide, tribal warfare, a defined social hierarchy. Not much better than the chimps. In fact maybe we could use a lesson from those other primates - the Bonobos.

189. Clantargh - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:21 am

Just thought of another one. Clothing. Ok the concept of wrapping animal hides around yourself to stay warm might have been a discovery, but actually manufacturing clothing was an invention. It was as important to survival as fire and has established itself as a cornerstone of fashion, culture, both individuality and uniformity. Without it there would be less safety (think suits of plate mail armor, kevlar vests, military camos) in dangerous situations, quicker spread of disease, no halloween costumes or toga parties, no sports on a wide scale (imagine rooting for the Boston Skins over the New York Skins and not getting confused). Plus women would have to spend more time on hair and makeup if they didn’t have fashion. Finally, if people had wanted to see other people without their clothing they would have invented the internet.

190. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:26 am

Leave it to Randall to make me feel like an idiot, but in a good way.

191. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:26 am

Mom:

Your point is well taken. I’ll gladly take the lesson from the bonobos… and I think you what I mean, honey.

Truly, they are wise apes with much to teach us about the value of just Doin’ It every chance you get, with whomever you can. I find this very advanced of them.

Yes, this calls for more research on our part, I agree. Much dirty, fun research. I invite you to join me on my quest for knowledge. Feel free to bring some of your hot friends along. We’ll share the Nobel.

192. SlickWilly - June 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 am

I’m just really shocked that Randall has reached a point where can mercilessly berate someone before burying them under a landslide of knowledge and have them all smiles and butterflies. I guess you know how to dish out a tasty dish of intellectual ass-whoopin, Randall, because people seem to keep coming back for more.

And Mom, say what you want about human civilization, at least we don’t smear our crap on rocks and trees to mark our territory anymore. Or hurl poop at those we find repellant. (Of course, depending on how repellant I actually find someone, there is room for compromise here.)

193. Randall - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am

Slick:

Merely proof that chicks love (and other men respect) the cocky guy with the attitude, my friend.

It’s gotten me far in life, and I have some sweet memories to look back on. Yay me.

194. flamiejamie - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 am

Will Smith.

195. Roosevelt - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 am

I’m torn between the toilet, cameras and Quorn.

196. copperdragon - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:32 am

1. fire
2. wheel
3. glass
3. printing press
4. microchip
5. heavier than air flight

197. flgh - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 am

agriculture: food becomes easier than hunting or foraging

198. Neil - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 am

How about democracy and scientific experiments?

199. Mr.Crow - June 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am

The greatest invention in man kinds history has to be logic. It is the building block of science, technology, and mathematics. It is the language of computers and it is a way of thinking that revolutionized the world. With out things like logic technology in general would not exist, the ability to reason and create from reason are responsible for every piece of technology available to us. It is the greatest invention because without it we would all be mindless cavemen who relied on God for everything without finding ways to get it themselves. It is so simple yet so complex, I can’t imagine life without and niether can anybody else for it is the basis for the very kinds of lives we lead.

200. Shason - June 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 am

That there are WMDs in Iraq

201. CRWOMAN - June 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 am

easy one, the little thingy over that fast stuff that is shown on tv by the fat comic guy, you know

202. Dan - June 3rd, 2008 at 10:20 am

The Transistor.

Electricity is useful, there’s no doubt. But it’s a ‘dumb force’, in order to get it to do anything more than brute force via motors or light via filaments, you need a way to make it self-switching. Sure relays and vacuum tubes can do the job, but they’re large, bulky, require much higher voltage and they’re also prone to breakage because they’re still mechanical, especially relays.

No, the Transistor made possible the vast miniaturization of electronics into something useful outside the halls of academia. The transistor is why the computer I’m typing this on has several billion times of the power of the ENIAC or UNIAC, computers that took up rooms the size of houses. Transistors are the reason that international phone calls don’t cost 20 dollars a minute.
The marriage of different types of doped silicon, in all their permutations, gave us the LED brake light, the iPod, solid-state digital storage, the modern telephone system (their original purpose), the computer, the “intelligent” signal routing capability to make the internet possible, the TV remote control and virtually every other invention of the digital age. All from a tiny little film of silicon invented by Bell Labs decades ago.

203. Taylor - June 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 am

human languages and dialects

204. Vanna - June 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 am

Time? Time was invented. The hunters and gatherers depended on time for their harvests and hunting (knowing what time is best to hunt certain creatures, etc.)

205. Christine - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 am

I’m gonna say the wheel, although I’m not exactly sure if that’s the type of invention you mean. I don’t know why, I just think the wheel made a lot of things possible and a lot of things much easier.

206. miriah - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 am

/Licks Slickwilly.
I dont hate people…lol..just kinda frustrating. I know we *invented* things that helped harness those things..but they were not inventions.

And yes Randall…I guess I didnt make myself clear on those. I think saying the plow is a good invention…or etc.

Cocky…lol

207. hotchic - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 am

THE SYBIAN!

208. facekickin - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:19 am

soap. before that, we had no means of antiseptic. everything was just laden with germs. think about it the next time you go to the doctor.

209. longball - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 am

Primative weaponry -

It is what separated us from the animal kingdom, providing us with a way to defend ourselves from extinction. I’m talking about bows and arrows and spears and stuff.

210. psychosurfer - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 am

I can´t believe no one has named VIAGRA

211. BooRadley - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 am

Painless Dentistry.

Considering the number of fillings I have in my mouth, I would have been a toothless hag a long time ago without the dentist. The painless part makes it even better.

212. Manuel - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am

Without it this blog won’t even exist; language.

213. Reyairia - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:35 am

agriculture was not invented by humans; there are species of birds that dig and culture seeds before eating them, and I don’t think they’re alone. Moving on, the Jewish were nomadic and had a writing system; being nomadic does not mean any less of the culture.

Without the printing press there would be no industrial age to begin with, as well.

214. MPW - June 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 am

BooRadley, I have yet to have a painless dentist visit. Even if they give you the gas it hurts when you wake up:}

215. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Language. Language both spoken and written.
I’m not even close to the first on the List to choose language, but it is just the obvious choice. Everything we have accomplished as human beings has been because we are capable of speech, of thought (if you don’t have language of any sort…and, yes, I am including sign language as language…you are not capable of thought ).
Language not only made made us accomplished hunters, farmers, tradesmen, healers, adventurers, it also made us tellers of tales, poets, songsters.
We became both practical and artistic.
We became the only creature who can contemplate its own demise, but also, the only creature who can celebrate its own existence.
All this, and so much more, we owe to language.

216. b.c. - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm

The printing press and/or movable type.
Without this access to the written word, education of the public could never have been possible. Later inventions were an indirect result of this possibility.

The internet is perhaps on the same par as the Press in its ability to make knowledge and communication so readily available, so it earns a distinguished second in my mind.

Third? Perhaps wireless communication. It’s pretty handy, too.

217. Rocky - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Toilet paper.

218. JB - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Definitely writing is the one.

For so long people have been searching what make us different from the rest animals. And I think that’s the answer.

Writing is the way to transmit true knowledgement beyond your own limitation in time, space and memory. Can be achieved for anyone and anyone can contribute to improve it.

Writing emergence is a state transition in the habilities of a society of beings. An we call this new state “civilization”

219. Banaas - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Cheese curls

220. Maggot - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm

I’m surprised controlled flight wasn’t mentioned until way down at #196,unless I missed it earlier. It’s what first came to my mind (well second, after the wheel) but I wanted to read all the posts first to see if it was worth a mention by me here at #200-something.

221. Csimmons - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm

internet, without it theres no LV! but really, it taught me many things.

222. Csimmons - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pm

ah yes, language, very high up on my list. that and cheetos, who doesn’t love cheetos!

223. Kreachure - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm

Randall: Penicillin was discovered by accident because it grew on its own in a petri dish. You can’t invent something that nature produces um, naturally.

The development of penicillin as a medicine throughout the 20th century could be considered an invention, although even Egyptians used penicillin as a medicine.

As for zero, I’m no expert, but it took humans several centuries and many philosophical arguments to realize that nothingness needed to be represented with something (so I’m not gonna prolong that here). It’s not like they invented “nothingness”, they only made up a way to represent it with something called zero, but the quantity zero existed regardless of that. You can call it zip or zilch or nil or whatever, but it existed on itself before us humans started poking with numbers. We would’ve had to use something to represent it eventually, so it’s not like someone needed to invent it in order to be used.

BTW, the babylonians weren’t the first to use zero (and they couldn’t even use it as a single number anyways).

224. Mom424 - June 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm

segue; We discussed language, we did not invent it, we didn’t do something to acquire language, it was done to us. The written word yes but not language; we aren’t even the only species on the planet to develop that skill.

SlickWilly; The flinging poop thing - depends where you are, not on main street but it definitely happens in jail, and I’m not so sure the flaming bag of shit on the front porch doesn’t count.

225. MPW - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm

MOm424: Yes! you are right on.

the written word is the greatest invention of humans and it needs no explanation

the shitter is number 2:)

226. Maggot - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Re “language”, and how it supposedly distinguishes us from beasts - well plenty of so-called beasts communicate amongst themselves just fine using their own forms of language. It’s presumptuous of us to think ours is the only language there is just because it’s the only one we understand.

227. S.D.Schaffer - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm

I have to agree with organized agriculture, without which we would not have: Beer, Wine or Alcohol. I’m getting the shakes just thinking about it.

…and of course improved nutrition led to a growth in mental capacity which gave humans the ability to conceive of all those other wonderful inventions mentioned previously like air conditioning and internet porn.

228. Bunny - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm

According to my sister-in-law - the epidural for labour. Why? I think the reason is fairly obvious.

229. Sassy - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:51 pm

No really, I’m still sticking to dulce de leche cheesecake.

230. the G man - June 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 pm

antiseptics like sanitation well at least according to donald darkamos
I mean, the whole sanitation thing.
Joseph Lister… 1895. Before antiseptics
there was no sanitation, especially in
medicine.

231. kore - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Farming. Without the Neolithic Revolution, human civilization would have never risen. Don’t forget that for 190000 years we were hunting and gathering before we set up our first cities and villages, the result of farming.

232. sdggrant - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:12 pm

mama-kali, I said Language, not necessarily just written word. With out Language the kiwis would not of been able to speak to each other, right?

Just my observation, but 99% of the inventions listed above would be completely useless to anybody but the inventor if there was no language to explain and spread its use. Especially the internet, jfrater. It would be just a blank white screen with no language!

233. Liverboy - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Burritos have to be up there among the greatest inventions by man. Then maybe writing.

234. Brithombar - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Mom424 in post 52 made a great point, which I agree with. Independence from seasonal migrations allows free time. Time spent making further developments.

235. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm

So.
I’m dying to know.
How was language “done to us”?
Are we talking some 2001 monolith thingy here? What?
I really, truly, don’t understand how language can be “done to us”.

236. mike - June 3rd, 2008 at 3:58 pm

Bacon.

237. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:03 pm

chocolate, you can argue with that mom424!

238. Bass - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pm

Two words:

Sliced. Bread.

239. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pm

Slickwilly can I barrow your brain today, I have an oral exam?

240. goof_ball - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:14 pm

music. i wouldnt be able to live without music

241. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pm

****
Author: WarningDontReadThis
Comment:
Slickwilly can I barrow your brain today, I have an oral exam?
****
One of you must be dyslexic.

242. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 pm

goof_ball, you aren’t supposed to live without music.

243. Wally - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pm

The flushing toilet must be very high up on the list. Without it modern living would be unbearable. Ever lived in an apartment building? Ever wondered how that would be possible without the flusher?

Not the most glamorous invention, but high density living (which has helped build the modern world economy) relies on it as much as harnessed electricity and gasoline.

244. Rusty - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:36 pm

The whole technology around DNA. The ability to decode, replicate and change the building blocks of life will be the most significant ‘invention’ our species is likely to make.

245. fyi - June 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm

If zero(nothingness) was not invented, the concept of using it as a placeholder was. And for those of you who don’t know, the Indians invented this concepts back in 3000 BC….

246. MPW - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm

Indians from India

247. Lambda121 - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Agriculture, because humanity couldn’t really make those other things without it and genetically engineered food which is saving millions today.

248. Wooty - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 pm

The bendy straw, hands down.

249. DJ - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm

To borrow the words of Mr. Hawking:

“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened, which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk.”
British Telecom advertisement (1993)

Without the ability to share and discuss ideas, no other plans/inventions/concepts are possible.

250. Lordofdogtown - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Just want to go back to what AZ said…. and how he managed to crowbar God into this… Assuming God created life then you are totally right…. howvever, this is a list about the greatest human invention. sorry but that just really annoyed me.

251. Sheldon Roy - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm

Language, hands down. We would never have started teaching and improoving our lives.

252. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm

Oh segue, are you always this nice?

253. fivestring63 - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm

I’d say the automobile which also started the assembly line. And the airplane.

254. WarningDontReadThis - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:58 pm

But you’re right, it is grammatically incorrect. That’s why I need a new brain

255. segue - June 3rd, 2008 at 6:04 pm

****
#249. DJ - June 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Comment:
To borrow the words of Mr. Hawking:

“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened, which unleashed the power of our imagination.