I'm watching a TV show about Britain's greatest inventions, the seven they have picked are:
1. Antibiotics
2. Television
3. Steam Engine
4. Concrete
5. Mobile Phone
6. Fridge
7. Jet engine
Which invention do you think has changed the world the most (doesn't have to be one from the list)?
For me I think the one from the list has to be antibiotics as they have saved millions of lives. However I have to have a vote also for the Internet, I think that has changed modern life like nothing else.
The lens for me. It was the invention that underpins all others. It opened the human mind to the worlds beyond our own and within our own. From the microbe to the universe the lens showed humanity they were nothing special while at the same time unique in al we can see.
I think that the printing press helped with spreading knowledge (and even lies), faster and more consistently and also made knowledge available to those with less means.
Also, I quite like fiction and science fiction books.
I'm going with an ancient invention: writing.
Sliced bread, or maybe the wheel.
I have seen this sort of question before. I do not think it is possible to say that any of the "great inventions" has veen more important than the others. They all form part of an interdependant web, they almost all have a "down side" (yes, even antibiotics and other life-saving medical breakthroughs, if you save millions you need to develop a parallel way of feeding, housing and maintaining those extra millions). I should have died about twenty years ago, in my father's time at the same age I would have done. Now, through some incredible medical science I live but also I risk being a burden on a failing financial system, too many ailing geriatrics for the families or tax payers to support.
Computers and the Web/Internet are great, but now server farms and data storage consumes increasingly, and noticeably, larger amounts of some nations' energy output every day.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/global-warming-data-centres-to-consume-three-times-as-much-energy-in-next-decade-experts-warn-a6830086.html
Quote from: No one on June 15, 2017, 09:29:55 PM
Sliced bread, or maybe the wheel.
Chances are that the wheel was never actually "invented". Just sort of develooed from a log used as a roller over several evolutions.
The back scratcher.
god (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.stardock.net%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Fthemes%2Fdigicons%2FThumbs%2520Up.png&hash=e8ea77880ad2978fd09f5791a5436d85008666d2)
Quote from: No one on June 15, 2017, 09:51:44 PM
god (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.stardock.net%2Fimages%2Fsmiles%2Fthemes%2Fdigicons%2FThumbs%2520Up.png&hash=e8ea77880ad2978fd09f5791a5436d85008666d2)
"Greatest invention"?
Or "Greatest Con-trick"?
I'd go with the Fridge. Extended shelf life for food -- aces.
I'm super fond of phone charging cords that can be plugged into wall plugs, computers, and car adapters. All with one cord! What a world.
Quote from: Ali on June 17, 2017, 02:26:06 AM
I'm super fond of phone charging cords that can be plugged into wall plugs, computers, and car adapters. All with one cord! What a world.
Sigh. I have yet to see such a wonder.
In terms of advancing our knowledge of the world: the lens.
Improving our daily lives: antibiotics.
Quote from: Ali on June 17, 2017, 02:26:06 AM
I'm super fond of phone charging cords that can be plugged into wall plugs, computers, and car adapters. All with one cord! What a world.
You mean the good old USB cable, Ali? Yeah, I remember the dsys when I had a different charger for each telephone, camera, tablet or whatever. Had to sort through a drawerful of power lumps looking at the labels I had stuck on them to get the right one! Now its two chargers plugged in, two different USB plugs, that serve all but one of my technology things.
Quote from: Gloucester on June 17, 2017, 06:36:02 AM
Quote from: Ali on June 17, 2017, 02:26:06 AM
I'm super fond of phone charging cords that can be plugged into wall plugs, computers, and car adapters. All with one cord! What a world.
You mean the good old USB cable, Ali? Yeah, I remember the dsys when I had a different charger for each telephone, camera, tablet or whatever. Had to sort through a drawerful of power lumps looking at the labels I had stuck on them to get the right one! Now its two chargers plugged in, two different USB plugs, that serve all but one of my technology things.
Haha, I honestly forgot that they have uses other than charging my phone, but yes, the old tried and true USB cord.
Not to demean my very esteemed Brit friends but................I take issue with the notion or claim that the Brits invented concrete or some of the other notations.
Quote from: Icarus on June 23, 2017, 01:35:10 AM
Not to demean my very esteemed Brit friends but................I take issue with the notion or claim that the Brits invented concrete or some of the other notations.
The Romans certainly got there before us with the precast dome units in the Pantheon of about 126CE
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWF5SqW1.jpg&hash=2b1c898a0878ef66a7b0d103292224e4a2190f6b)
Still in near perfect condition
Details of the nominations are here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5QRlT3MhZLnsTjrGswV2FlJ/which-invention-won-britains-greatest-invention
They are claiming concrete because of Portland Cement invented by Brit Joseph Aspdin in 1824.
Quote from: Claireliontamer on June 23, 2017, 09:48:02 AM
Details of the nominations are here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5QRlT3MhZLnsTjrGswV2FlJ/which-invention-won-britains-greatest-invention
They are claiming concrete because of Portland Cement invented by Brit Joseph Aspdin in 1824.
Impressive list, and I easily, and fully agree with Antibiotics as the winner, as the lives saved with this advancement are clearly staggering...of course some may argue that without the printing press for example, which enabled learned information to be shared globally we would never had reached a point where we could have invented antibiotics, but why not take it further back in time and say without early man learning how to tame and produce fire on his own to warm and light his environment, etc...we wouldn't have had ever reached the point where we could invent anything?
I think advancements in health are the most important to humanity, others while impressive and clearly helpful in allowing us to live more product and easier lives pale in comparison to the health benefits of medicine.
Probably one of our greatest achievements as humans is the sewer system, and the ability to transport waste away from the population centers, where it can be treated thus dramatically reducing the risk of lethal bacterial infections such as cholera or dysentery. I also think it is one we take for granted and don't really think about.
Personally if I were German I'd be seriously pissed off to see the Brits claiming they invented the jet engine. While technically true it's a fact that apart from one market (helicopters) all modern jet engines have a compressor section that follows the German axial compressor design. The radial compressor of the Whittle engine was a dead end because its cross section increases with power while the axial type increases in length. The first jet to fly was also German.
Quote from: Tank on June 23, 2017, 09:04:40 PM
Personally if I were German I'd be seriously pissed off to see the Brits claiming they invented the jet engine. While technically true it's a fact that apart from one market (helicopters) all modern jet engines have a compressor section that follows the German axial compressor design. The radial compressor of the Whittle engine was a dead end because its cross section increases with power while the axial type increases in length. The first jet to fly was also German.
And they developed it faster and further along with the aircraft. I oncecread thst Hitler's insistance that all effort be turned towards high speed jet bombers and this actually held them back.
Whilst we in Controversyland, there is, apparently, evidence that one John Stringfellow (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stringfellow), of Chard, England, beat the Wright brothers to powered flight.
Quote from: Gloucester on June 23, 2017, 09:15:11 PM
Whilst we in Controversyland, there is, apparently, evidence that one John Stringfellow (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stringfellow), of Chard, England, beat the Wright brothers to powered flight.
Brazilian Santos-Drumont (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Santos-Dumont) also beat the Wright Brothers in flying a practical airplane.
And I'm sure everyone's father beat them in making the PAPER airplane lol
A couple of my favourites: deodorant, mini skirts and bikinis, the bicycle, electric guitar and synthesizer.
Quote from: Father Bruno on June 23, 2017, 01:36:28 PM
Probably one of our greatest achievements as humans is the sewer system, and the ability to transport waste away from the population centers, where it can be treated thus dramatically reducing the risk of lethal bacterial infections such as cholera or dysentery. I also think it is one we take for granted and don't really think about.
Some people take issue with this in spite of the advantages you mention. I was only reading about this the other day and I'll try to find the article. The composting toilet is thought to be much superior. I took a class to a Celtic Harmony Centre near Hertford when I was teaching and there was no choice but to use one. Each time you'd done what you needed to do, you covered it up with soil from the container next to the loo. This was an ongoing process and unwilling as I was, as the teacher I had to lead by example, pick up a handful of the resulting compost from the bottom of the unit that went to the outside, and sniff it. It was amazingly fresh and clean smelling, and used as compost on the garden.
It was mentioned on the radio today that the British 999 emergency number (in 1937) - the first ever - and its later varieties was an important life saving invention.
Since that would not work without the telephone, of equal bane and boon, one has to give that a little credit as well I suppose!
I invented the telephone
I thought you were Jeff Goldblum, not Steve Jobs.
Quote from: No one on June 25, 2017, 02:21:46 AM
I thought you were Jeff Goldblum, not Steve Jobs.
Doesn't matter. They are both equally unimportant next to me.