what do you think the greatest human invention is and i mean anything. from the bigest thing to the the smallest thing. i think one of the greatest inventions would be the electric guitar. because without it what would we have listened to in the 60s-till now?

i also thing the airplane is a great invention. if it wasent for that then we wouldent be as far advanced as we are now.

and i did a search about this and i couldent see anything on this topic so sorry if there is another topic like this.

The fishing hook

ah touche


that is a very good one

I think the greatest invention is the watchamacallit, because it can do anything!

Seriously, it's the light bulb. Just think: how many items have some kind of light bulb and what would life be like without them?



(dark)

the flint spear. Without it, we would have died out a long time ago

The wheel/roller

Without it airplanes would not be that great
cars would not be
in fact, most land-based 'mass' forms of transport would not be (of course there were horses for 1-2 occupant transport)

The wheel/roller of course includes any circular moving object ie. cogs, pulleys, etc. etc.

Cheers

The Alphabet

Imagine how you would have to re-invent everything if nothing could be written down, and the person(s) having the knowledge dies.

The integrated circuit board.

Without it computers would still be the size of a room and virtually unknown by everyday humans. Cell phones would not exist, mp3 players would not exist (I need my iPod).

I seriously think this particular invention will someday overshadow even the wheel, which is the first greatest invention.

greenbay packer football

Fire.

Combustion engine.

The nintendo wii when it comes out in november.

Fire, although we didn't technically invent that so much as we discovered how to control it.

Ditto goes for the wheel, which can sort of be found in nature.

I'd have to say the greatest human invention was the Voltaic pile, which led to everything electrical we have today.

I would have to say, probaby the invention of the fork, or the spoon. Or the spork!

Well actually, it would have to be tesla's Dc power. now that there is an invention. Or Henry Ford's assembly line.

Or penecillin. that rocks too.

lol im alergic to penecillin.


some good ideas keep em commin

Tesla (and a few other scientists who tend to not get mentioned) invented AC. DC was invented, or at least named, by Edison. Actual DC power probably came first from the Voltaic pile.

Boooo! Minnesota is better!

lions all the way.

i think a great modification to pigs was to make bacon outa them. think about it bacon goes good with almost everything. even in salad!!! and grillcheese sandwitches. also the invention of the bacon mcmuffin.

yes i love my bacon.

There's no modification! it's meat

MATCH BOX

Construction and community

Clothes to keep us warm.

Earth

The wheel is the greatest invention of all time. The wheel has been around for ions and is used in everything from transportation to toys. It truly has stood the test of time and will always be around.

GanjaGuru, you missed out on a funny!

ie. "It truly has stood the test of time and will always be a ROUND"

OR

it really got the ball rolling or should I say boulder rolling

OR

it helped us MOVE ON

Of course, I agree with you as my original post here would suggest

I realise this is probably said tongue-in-cheek but if not, how did we invent the Earth?

Cheers

Fire was a discovery not an invention just like electricity. It was here before we were we just figured out how to manipulate it to serve our needs.

rock'n'roll...

God. No other invention has effected humanity so strongly.

After that probably the printing press which brought writing to the masses.

Good one and always forgotten.... Well by me anyways

alphabet was much more important than printing press...

Human verbal communication, language.

Yes the alphabet was important.

But it was only available to the select few with the time and money to buy handwritten scrolls etc.

The printing press allowed cheap books to be made.

As such it allowed so many ti be educated that i think it was at least as if not more important then the alphabet.

True that it developed public literacy; but imho printing press would never have been possible without writing first.

And as such

is the basis for that all; even though mankinds greatest "invention" in this series would be an universal language. (It would be more like an agreement)

Air Conditioning.

The only thing that makes summer bearable to me is the fact that I can go indoors and get away from it.

Law.

Without law there would be no CSI programmes...

I mean.... civilisation is built quite nicely with law in place

Condoms

another vote for writing/inscription... recording history and ideas...

The flush toilet, in it's modern form invented by a mr Krapper, i've a vague recollection it was voted the most important invention of all time, imagine what the streets would be like without it, not to mention the smell.

Only need to go back around 400 years and read about the plague too.

If I wanna be vague... Math.... or vaguer still, I could say logic lol

internet is a pretty nifty one... would i be posting this right now if it werent for it?

GO VIKES!!!!!!!!

Irrigation systems. Being able to move mass amounts of water to dry areas has increased our abilities to grow crops and settle in less hospitable areas. Without irrigation networks large areas of the southwest U.S. would not be suitable for people to live in. And this holds true for many other nations around the world.

I think this thread should be renamed "Humans Greatest Inventions"!

I think anti-septics are a great invention, aswell as artificial insulin for Diabetics like myself. A lot of great inventions listed in this thread

And because I wouldn't wanna see a lot of people walking around naked!

I think the greatest invention would have to be the thong It just makes my fiance look so much hotter!

cigerettes

beeeeeer

language is by far the best invention because without nobody would be able to communicate with anybody. alife as we know it wouldn't exist. matter of fact you wouldn't even understand what i'm typing right now.

I think it is the Monetary system, without the Invention of Lending, Borrowing
and charging Interest there would have never been the means to finance any Research.

Don't let others do the thinking for you!

I agree with whoever first mentioned the Alphabet or writing.

Probably DDT.

Well, I'd have to say the wheel. It allowed Man to transport heavier loads longer distances. This is important when you have to range far to get food or resources and bring them home, or move from place to place.
Next, I'd say writing. It allows a group of people to convey ideas, warnings, beliefs, thoughts and history through the ages. Oral history is flawed and limited.
But next to writing I'd say one of the greatest inventions was paper. Clay tablets are clumsy, heavy and fragile. Papyrus or bark is fragile and doesn't stand up well to continual use.
Paper is lighter, far more portable and fairly inexpensive.
Can you imagine the Gutenberg Bible (the West's first book printed with moveable type) printed on stone, mud tablets, bark or papyrus?
What would we print photos on? Glass (as they once were?)?
The wheel, writing and paper. The big three in my (paper) book!