What is mankind's greatest invention?

[Avid_Liberal_Hater]

Since I try to keep the brain cells active that I haven't killed off yet, I was pondering the other day (which is what you do when you spend 2 hours a day driving), while I was weaving through skyscrapers, looking at cranes and earthmovers, big rigs, trains, bridges, ipods, etc., and I started to wonder what the greatest human invention has been.

Naturally, when considering the penultimate achievement of eons of human ingenuity, the first thing I thought of were Twinkies. But then I realized that Twinkies would never have been possible without series of other inventions, none of which would have been possible if not for a written language.

I think that a written form of communication has enabled man to create every thing else that we have. Without it, we'd have no way (save for ambiguious cave paintings) to document things, or record our history, or use previous catalogued knowledge to create things or improve on things we've already created. Without language, we may never have evolved past the hunter/gatherer phase of social development.

Second to that would probably be unified systems of weights and measures. Without ounces, pounds, grams, tons, etc. we would not be able to describe the weight of a Twinkie in relation to a VolksWagon. We would not be able to accurately manage the day without dividing time, which doesn't really exist, into minutes and hours, which do exist.

I searched on line and this is what some other people have thought about the subject:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=13109&id=11571
http://www.simpworks.com/forums/index.php?board=2;topic=5751.18
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/12/115042.php

Just curious what everyone else thinks are our most important accomplishments (and please don't say reality television)...:icon_wink

[Miro Satan Fan]

1) Written Records
2) Weapons
3) Nash Bridges TV Show
4) Hockey
5) Horse Racing

[short circut]

hwo about spoken language.

[Android]

1) Written Records
2) Weapons
3) Nash Bridges TV Show
4) Hockey
5) Horse Racing
Dude, hockey is number two.

[RightisRightLeftisWrong]

1. Supercharged throttle body
2. Street Racing
3. Freestyle BMX
4. Nachos
5. Republicans

[fumalicious]

Music......

[FKLBRLS]

1) Freedom
2) The English written language
3) Unified systems of weight and measure
4) Aircraft
5) Comedy

[Count Rugen]

Naturally, when considering the penultimate achievement...
Do we already know what the second to last achievement is going to be?

[Peace_by_superior _power]

Mans greatest acheivment is civilization. Almost every invention is because of it. ALH twinkies suck its all about the ho hos :icon_wink

[Mr. Glass]

Invention or technology?

Technology, I'd have to say it's a tie between language and math.

As for an invention, I'd say probably the wheel or the computer. Both have had a tremendous impact on the spread and growth of everything else.

I think A&E or the History Channel did a series of shows on this recently... guns, wheels, cars, computers, airplanes, watches, and medicine were among the top 10.

-Doug

[Count Rugen]

I'm lost. Please enlighten me.
Glad to. "Penultimate" means second to last. The guy that started this thread asked what the "penultimate" achievement is. I find it mildly ironic that he then offered up the written word as the "penultimate" acheivement.

[Gilga]

Music......

Agreed with you on that.

Also, iPods. :P

[teens4bush]

Idea-Freedom
Technology-steam engine (The invention that set capitalism and the industrial revolution in motion.)

[HealthyCommie]

Idea-Freedom
Technology-steam engine (The invention that set capitalism and the industrial revolution in motion.)

Freedom wasn't an idea or an invention. Freedom came first, then inventions and ideas came, and not the other way around.

[Avid_Liberal_Hater]

Freedom wasn't an idea or an invention. Freedom came first, then inventions and ideas came, and not the other way around.

Actually, HC, inventions, even at rudimentary levels, came first. Freedom is a political thought that arrived on the heels of civilized societies, which arrived in large part due to creations and inventions of mankind.

You're entitled to your opinion, though. I wasn't trying to get political with this thread.

Count, you got me on penultimiate. My mistake. But you know what I meant.

[spike]

U don't actually believe that we are the first true inventors of spoken language do u? No...if u want to go a little further..perhaps raptors truly deserve the credit. and if anyone ever says that mankind invented freedom ur crazy. It's because of mankind that freedom needed to be invented i'll have u know.

[Avid_Liberal_Hater]

U don't actually believe that we are the first true inventors of spoken language do u? No...if u want to go a little further..perhaps raptors truly deserve the credit. and if anyone ever says that mankind invented freedom ur crazy. It's because of mankind that freedom needed to be invented i'll have u know.

Whatever you say.

[Liberty]

Back on the topic at hand...


I believe mankind's greatest invention is.....




The United States Constitution and it's Bill of rights.


Nothing else comes close

[Schmitty27]

For leisure activity the greatest invention came from across the Pacific and is known as Nintendo which eventually would spark a chain of other such consoles that would entertain all mankind throughout the day and well into the night.

[Oi_Ve]

Actually, our ancestors, precursors to modern man, were the inventors of language. There is a big difference between a pattern of shreiks and words tht can express not only warnings or beacons, but intelliegent ideas. Raptors didn't have a language, they had a warning system.

I wouldn't go around saying something didn't have form of language, especially a dromaesaur...it might have. The little devils had a brain large enough that some sort of idea could be expressed. Point is, because we can't understand animals, it's not exactly fair to say they can't think intelligently unless studied....and no raptor will ever be studied.
However, you're all wrong. Mankind's single greatest invention was the thermos. Think about it. It keeps hot things hot. It keeps cold things cold. How do it know? It's incredible, its astounding.

[NewKindOfSoldier]

1. (written) language
2. the wheel
3. farming
4. marxism
5. internet