# The most important invention of the past 2000 years and why?



## truthseeker (17 Sep 2008)

Am reading a book of the same title, its a series of contributions from leading thinkers in science, engineering, philosophy etc....edited by John Brockman.

Anyway  - you can nominate ideas or concepts as well as physical inventions (one contributor to the book nominated the idea of universitys), or applications that sit upon other inventions (like text messaging - which sits on the fact that mobile phones were invented).

There is no definition of what constitutes 'important' - so make your own interpretation.

My nomination is the advent of the internet. It has had a major cultural impact, changing how people communicate, get information, shop, learn, bank, play games, win money, store information about themselves, date, book events etc...

I would also give a nod to mobile phone technology which has revolutionised how people communicate with each other wordlwide.

What nominations would other people have?


----------



## Caveat (17 Sep 2008)

The printing press or the telescope (or even lenses generally)


----------



## Jock04 (17 Sep 2008)

Possibly antibiotics
but almost certainly something by a Scotsman


----------



## Caveat (17 Sep 2008)

Jock04 said:


> Possibly antibiotics
> but almost certainly something by a Scotsman


 
Ah but did you see that edition of _QI _where it was claimed that something like 70 - 80% of the inventions credited to Scotsmen were actually invented by some other (non scottish) person/people?

However, even if true, I think it still left a fairly impressive list for Scotland anyway.


----------



## Pique318 (17 Sep 2008)

The steam engine.

Put simply, there would be no electricity without it, no industrial revolution, and no way of advancing technologically, no skyscrapers, no mass transit, no engineering on any serious scale, and we would not be where we are today with out it.


----------



## Firefly (17 Sep 2008)

Draft Guinness from a can


----------



## rabbit (17 Sep 2008)

Electricity...without electrical energy we could do nothing in the modern world.

Some things have not changed much in the past 100 years  In 1908 a letter posted in Dublin was in London the next day.   The trains took the same time as now, and sometimes less.   Mobiles + computers are the main things I see that have changed in the past few decades.  Cars still have 4 wheels, an engine at the front, boot at the back etc...just like in  20th century for example.


----------



## Jock04 (17 Sep 2008)

Caveat said:


> Ah but did you see that edition of _QI _where it was claimed that something like 70 - 80% of the inventions credited to Scotsmen were actually invented by some other (non scottish) person/people?
> 
> However, even if true, I think it still left a fairly impressive list for Scotland anyway.


 
No, I didn't see that. An English programme, was it? 

Anyhoo, medicines, engineering, whatever - difficult to quantify how one is more important than the other, I'm sure. I'm just glad we have them all.


----------



## Sherman (17 Sep 2008)

The printing press - nothing has advanced humanity as quickly or as profoundly as this relatively cheap, efficient means of mass distribution of information and ideas.


----------



## dinjoecurry (17 Sep 2008)

the internet


----------



## Teabag (17 Sep 2008)

3-in-1s at the local chinese.


----------



## addob (17 Sep 2008)

My vote is for electricity as well, I wouldn't be able to leave lights on all over the house without it! But really, it's something I totally take for granted!

ad


----------



## ney001 (17 Sep 2008)

I would say anything to do with surgery/medicine   i.e pacemakers/artificial organs/life support/Artificial Breathing Devices/ Respirators - all that good stuff!


----------



## cole (17 Sep 2008)

Pique318 said:


> The steam engine.
> 
> Put simply, there would be no electricity without it, no industrial revolution, and no way of advancing technologically, no skyscrapers, no mass transit, no engineering on any serious scale, and we would not be where we are today with out it.


 
Second that.


----------



## ubiquitous (17 Sep 2008)

Hard to imagine the internet being in the same league as electricity, the steam engine and the printing press as the most important invention of the past 2000 years. Even television has had a bigger impact.


----------



## jhegarty (17 Sep 2008)

rabbit said:


> electricity...without Electrical Energy We Could Do Nothing In The Modern World.




+1


----------



## advisor (17 Sep 2008)

Firefly said:


> Draft Guinness from a can


 
Better still "The Widget"


----------



## Purple (17 Sep 2008)

The printing press: it gave the masses access to knowledge.

The Telegram: For the first time the world was connected in real time.


----------



## FredBloggs (17 Sep 2008)

Teabag said:


> 3-in-1s at the local chinese.


 

Surely not - what about that cream you put on for thistle stings?


----------



## RMCF (17 Sep 2008)

Christianity?


----------



## Bluebells (18 Sep 2008)

Painkillers


----------



## csirl (18 Sep 2008)

I agree that electricity is the most important invention of recent times, but the question is about the past 2000 years. Electricity has only impacted on c.200 years, so has had little effect over the entire 2,000 year duration. Most important invention is probably one that came about in the early part of the this timeframe which still has influence today.

One suggestion:

The Roman road network - still in use today and allowed people, troops, goods and ideas to be transported throughout Europe very quickly.


----------



## sam h (18 Sep 2008)

Sliced bread.


----------



## Purple (18 Sep 2008)

sam h said:


> Sliced bread.


 That was invented 2500 years ago. What's the best thing since sliced bread?


----------



## S.L.F (18 Sep 2008)

The printing press


----------



## Teabag (18 Sep 2008)

FredBloggs said:


> Surely not - what about that cream you put on for thistle stings?



Naw, no cream required. As I said before, the trick is not to move when naked in a field full of waist high thistles. Running around naked in a field full of thistles in the rain would be just perverted. You sound like you are up for it though Fred ?


----------



## FredBloggs (18 Sep 2008)

Teabag said:


> Naw, no cream required. As I said before, the trick is not to move when naked in a field full of waist high thistles. Running around naked in a field full of thistles in the rain would be just perverted. You sound like you are up for it though Fred ?


 
been there, done that


----------



## FredBloggs (18 Sep 2008)

Purple said:


> That was invented 2500 years ago. What's the best thing since sliced bread?


 
Batch loaf?


----------



## sam h (18 Sep 2008)

> That was invented 2500 years ago. What's the best thing since sliced bread?


 

Doh.....doughnuts !!  And I know a certain yellow faced cartoon character who would agree with me.


----------



## Simeon (18 Sep 2008)

Venetian Blinds ............ cause if it was not for them, 'twould be curtains for the lot of us!


----------



## dodo (21 Sep 2008)

The Wheel


----------



## rmelly (21 Sep 2008)

purple said:
			
		

> That was invented 2500 years ago. What's the best thing since sliced bread?


 


FredBloggs said:


> Batch loaf?


 
I'd hardly call sliced bread a great invention - maybe if they perfected it by managing to slice it consistently - is it really so difficult to have ALL slices the same width?


----------



## sandrat (21 Sep 2008)

epidural?
lidl?
spectacles?
hadron collider thingy (except it is broken already)


----------



## Simeon (21 Sep 2008)

Simeon said:


> Venetian Blinds ............ cause if it was not for them, 'twould be curtains for the lot of us!


An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman in hospital after successful heart procedures about thirty years ago. TV crew turn up and ask the Englishman, "What do you think is the best invention in the last two thousand years?" "The pacemaker, cause if it wasn't for that 'twould be curtains for me, answered the stiff upper lipped Englishman. The canny Scotsman answered "The stent that is keeping my artery open. Otherwise 'twould be curtains for me also". The excitable Irishman's answer is above.


----------



## DrMoriarty (21 Sep 2008)

rmelly said:


> I'd hardly call sliced bread a great invention - maybe if they perfected it by managing to slice it consistently - is it really so difficult to have ALL slices the same width?


 Jeez, and I thought _I_ had control issues!


----------



## Purple (21 Sep 2008)

dodo said:


> The Wheel



I think that one goes to the Sumerians and dates back about 5500 years.


----------



## DavyJones (21 Sep 2008)

csirl said:


> I agree that electricity is the most important invention of recent times, but the question is about the past 2000 years. Electricity has only impacted on c.200 years,




Surely electricity was discovered and not invented.


----------

