History's most important invention

[JC Callender]

I think the obvious one is fire. But what's next?

 

[lizzie]

Agricultural tools and techniques.

 

[Carjosse]

Language.

 

[TurtleDude]

I think the obvious one is fire. But what's next?

the wheel

 

[Fiddytree]

Any array of communication techniques, verbal or non-verbal, etc.

 

[TurtleDude]

Any array of communication techniques, verbal or non-verbal, etc.

the ability to store information which of course starts with writing

electricity

the internal combustion engine

radio

metallurgy

 

[lizzie]

Language.

I don't think we could consider language an invention, but rather just an evolutionary skill.

 

[JC Callender]

The printing press was huge.

Any array of communication techniques, verbal or non-verbal, etc.

 

[Fiddytree]

the ability to store information which of course starts with writing

electricity

the internal combustion engine

radio

metallurgy

Paintings, oral recitation.

 

[PirateMk1]

the wheel

That one right there. Without out it and its derivative the gear we would still be cave men.

 

[Thom Paine]

The vibrator..




For soil compaction....building roads .... what'd you think I was talkin' about?

Thom Paine

 

[PirateMk1]

I don't think we could consider language an invention, but rather just an evolutionary skill.

Language that is written would be number 1 in front of fire, with number three the wheel. Those I think are the founding inventions of man and allow civilization as we know it.

 

[TurtleDude]

Paintings, oral recitation.

true but the written word really allowed education and knowledge to be cumulatively stored

that is what led to lots of other inventions

 

[lizzie]

Language that is written would be number 1 in front of fire, with number three the wheel. Those I think are the founding inventions of man and allow civilization as we know it.

Writing and language are two different things, but I still don't think they would be considered inventions. They were evolutionary skills in communication. The invention of writing tools may qualify though.

 

[lizzie]

The vibrator..




For soil compaction....building roads .... what'd you think I was talkin' about?

Thom Paine

quoted for humor. :lol:

 

[Gathomas88]

Language.

I don't think we could consider language an invention, but rather just an evolutionary skill.

Written language.

Edit:

Ninjaed by Pirate. lol

 

[TurtleDude]

the concept of currency. think what that did. it allowed divisions of labor, and the creation of cities

 

[Dickieboy]

of all time - the wheel

'modern times' - Penicillin

 

[lizzie]

Written language.

Language still isn't an invention, nor is writing. The tools may be.

Neanderthal Joe wasn't just sitting under the tree one day, and think to himself, "Hmmmm, I think if I could invent a language, it would revolutionize the world". Language evolved with the need to communicate.

 

[Gathomas88]

Language still isn't an invention, nor is writing. The tools may be.

Writing is an invention, as far as I am aware.

It wasn't something that we instinctively knew how to do. It was something we gradually started developing shortly after we stumbled upon agriculture, and perfected only around 5000 or so years ago.

Neanderthal Joe wasn't just sitting under the tree one day, and think to himself, "Hmmmm, I think if I could invent a language, it would revolutionize the world". Language evolved with the need to communicate.

True, but the idea of a codified set of symbols meant to accurately convey ideas and preserve knowledge for later generations goes a little bit deeper than that.

 

[Peter King]

My opinion may be controversial, but here goes:

Religion

 

[PirateMk1]

Writing and language are two different things, but I still don't think they would be considered inventions. They were evolutionary skills in communication. The invention of writing tools may qualify though.

Kinda hard to write without writing tools. I would say that writing is an invention and we are the ONLY ones to it, unlike language which is not unique to our species. Writing as a concept is our first attempt to artificially store knowledge and memories. The language part of writing isn't the invention, its the idea of storing it in other than your head.

 

[lizzie]

My opinion may be controversial, but here goes:

Religion

I tend to suspect religion is an evolutionary impulse as well as language.

 

[lizzie]

Kinda hard to write without writing tools. I would say that writing is an invention and we are the ONLY ones to it, unlike language which is not unique to our species. Writing as a concept is our first attempt to artificially store knowledge and memories. The language part of writing isn't the invention, its the idea of storing it in other than your head.

Well, the first writing tools were sharp stones, twigs, pieces of natural pigments from minerals, etc. I wouldn't consider those inventions.

 

[JC Callender]

My opinion may be controversial, but here goes:

Religion

That's a pretty good one. Religion, with all of it's negatives, has given the human race a great deal of hope throughout history.