We should split inventions made for survival from inventions made to kill, if possible.
My three extravagant - on the surface, but very carefully thought out suggestions:
1. Sedentary
2. Agriculture
3. The measurement of time (in meaning "notation chronology of events")
10 greatest inventions in our time;
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/inventions-what-are-the-10-greatest-of-our-time/
My suggestion would be:
Wheel
Internal combustion engine
Internet
I may also like to add
Integrated circuit - precursor to all microelectronics.
Thanks, Lijo ! But you refer to recent times. I had in mind EVER. As an example I can provide 2 inventions:1) FIRE MANADEMENT (by human will). 2) INVENTION OF THE WHEEL.
And these greatest inventions have been done by unkown people, who did not have University Diplomas, most likely these inventors were illiteral.
Dear All,
The greatest and simplest technical invention was the wheel. Unfortunately, the inventor is unknown!
Inventor of the WHEEL was a great man, unfortunately uknown. So, I agree with Andras. But so was the inventor of the STICK. STICK transformed the Ape into the HUMAN. STICK helped in the defence from preditors, simultaniously serving as a weapon during hunting for killing the pray. Unfortunately, the STICK was the first wapon of killing other humans as well.
Dear All,
The greatest spiritual (cultural) inventions were the writing and later the printing (Gutenberg or a Chinese man?) .
Following Andras, who started to discuss spiritual inventions, I would mention CONCEPT of SINGLE GOD, as by MOSES. And MOSES came with 10 Commandments, as given by GOD. These Commandmants separeted GOOD from EVIL, and are still honored as a basis of Civilization. All 3 Great Monotheistic Religions are based on the same concepts. Civic Atheist Society still honor 10 Commandmants.
Dear Alexander,
I think the stick has not been invented but “only” picked up and used. However, this “only” took for several 1000? years.
Andras, APES don't use stiks. The intentional pick of a stick for the useful purpose constituted the first invention ever.
Dear Alexander,
Regarding, that the aim of your thread is inventions, at first the meaning of invention should be fixed.
I am afraid the notions of good and evil have not been invented.
Explicit formulation, which was previously lacked, is an invention by itself. But, I agree,
that we should not extend the discussion into Social behavior.
@Alexander, as the wheel was mentioned earlier in this thread, I propose the following reading "The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel"
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/innovations-list/309536/
The three greatest inventions ever? In order of importance, the grasping human thumb and the two walking feet.
The greatest, most productive invention was the prehensile thumb. To devise this, the human being previously had to invent bipedal ambulation, freeing the hands from supporting the rest of the body. The ancient Greeks used to say that man stood on two feet to be closer to heaven. So we may conclude that the initial, originary, and most transcendent inventions consisted of using body parts as simple machines, out of which all other inventions followed.
Fellows, read JOACHIM's opinion. Joachim leads RG in Score. He provides answers to toughest questions, supplementing his answers with links for references. So, PEERS vote Joachim up. Joahim serves his peers and is highly apprecieted for this service.
And, sure, without computer we would not have this discussion.
Information, Electricity and Mechanized Agriculture, starting from last to first. If the information science hadn't emerged, then we wouldn't be able to communicate now. If Electricity goes down, then civilization just does not exist and finally without Mechanized Agriculture we would be still hunters in the forests...
Thanks Vineet. I may also like to add Zero as another invention without which Mathematics as we know today may not be there.
We all can have different opinions. My final pick is: 1. THE STICK (birth of mankind),. 2.THE WHEEL (5th millenium B.C).
3. THE LEVER (3rd millenium B.C.).
We largely subsituted the STICK, but still use the WHEEL and the LEVER in full.
THE FIRE is a natural phenomena, so, humans did not invent the fire, they learnt to MANAGE the fire to their advantage.
And all these great inventions were done by illiteral people. We all should be proud for these forefathers.
The various inventions identified so far are:
1. Cooking
2. Electricity
3. Fire management (by human will)
4. Information
5. Integrated circuit - precursor to all microelectronics
6. Internal combustion engine
7. Internet
8. Invention of the wheel
9. Lever
10. Mechanized Agriculture
11. Printing
12. Stick
13. The battery
14. The computer
15. The glass
16. Writing
17. Zero
18. Wheel barrow
19.Abacus
I think this question is fun, but answers are completely subjective. For example, I think the internal combustion engine is the worst thing ever invented (all of its effects are negative for sustainability).
The stick, as proposed by Alexander, is a tool used by some birds and many other animals, so if we accept that as a possible 'great invention', then I think humans cannot claim to have been the only great inventors. After all, a bird's nest is a superb invention. Similarly, beavers build dams and alter landscapes by doing so, and they did it before humans evolved.
Two great ancient human inventions not mentioned by Alexander are agriculture (collecting seeds, tilling soil, and deliberately planting the seeds in the tilled soil) and animal husbandry (deliberate control of the genetic character of animals in order to make them obedient slaves). Of course, other species do similar things too, but not as deliberately as humans have done it. We can also think of inventions in medicine, such as the invention of antibiotics. Without antibiotics, most of us discussing this here would never have come into existence.
I agree with Alexander that we should be proud of our ancestors. I would add that we should also be proud of our non-human ancestors.
Great Job, Nageswara, putting all results together. I would suggest to add ABACUS (about 6 Century B.C.) as a pre-historic computer.
Here are four other important inventions not mentioned so far:
- the stone knife (more than one million years ago)
- the boat (at least 30,000 years ago and probably much earlier)
- writing numbers (at least 40,000 years ago)
- the sewing needle (about 40,000 years ago).
Maybe we should include: "house" and "cup". Though as noted previously, these are both used by non-humans as well as humans. Oh! ... and "fish hook". That was truly a great invention, and I don't think any other animals use hooks to catch fish.
I just updated the list
1. Abacus
2. Animal Husbandry
3. Boat (at least 30,000 years ago and probably much earlier)
4. Cooking
5. Electricity
6. Fire management (by human will)
7. Information
8. Integrated circuit - precursor to all microelectronics
9. Internal combustion engine
10. Internet
11. Lever
12. Mechanized Agriculture
13. Printing
14. Sewing needle (about 40,000 years ago)
15. Stick
16. Stone knife (more than one million years ago)
17. The battery
18. The computer
19. The glass,
20. Wheel
21. Wheel barrow
22. Writing
23. Writing numbers (at least 40,000 years ago)
24. Zero
I would like to express my personal opinion, that rate of innovation exceeds the rate of intellectual human develpment by far and large. The first 5 books of MOSES (Tora), whithin Old Testament, were written over 3,000 years ago. The New Testament was largely written about 2,000 years ago, and, Quran was written 1,400 years ago.
But these are mighty books, witnessing extremelly high intellect of those, who compelled them.
About 50 % of people populating the planet today religiously believes in subject and events described in these immortal books.
Perhaps the rate of invention grows exponentially according to both passage of time and number of humans. Each invention provides the foundation for additional inventions (hence the effect of time). Most people are inventive, thus the number of people provides a second exponent. If this is the case, the great inventions are those which were invented early in human history, which are still in use today, and which have many other inventions based on them. In that way we can refine the list, because otherwise it will grow exponentially too!
Dear Alexander,
To limit the greatest inventions ever made to only three, I think one must seek the origin of these greatest inventions-even when selected subjectively. So I would include the pen (or pencil), the book and the abacus. Although these are considered to be very primitive tools nowadays for one may wonder how can a human not to find a way to record and organize his thoughts? Indeed, these tools still remind us of our natural limitations and modesty in our ancient struggle against nature.
Dear All,
Here you are some new/ old candidates for the list of inventions: the raft, the bow, the plough, how to prepare bread and the music and art!
@Nageswara, wonderful list!
May I add some ideas?
- the number i
- the negative numbers
- velocity of light c
Dear All,
Some contributions to the invention list: the wedge, the spring, the stirrup, the saddle, the cart, the clock and the compass.
Dear Reyhaney, you are not right, but fascinating view and answer.
Regards
My three extravagant - on the surface, but very carefully thought out suggestions:
1. Sedentary
2. Agriculture
3. The measurement of time (in meaning "notation chronology of events")
The greatest inventions of human kind I think are writing, followed by counting, and finally measuring though, perhaps, humans invented counting first. The wheel, in my opinion, was discovered, not invented.
And how do you distinct, Oscar, discovery from invention. Can you provide the example of NATURAL WHEEL ?
No wheels exist in nature.
See this:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-salute-to-the-wheel-31805121/?no-ist
Selecting three inventions is too small a number, and the list of strong inventions that have been proposed is now very large. I think we at least need:
1. one material invention, such as lever or plough
2. one process invention, such as animal husbandry or smelting
3. one abstract invention, such as zero or i
Dear All,
Alexander is right. John Keogh must be a talented joculator.
Dear Joachim,
I think wheel was an independent human invention which does not mean that wheel like natural structures cannot exist. Certainly, I cannot prove it but nobody can the opposite of it.
Dear Honno,
I feel you were too quick. (:-)
Dear András,
? I´m to quick. Why? I´m sure, wheels were everywhere in nature, just cut a tree into slices or divide a fruit in small slices or....
Please give me an explanation.
Regards and smile :?)
Dear All,
Some may consider that democracy would be an important spiritual invention. At least its idea was it.
Dear All,
I have read somewhere that at the dawn of human culture humanity might have chosen between white magic and science. But our ancestors have chosen science. Has been scientific approach an invention?
Dear Alexander,
"We shoul split invantions to survive from inventions to kill, if possible."
I may be wrong but inventions to kill cannot be great!
Riffle is the invention to kill. But it is used for hunting and for self-defence. And so are with ICBM. It can carry nuclear warhead, but so it can carry Austronavts. Yuriy Gagarin, the first cosmonavt ever, was delivered to the orbit by a Standard Military ICBM at the time,1961, capable to deliver 1 MGT H-Bomb to any point on Earth.
@Alexander Babchin
I believe the wheel was discovered because rolling is a motion that is observed in everyday life, like when a rock rolls down a hill. There are some fruits, like apples and oranges having a more or less well defined axis. However, that's just a belief. Getting back to my answer, if we can communicate over the Internet about the greatests inventions is because of the ivention of writing.
Regarding wheels in nature, the bacterial flagellum is a wheel (it rotates, has a fluid bearing, and moves the bacterium). Of course, the ancient people who invented the wheel did not know of the existence of the flagellum. On the other hand, many human inventions have involved biomimicry (copying from nature), such as: flight and the wing (inspired by birds), clothing (copy of fur, which was taken and used at first), velcro (same principle as plant burrs), sonar (bats use it), and so on. I agree that writing is a magnificent invention!
I have always thought that there is no such a thing like invantions to survive, whereas "inventions to kill" are quite common, but Mr. Szymanski has right...I would just add one more thing to his choice:
1. Sedentary *
2. Agriculture *
3. The measurement of time *
4. Internet (in a sense of global connection, getting to know others, learning fast and applying even faster what they already know)
* the choice of Mr. Szymanski
My three greatest inventions are:
1. Organized agriculture
2. Wheel
3. Electricity
As far as my knowledge was concerned three greatest innovations are
1)fire,shelter for living purpose
2)piece of metal
3) existence of force (between electrons,humans,planets,galaxies etc)
Martin,
One illustration of an invention of Nature is the Humpback anglerfish uses a modified dorsal spine as a bioluminescent 'fishing rod' to capture prey.
Three greatest inventions,as per my understanding, are :
1.Fire
2.Wheels
3.Electricity.
Technical innovations
The Wheel
Fire
Electricity
Not agriculture because it is not essential and its effects have, on the whole, not been benign (see, for example Sykes - Adam's curse) - This is my view but it's worth an RG question for discussion
Conceptual
General relativity
Quantum Theory
The Standard Model
Between the two
Written language and the associated reproduction devices
Mathematics (Pure and Applied)
The internet and the technical devices that (will eventually) make it available to everyone on the planet (so much more than Douglas Adams's prescient "Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy".....)
Radomir
I understand the second and third of your equations but not the first, Can you explain it to a humble 75 yr old biochemist?
Dear Stephen,
These are the Gauss laws for the electric and the magnetic fields, two of Maxwell's equations. The first one says that the source for the electric field E are the charge monopoles of density rho (and is equivalent to Coulomb's law); the second says that there are no magnetic monopoles.
3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Nikola Tesla Invented!
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/17/3-things-you-probably-didnt-know-nikola-tesla-inve.aspx
Thanks dear @Joachim for your comment and links. Do you have some comments on two other inventions?
Regards,
Ljubomir
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,2016 to my esteemed friends. Wish all of you an eventful, colourful and successful New Year.
Bedprakas Syamroy
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