Uhm, so what about that other reproductive controller that is easy, cheap, safer and also prevents sexual deceases?
Diseases. And the condom is very much a pre-twentieth century invention, although it didn't really get properly effective before... plastics!
The other, major, thing about the pill is that a male can't veto its use without going to a fairly ridiculous amount of effort. People born after the 50's don't really get what a big deal female control over conception really is, but the cultural impact was massive.
Well you're wrong. Latex is as much a natural compound as anything. Which of course only goes to show the diversity and difference in "plastics" and why it's dumb to have that as one invention. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latex
fjafjan on
Yepp, THE Fjafjan (who's THE fjafjan?)
- "Proving once again the deadliest animal of all ... is the Zoo Keeper" - Philip J Fry
It hasn't come of age yet. When we're living in our kickass future powered alternate parts nuclear, solar and wind power with sky-gardens growing our fruit and vegetables in the middle of major metropolis's then I'll say nuclear power was the greatest development of the 21st century.
Isn't that more of a discovery than an invention? Although I guess renewable energy would fall under discoveries as well
Well the existence of nuclear power was a discovery, and a pretty revolutionary one. Imagine: suddenly discovering that there's a whole new source of power, orders of magnitude more powerful than the best power source available at the time (some kind of refined coal), which we were literally staring at since the dawn of time but that we had no idea was there.
Harvesting that power in a safe and controlled way is an invention, though. One that still has a long way to go before electricitylikesme's utopia, thanks in part to Baby Boomers and their "nuclear is bad!" mentality. But even if it gets refined and widespread in the 21st Century, it's still a 20th-Century invention.
The ability to fly has changed virtually everything we do from material movement (Fed Ex, Amazon.com, you name it) to military power and political power distribution, to international business, to recreation, to allowing us to explore space.
If it wasn't for powered flight, I'd go with the Transistor or Man-made Nuclear Fission...
It hasn't come of age yet. When we're living in our kickass future powered alternate parts nuclear, solar and wind power with sky-gardens growing our fruit and vegetables in the middle of major metropolis's then I'll say nuclear power was the greatest development of the 21st century.
I think the problem is is we're not even really removed from the 21st century that much, and many oher centuries you have a difficult time nailing the "greatest invention" down as well
19th century- lightbulb? Vaccines? Electric generator? Telegraph? Artificial fertilizer? Dynamite? Stock ticker?
18th century- Modern Steel? Rubber? Leyden jar (first capacitor, although disputed invented that it was invented in this century)? Modern chemistry?
17th century- Barometers? Binary? Calculus?
Microscope, only because I have trouble calling "Calculus" an invention. Though Vernier scale is pretty important as well for what it let us do on an everyday basis.
Asmiov's History of Science and Technology is a pretty awesome book if you're interested in things like this. I imagine some of the early chapters are probably disputed at this point but otherwise, it's a year by year breakdown of when inventions happened (or probably happened for stuff like Fire.)
well if we're going to talk about best/worst simultaneous inventions of the 20th century and we want to include ideas as well, we'd have to include fascism (best in terms of the shit that came out of the world's response to it)
well if we're going to talk about best/worst simultaneous inventions of the 20th century and we want to include ideas as well, we'd have to include fascism (best in terms of the shit that came out of the world's response to it)
A world war? An enemy for socialism? Or do you mean all the inventions that were spurred on due to the increase in military spending? I'm rather curious as to what you mean by "the shit that came out of the world's response to it".
The ability to fly has changed virtually everything we do from material movement (Fed Ex, Amazon.com, you name it) to military power and political power distribution, to international business, to recreation, to allowing us to explore space.
If it wasn't for powered flight, I'd go with the Transistor or Man-made Nuclear Fission...
It's impossible to justify something as the "greatest". There have been many great inventions that have had huge social (as mentioned, the Pill), economic (nuclear power, etc) and all great inventions seem to affect many categories.
However, none of that matters, only
I still say it's between the transistor and the airplane, with nuclear fission (or controlled nuclear fission if you're going to be picky about the difference between "discovery" and "invention") coming in third.
I think in the future, though, it'll be a toss-up between those three along with spaceflight and the PCR. It depends on what really takes off in the coming centuries.
I still say it's between the transistor and the airplane, with nuclear fission (or controlled nuclear fission if you're going to be picky about the difference between "discovery" and "invention") coming in third.
I think in the future, though, it'll be a toss-up between those three along with spaceflight and the PCR. It depends on what really takes off in the coming centuries.
*sets to work designing a nuclear-powered living space-plane that reproduces by organic transistor-controlled cloning*
It will feed on hyphens!
Maybe it is. But without slice bread where would you get PBJ? Grilled Cheese? French toast?
Perhaps if we weren't cursed with sliced bread people would understand the value of having a high quality knife that is kept sharp in the kitchen. The first time I used a proper knife it was amazing. Now, now I'll cook things just to cut up the ingredients!
Posts
What about the plane? Renewable energy? Recycling?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latex
- "Proving once again the deadliest animal of all ... is the Zoo Keeper" - Philip J Fry
And I think this is pretty relevant
- "Proving once again the deadliest animal of all ... is the Zoo Keeper" - Philip J Fry
Isn't that more of a discovery than an invention? Although I guess renewable energy would fall under discoveries as well
It hasn't come of age yet. When we're living in our kickass future powered alternate parts nuclear, solar and wind power with sky-gardens growing our fruit and vegetables in the middle of major metropolis's then I'll say nuclear power was the greatest development of the 21st century.
Well the existence of nuclear power was a discovery, and a pretty revolutionary one. Imagine: suddenly discovering that there's a whole new source of power, orders of magnitude more powerful than the best power source available at the time (some kind of refined coal), which we were literally staring at since the dawn of time but that we had no idea was there.
Harvesting that power in a safe and controlled way is an invention, though. One that still has a long way to go before electricitylikesme's utopia, thanks in part to Baby Boomers and their "nuclear is bad!" mentality. But even if it gets refined and widespread in the 21st Century, it's still a 20th-Century invention.
The ability to fly has changed virtually everything we do from material movement (Fed Ex, Amazon.com, you name it) to military power and political power distribution, to international business, to recreation, to allowing us to explore space.
If it wasn't for powered flight, I'd go with the Transistor or Man-made Nuclear Fission...
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
I think the problem is is we're not even really removed from the 21st century that much, and many oher centuries you have a difficult time nailing the "greatest invention" down as well
19th century- lightbulb? Vaccines? Electric generator? Telegraph? Artificial fertilizer? Dynamite? Stock ticker?
18th century- Modern Steel? Rubber? Leyden jar (first capacitor, although disputed invented that it was invented in this century)? Modern chemistry?
17th century- Barometers? Binary? Calculus?
I got these from this page, it might be applicable
Anyways, I'm changing my vote to the Green Revolution
My co-worker here says velcro.
I don't know what to believe anymore.
3DS FC: 5343-7720-0490
Sliced bread is over-rated.
Me and my big boy shoes are not pleased.
PSN - sumowot
It was mentioned 2-3 times.
Ahh. So it was (third party, not even a poster by the way)
*SCRITCH SCRIIIIIITCCCHHHH*
PSN - sumowot
Technicalities? That's a paddlin'.
A world war? An enemy for socialism? Or do you mean all the inventions that were spurred on due to the increase in military spending? I'm rather curious as to what you mean by "the shit that came out of the world's response to it".
Greatest invention ever: the toaster oven.
Maybe it is. But without slice bread where would you get PBJ? Grilled Cheese? French toast?
I envy whichever century slice bread was invented in.
That's a good one too.
Lasers!
It might not be better than flight or nuclear power but it beats the hell out of Velcro.
However, none of that matters, only
I think in the future, though, it'll be a toss-up between those three along with spaceflight and the PCR. It depends on what really takes off in the coming centuries.
It will feed on hyphens!
Nintendo Network ID: AzraelRose
DropBox invite link - get 500MB extra free.
That's like...hundreds of years old.
I think.
thousands
soap... on a rope?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ignition_Facility
Perhaps if we weren't cursed with sliced bread people would understand the value of having a high quality knife that is kept sharp in the kitchen. The first time I used a proper knife it was amazing. Now, now I'll cook things just to cut up the ingredients!