Greatest/Most Influential Invention

[Sphinx777]

The most influential invention was religion. It has turned more than 90% of all human beings into raving loonies.

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[Jazer]

the wheel, the printing press, gunpowder/firearms, television, computer, etc.. )

Perhaps when Leonardo invented the gear. Cylinders have been around for thousands of years, but it took the use of gears to make a machine.

 

[Gracchus]

Perhaps when Leonardo invented the gear. Cylinders have been around for thousands of years, but it took the use of gears to make a machine.

Leonardo?!

"The earliest known reference to gears was circa 50 A.D. by Hero of Alexandria, but they can be traced back to the Greek mechanics of the Alexandrian school in the 3rd century BC and were greatly developed by the Greek polymath Archimedes (287-212 BC)."

Gear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Gracchus]

It seems to be a picture of the Buddha and some of his students.

Tibetan Buddhism is a religion. Zen is not. Modern Taoism is a religion. The original Taoism was not.

So your point is ...?

 

[Sphinx777]

Buddhism-Taoism

Confucianism?



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[klasvaakie]

Grain and Corn...they were cultivated till we have the strains we have today. It's absolutely marvelous if you look at how the ancient peoples spent generations harvesting and planting only from the best specimens in order to finally get what we call grain and corn today

 

[Bro_Sam]

What do you think is the greatest or most influential invention of man? I've heard different people claim: the wheel, the printing press, gunpowder/firearms, television, computer, etc.

I tend to think television is still the most remarkable thing ever invented. (But the best thing is pizza. )

Movable type. No doubt about it. Completely revolutionized Western Civilization

 

[Tenka]

How about sailing ships?

Allowed worldwide exploration, trade, colonization and warfare.

 

[Sphinx777]

Naval Warfare





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[Sphinx777]

 

[jwu]

How about the discovery of impulse, the basic physical principle behind hammers, axes, most weapons etc..?

Pretty much all other developments in engineering, architecture and so on would have been impossible without the idea that one can accumulate energy during the swing of a heavy object and then release it all at once when it hits its target.

 

[Tenka]

How about the discovery of impulse, the basic physical principle behind hammers, axes, most weapons etc..?

Pretty much all other developments in engineering, architecture and so on would have been impossible without the idea that one can accumulate energy during the swing of a heavy object and then release it all at once when it hits its target.

Even chimps understand that principle so I'm not sure you could call it an invention

 

[jwu]

Even chimps understand that principle so I'm not sure you could call it an invention

They quite certainly don't understand its implications though.
Either way, that doesn't make it any less of an invention. It wasn't modern humans who first invented methods to make and sustain fire either, so i don't see how that would be a requirement to call something an invention.

And in case of impulse, it may have been intelligent life's oldest invention, perhaps the one that started the process based on which all other inventions followed. Even the most basic toolmaking - chipping stones - wouldn't be possible without using another stone as some sort of hammer. And one needs proper axes (with a handle, not just a sharp stone) in order to fell trees and thus gain access to significant amounts of wood for construction works.

Anyway, if impulse alone cannot count as an invention for whatever reason, then i'd say that the amplification of impulse by adding a handle to whatever heavy object is swung takes the place as the most important invention. Without that, axes and proper hammers wouldn't have been possible.

 

[Trupurpose]

Fasteners - Nails, rivots, nut @ bolts, screws etc.. What held most other inventions together.

 

[EdwinWillers]

The fulcrum.

The ratchet.

The printing press.

Toilet paper - replaced the left hand.

...and MS Excel.

 

[Saving Hawaii]

The cotton gin?

Domesticated livestock. Definitely had one of the most profound impacts on the course of history.

 

[Pro-Life Atheist]

Writing systems

By being able to write down knowledge and being able to carry it throughout the centuries.

We have been able to do most of our greeatest achievements and inventions and to remember inportant facts about our history.

 

[keith99]

Even chimps understand that principle so I'm not sure you could call it an invention

Actually quite a few animals understand it. Otters and crows come to mind. The crows have an interesting twist as they drop snails from height to crack the shells, gaining more impact than they could by any direct application of their strength.

 

[MacFall]

Written language, followed closely by moral philosophy.

 

[Redneck12]

The patent law. Before patents everyone who thought of something new kept it a close secret, sharing it only with his children or family so that they could profit from it. (for instance, electric batteries have been discovered from ancient times, probably used to electroplate metals). Once patents were invented and enforced, knowledge could be shared freely without financial ruin, leading to an explosion of inventions and new ideas.