What do you consider the most important invention of all time?

[MyWarmOchreHare]

Have been pondering this and wondered what others thought. I know many stand on the shoulders of others, but what do people think?

The internet? Radio or TV? Cars, planes, steam engines? The flushing toilet? Clocks or watches? Wheels? Washing machines? Ships? Paper? Mobile phones? I keep coming back to the wrist watch.

Spiritually, in all its forms has been with us for as long as humans. I do agree though that it has basically been “invented” by those humans that then go and follow it.

So yes, it is an invention, and probably our worst one yet as there is simply no magical sky fairy. We invented that idea, and that idea continues to wreak havoc on the world.

As others have said, the wheel.

Fire as a discovery but not itself an invention imo.

Boats, the telescope and curtains are worthy contenders also.

IVF specifically ICSI.

The wheel is a fascinating one. There was once a discussion in New Scientist “why haven’t wheels evolved in nature, if they are so useful?” In other words, why don’t we move on wheels instead of legs?

One reason given is a serious limitation of the wheel; it is only useful on a fairly flat surface, so only useful to us because we have modified our environment (and not enough, thinking about wheelchair users). Also, because of the nerves and blood vessels in our bodies, freely rotating wheels could never work.

There's the invention of things and then there's the development of them.

Here's a famous, "Tomorrow's World" clip from either the eighties or early nineties. "How to send an email."

(Run time: 6mins 24secs.)

People of Britain at the time:

"Just phone them!"

Sorry. I don't think it was, "Tomorrow's World" it was obviously Thames TV.

I wish they’d bring back tomorrow’s world. I lived for it as a child. Popular science shows that appeal broadly such as ones by Hannah Fry ( girl crush) are few and far between.

Probably a bit modern but granny pants are by far the best invented item of women’s clothing (in my opinion) but electricity for sure or power in general.

Just for you: Home of 2020: Tomorrow's World from 1989. Run Time 4mins, 34 secs.

Elasticated waistbands is an invention people overlook but so needed. I’m lost without these

I always understood that nothing could be invented without the mechanics of the wheel so it has to be the wheel. I dont know the fact of that though.

There must be more than this, what about sheep or cows or cats? Camels?

Has to be the wheel! Although that looks mad written down.

It's always hard to put a number of these things, but I'm always blown away by the fact that three people who through their discoveries/inventions have probably saved more lives than anyone else in human history are all British. Edward Jenner, Joseph Lister and Alexander Fleming.

I'm slightly biased as Jenner is an old boy of my own secondary school and was born and died just down the road from where I was born and brought up.

Too right.

I used to love watching that as a kid

Until you put them through the wash one too many times and they go a bit… meh

I’m coming around to this. After all, without the wheel, you don’t have the clock or watch.

Inventions - antibiotics, planes, electricity

discovery - CPR

What are granny pants ?

Mounjaro is the breakthrough of this decade and will be seen as such going forward. Life changing.

John Snow was also British. I think there are also quite a few others to rival them of different nationalities, but it’s still a Hell of a contribution from the British.

Preservatives in food.
Internet.
Penicillin.

Alphabets and logograms.

That huge numbers of people came to agree on symbols that stood for sounds or things and shared this knowledge with each other to communicate - it just makes me happy.

Weaving and knitting - most of our clothes, bedding, sails, etc.

Boats are also very important to human history.

Bicycle/pedal power - using the wheel to make efficient transport but without causing new problems. I’m always amazed it was such a recent invention.

Writing and printing, so information can be stored and passed on even from people who lived in the past.

Sat nav!!