What invention or discovery has changed the world most?

Question

I would say electricity

Answer 1

20th century's greatest engineering achievements
1. Electrification
2. Automobile
3. Airplane
4. Water Supply and Distribution
5. Electronics
6. Radio and Television
7. Agricultural Mechanization
8. Computers
9. Telephone
10. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
11. Highways
12. Spacecraft
13. Internet
14. Imaging
15. Household Appliances
16. Health Technologies
17. Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies
18. Laser and Fiber Optics
19. Nuclear Technologies
20. High-performance Materials

By votes these are the top 20s great inventions

Answer 2

Many today would say the Internet, but the Internet is just the latest manifestation of communication. Fast communication was, for many centuries only possible via the horse until Marconi invented the telegraph. This however was only possible with the discovery of Electricity. Yes I have to agree with you, the discovery of Electricity or more precisely, the Electron has changed the world the most.
Let us not forget the great contribution made by John Harrison.

Answer 3

I have actually spent time to look through all of the answers. The best that I have seen so far are language, electricity, fire, nuclear bomb, wheel, and gun. I agree that they are all important. But I think we need to get back to the basics.

As society, we often claim ourselves as the most advanced civilization to walk this Earth. In many senses, this is true. However there is one thing we have not been able to do that man 4000 years ago was able to. Can you guess what it is?







Its the domestication of animals. Now this might be considered agriculture. If you want to consider it that, then I have no problem. But realize how much this meant to our ancestors. Food sources was right there. It was almost a never ending supply. Animals would reproduce, create more food sources. You could milk animals. They no longer had to be nomadic, following herds across the land. Only with that could they have devoted more time onto other more novel inventions.

Just my 2 cents.

Answer 4

11. Highways
12. Spacecraft
13. Internet
14. Imaging
15. Household Appliances
16. Health Technologies
17. Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies
18. Laser and Fiber Optics
19. Nuclear Technologies

Answer 5

6. Radio and Television
7. Agricultural Mechanization
8. Computers
9. Telephone
10. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
11. Highways
12. Spacecraft
13. Internet

Answer 6

The Telephone- Invented in 1876 by Alexander G. Bell The Radio- invented in the 1890s by Marconi Guglielmo The Light bulb- invented in 1879 by Thomas Edison The Internal combustion Engine- invented in 1885 by GottliebDaimler, and is now used in cars and manymotorvehicles The Airplane – invented in 1903 by The Wright brothers, and drastically decreasedTravel time I can also mention dynamite invented by Nobel and many other.

Answer 7

In order of importance

Harnessing Fire
Spoken language
Agriculture
Domesticating Animals
The simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, etc)
Printing press
Firearms
Ocean going vessels
Electricity
Automobiles
Nuclear power
Computers
The Internet

Directly, spoken language and the printing press have probably affected the most people with the greatest impact because they allowed us to start recording our experiences. I suspect in 50-75 years, the internet will take the number one spot, as it slowly unifies mankind.

Answer 8

As far as the thing that has changed the landscape of the human conciousness the most I would have to say photography, which lead to film, which lead toTV and then the MASS MEDIA. Before this there was no way to capture an event in real time.
Now the way most people experience the wider world is through images given to us. The first images we often see as children of the world are throuigh TV/Film. I feel I 'know' America and Australia without ever having been there. Which is a pretty dangerous way to live considering how easily manipulated images are. The Gulf war and Iraq war were largely fought in the media.
Would 9/11 have had the impact it did if the whole world hadn't seen it enfolding?
Now people communicate with each other more through screens (texting, e-mails,chat rooms, webcam, ) than they do face to face.

Answer 9

Domesticating Animals
The simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, etc)
Printing press
Firearms
Ocean going vessels
Electricity
Automobiles
Nuclear power
Computers

Answer 10

Its the domestication of animals. Now this might be considered agriculture. If you want to consider it that, then I have no problem. But realize how much this meant to our ancestors. Food sources was right there. It was almost a never ending supply. Animals would reproduce, create more food sources. You could milk animals. They no longer had to be nomadic, following herds across the land. Only with that could they have devoted more time onto other more novel inventions.