Greatest engineering achievement of the twentieth century?

Question

Which engineering feat of the twentieth century do you feel was the most significant and what were some of the underlying principles that made it possible?

Answer 1

Without doubt the greatest achievement of the 20th century is MASTERING electricity. This is the cornerstone of industrialisation, the precursor to electronic, the basis of telecommunications.

Answer 2

Cracking perhaps? It was first done commercially in 1915 but in 1922, French mechanical engineer, Eugene Jules Houdry invented the Houdry process which is still the basis of petroleum cracking today. The existence of the Houdry process has been credited as a major factor in the winning of World War II by supplying the high-octane gasoline to the allies (see references below). Obviously the automobile and aircraft owe much of their existence to the availability of refined petroleum. And then there's this whole energy thing with barrels of oil going for $100+. Would those barrels be less expensive if the oil within them could not be converted into high grade fuel? And if so, then what would we use to power our world?

Answer 3

Though I do agree with cjones, the one engineering achievement of the twentieth century, which proved to save many lives and is still in use today, with little or no change, is the aqua-hydraulic spill way for dams. Invented after the Dayton flood (as well as many others of the era) and Incorporated in all five dams that now still protect the Miami valley, it is still being used in the worlds, now largest, dams of the 21'st century. No other simple engineering concept has ever proven to be more beneficial in the long run.

Answer 4

Depending on the person's age, you'll get different answers. For instance my great-grandfather might have said the Brooklyn Bridge. My grandfather might have said the telephone. My father probably would have said harnessing the atom. I say it was sending a man to the moon and bringing him back. My son would probably say the internet. Others might say the microwave oven or the cell phone. Underlying all these things were a couple of things: 1) seeing a need and filling it, and 2) making a buck. Although necessity is the mother of invention, profit is the father.

Answer 5

Well i will go with the computer and the communication network as the greatest engineering achievement of the twentieth century. Do you wanna ask me why?? good... with the help of the same, we are communicating with the whole world and can exchange the information in a fraction of second. And the they make this world a small thing in our prospect.

Answer 6

Wireless communication (Internet, cell phones, etc.) Companies becoming connected through the Internet allowed for global businesses to emerge. This is causing developing countries like China and India to become players in an ever expanding business environment. We haven't seen the full effects of it yet, but in a few decades when they are developed countries, I think the human race will really advance (more people doing things = more things that will get done)

Answer 7

Bicycle.
The only invention tht has not undergone changes for centuries.
it is still the same as it was invented with just few negligible changes considering how other products of today are evolving.
It has survived evrything from automobiles to Spaceshuttles. It will always remain even when internet or telecomm gets replaced by something else!

Answer 8

From my view, it would be the development of the integrated circuit. All modern electronics -- computers, communications, imagery, audio, etc. use them. But before some guy at TI figured out how to make a transistor out of silicon, every thing ran on bulky, fragile, in-efficient vacuum tubes.

Answer 9

The Metcal Soldering Station.

Answer 10

Electricity doesn't count, there was electricity before 1900. Maybe there were a lot of advances since then but it's the same basics. I think (for USA) it would be the Highway Transportation Act.