And ... what was the greatest invention .... device ... gadget .... in the last 10 years ? I want to keep it more recent ...... I don't want to hear about fire or the wheel ....
2007-02-01 09:12:53 · 10 answers · asked by burlingtony 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
tv
ipod
2007-02-01 09:21:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
This was debated in one of the science magazines awhile ago. They considered atomic energy, the light bulb, the computer, all of that stuff. The one invention that they decided was the greatest because it had the biggest effect on the most people was the ability to fix nitrogen, or to extract it from the air and make it into a solid compound with other elements.
Got you scratching your head? Well, nitrogen is essential for plants to grow. Fixing nitrogen meant that we could make artificial fertilizers - no more need to depend on cowflops to fertilize the cornfield. This invention led to fertilizers that doubled, tripled, and even fourpled food production around the world. More food led to more people, more people led to more demand for goods and services, which led to more business, which made more people rich, and the whole thing snowballed into the world we live in now.
The downside is that the same process to do this is used to make explosives. Every fertilizer plant you see is essentially an explosives factory, with the process carefully controlled so that it doesn't go wrong. So you can add that to the list of effects that this invention had.
2007-02-01 17:24:55 · answer #2 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The greatest invention was the internal combustion engine. (100 year)
The successful development of this invention caused technology innovations in other areas of society.
In the last 10 years the greatest invention was "day trading" which enables every day average Joe (or Jill) citizens to play the stock market in real-time. This ability led directly to new movement of capital in world markets and individual wealth building.
2007-02-01 20:50:40 · answer #3 · answered by angelthe5th 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
the aeroplane, or to be strictly within the 100 year time frame, the jet engine. it has made the world a much smaller place. people can easily and economically travel to other countries and experience other cultures. in turn, that leads to greater understanding and harmony.
the last ten years is harder to answer but i would say anything that advances our knowledge of atomic fusion. hopefully the future will be powered by safe, abundent and non-polluting fusion reactors.
2007-02-01 17:25:45 · answer #4 · answered by rick m 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Computer or Internet
2007-02-01 21:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Radio because with out Marconi's initial discovery all forms of modern communication and media would not be possible.
2007-02-01 17:25:59 · answer #6 · answered by Ole Charlie 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
the silicon chip...without question it has had a more dramatic impact on our lives than any other invention.
2007-02-01 17:22:55 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. E 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The computer
2007-02-01 17:23:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
computer
i.e internet
2007-02-01 17:30:29 · answer #9 · answered by Jumana 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
vaseline and viagra....yeehaaa
2007-02-01 18:04:52 · answer #10 · answered by bigbro3006 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋