what invention made the biggest change for mankind?

Question

So many different inventions.
The stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones.
It took us 10000 years to put wheels on out suitcases.
Our homes wouldn't be the same without a can opener.
Which single invention made the biggest change for mankind?

Answer 1

The ability to control and later to create fire is the single "invetion/discovery" that most affected mankind. Before that development occurred, man was restricted to a relatively small portion of the earth. While the use of stone tools came earlier, they made man more efficient at doing the same thing (scavenging) but there is no evidence to suggest that it really helped him move on to other new technologies – and we know that other animals make use of tools as well, but no other animal can control fire.

Fire allowed man to expand geographically, but it also helped in the development of social skills and language. By having fire, man also had light at night, which allowed people to be active at night, to sit around the fire and talk – which helped in the development of language, and to be awake and active when the stars came out – which allowed us to start pondering the sky and the universe.

Fire also allows for the manipulation of our environment. Fire can be used to clear fields, to cook food, to process many types of food the are not edible in raw form.

The list goes on…but without a doubt, the control/ability to create fire is the most important technological advance in human history.

Answer 2

Interesting and good question. First of all I would like to state that language was not an invention but a process of evolution. Humans always communicated some way, eventually that communication lead to speech. I would have to say that fire was the first greatest invention. Without fire our early ancestors would not have been able to evolve as they did. Fire came them new ways of cooking, protection, even ways to hunt animals. I think it was the best invention of all time and we owe it all to a bunch of people who are said to be stupid.

Answer 3

The biggest change in mankind was going from a hunting and gathering society to agriculture... I don't know if you could pin this on an invention though.

Fire and electrity are not inventions but are discoveries. Speech is also not an invention.

Answer 4

Let's see. I think the biggest change would be something associated with giving people more free time rather than working to survive. I can't pick one thing so I pick civilization. People working together, many different occupations, and the ability to barter. You can certainly get more done by doing more of one thing than lots of little things. I think leisure time is the best thing man has given himself.

Answer 5

projectile weapons because they gave less fit or able people a good chance of surviving in situations they previously would have been killed. It emphasised mankind's intellegence rather than physical attributes as a means of survival, thus challenging the evolutionary mode. We are a completely different people today than we would have been if physical prowess was the determining factor of survival.

Answer 6

Electricity

Answer 7

Speech. Speaking is the root cause, catalyst, mover of all human advancement toward civilization, culture, religion, war, and eventually writing. Without it humans could not coordinate, plan or organize the making of the wheel, fire, or the can opener.

Answer 8

The invention of beer.

This sounds weird, but once civilization began harvesting grains and making beer, the nomadic existence changed to one of society staying in one place and growing crops, etc.

Answer 9

How to start fires is a big one.... we don't have to wait for lightning to strike or whatever... we can use matches, lighters, etc.... where would be be without fire?

There are so many big inventions, that it would be hard to narrow it down to one...

Answer 10

When humans learned to control fire and the wheel.