Britain, The most inventive country in history?

Question

Surely the UK has to be, Jet Engine, Television, Camera, World Wide Web, Computer, Steam Engine, Trains, Railways, Underground Railways, Hovercraft, Vertical Take Off Plane, Battle Tank, Shrapnel Shell, Test Tube Babies, Penicillin, Vaccination, Telephone(Bell was Scottish!), Evolutionary Theory, Splitting the Atom, Slide Rule,Matches,Steam Pump, Postage Stamp,Piston Engine,Chronometer,Spinning Jenny,Power Loom,Sewing Machine,Gas Lighting,Lathe,Digital Calculating Machine(babbage),Portland Cement,Electromagnet,Blast Furnace,Electric Generator,Photography,Bicycle,Ships Propeller,Air Glider,Steel Production,Linoleum,Colour Photos,Pneumatic Tyre,Radio/Wireless,Loudhailer,Vacuum Cleaner,Geiger Counter,Stainless Steel,Decompression Chamber,Radar,Computer memory/Stored Programmes,Holography,Integrated Circuits,Animal Cloning, Industrial Revolution, Theory of Gravity,light Bulb,Guillotine etc e


www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/BestifBrits.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:British_inventions

Ancient Mesopotamia must be close second, Writing, The Wheel, Mathematics, Astronomy, Astrology, Empires, Large cities, Civil Service, Zoos, Libraries, Schools, Coinage, Legal Codes, Irrigation, The Battery, War Chariots, Heavy Cavalry, Chronology-creating minutes, hours, days months, etc etc

PS BEER Was invented by the Sumerians, ie Mesopotamians!

Answer 1

and lots more - i agree with Veronica Alicia - we invent these things and allow others to make the money or take the credit - it's the British way. On the other hand, history has been kind to the Romans, who seem to be credited with inventions they pinched off others - usually the Greeks. The Ancient Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians should also get credit for many inventions, as should the Chinese, but for modern times, there is no one to beat the Brits....

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

You do realize a German invented the first computer and that the Chinese had basically all that (besides the planes and atoms and trains and theories and penicillin) before literally anyone else? Integrated circuits invented by a German, holography hasn't been "invented" yet. The Industrial Revolution isn't an invention and America had one too; the light bulb was not invented by the Brits--the first one was an arc lamp; the Guillotine is French! Babbage's "machine" never worked, but Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programer. Portland Cement is too close to "Roman Cement" to actually count as an invention. Also how can you count the Geiger Counter as British? It doesn't make sense! Also evolution isn't a theory; it's a law. -.- This list is so sad. It makes me sad.

Answer 4

Wally W is WRONG about the guillotine being a French invention. It was used in medieval England in the city of Halifax (where it was known as the Halifax gibbet) from the late 1250's which was the reason for the sailors' prayer: "From Hell and Halifax good Lord deliver us."

the Frenchman after whom it is named refined it in the late 18th century.

Answer 5

Yep! Britain is great at inventing. Our problem is that we don't know what to do with the things we invent and usually end up giving them away to someone else who makes a fortune from them.

Answer 6

England has to be at the top of everyone's list, or at least in the top two or three ... they did go through the industrial revolution before anyone else, so they have those innovations we are most familiar with.

However, I might go with two other suggestions:
Rome and the Roman Empire, with everything from roads to aqueducts, from the arch to the calendar ... not a bad grouping
China with everything from clocks to gun powder, pasta to massive water projects

This is a great questions, and gives us all pause to consider!

Answer 7

The two greatest ever British inventions are beer and cider, neither of which got a mention in your list. How very remiss of you.

Bottoms up!

Answer 8

a servay by the Japanese proved that the uk invented more than 60% of all the inventions in the world alone

Answer 9

We certainly have invented an awful lot of things.

Answer 10

The jet engine was patented in France in 1937. The kinetiscope was known in America long before the British, vaccination was used by ancient people for thousands of years before the British quit painting their face blue. A lot of what you are attributing to the British was invented and used by other people throughout history long before the British were known to use some of these items. The Guillotine was invented by a Frenchman who was also the first victim. In my opinion you need better research. Check with Oxford College and some of the older schools in England that are not so biased.