Totally OT for the Day - Most Significant Invention

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:16 pm

What do you think was the most significant invention of the 20th-21st Century?

I'll start -

The TV Remote Control

PaperPatch · Post by **PaperPatch** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:28 pm

The Air Conditioner.

Chas. · Post by **Chas.** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:33 pm

Air conditioner is good. Many may say the cell phone, but as far as I'm concerned it's just a convenience. One significant invention, although actually invented in the 19th century, didn't come to fruition until the 20th century. That's the electric generator. Off the top of my head, I'll say either antibiotics or the x-ray and it's offspring (MRI, CT, etc.)

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:36 pm

I asked my Grandmother that question years ago before she passed.

She was born in 1910 and at the age of 93 she said the washing machine!
Nothing else in her nine plus decades had freed up more of her time than the
mechanical washer.

jb

Big Bore 94 · Post by **Big Bore 94** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:49 pm

The best thing since sliced bread is..... Forty Creek Candian Whisky!

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:53 pm

John Browning's M1911...

But, I'm sure some would say the personal computer.

stew71 · Post by **stew71** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:05 pm

The roll-a-way beer cooler.....hands down.

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:10 pm

2ndovc wrote:I asked my Grandmother that question years ago before she passed.

She was born in 1910 and at the age of 93 she said the washing machine!
Nothing else in her nine plus decades had freed up more of her time than the
mechanical washer.

jb

mikld wrote:John Browning's M1911...

But, I'm sure some would say the personal computer.

Inventions such as the washing machine, and various agricultural equipment, certainly have done much to free our time and make life easier, but I would argue that computers (and televisions) have eaten away at that time, and then some. Computers ,in my opinion, have actually made more work for us, while televisions have absorbed far too much of our leisure time.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:17 pm

Advances in Mining, and Rare Earths come to mind....nothing about the wonders of the present electronic/computer/green age could come about with out tremendous, efficient mining efforts that would pass the DumbAzz Greeners beady little eyes.....

new pig hunter · Post by **new pig hunter** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:23 pm

for out & out personal convenience: running water in the house, especially the kitchen. That is, a pressurized water system which only requires the turn of a handle to get the water running, leaving both hands free. Whether pressurized or gravity fed, I reckon y'all understand what I'm intending to say.

My dad told me the story of visiting his grandma's Oregon farm in 1939. My dad was 21 at the time and his daily chore during the visit was to bring buckets of well water into the house. His grandma was in her 70's at the time and living alone, and part of her daily routine was transporting buckets of water from the well to inside the house.

So running water is one of the greatest inventions.

Cheers,

Carl

tman · Post by **tman** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:04 pm

air conditioning. they say this is gonna be the hottest year ever.

cold beer is next

Terry Murbach · Post by **Terry Murbach** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:12 pm

AC ELECTRICITY PIPED RIGHT INTO THE HOUSE....OH YEAH !!!!

bigbore442001 · Post by **bigbore442001** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:20 pm

I would have to say something to deal with medical imaging such as MRI,CAT Scan, Ultrasound. How many of us here had such procedures and may have had our lives extended by them?

Noah Zark · Post by **Noah Zark** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:30 pm

The integrated circuit, or "chip."

The transistor came first, sure, but the IC made the miniaturization of electronics possible that then made the personal computer available that in turn brought the ARPANET to the masses in the form of the Internet, and the Information Age was born. Twenty-two years ago a 286 PC with an Allen-Bradley interface controlled a sophisticated piece of process machinery of which I was tasked with overseeing the installation, training of operators, and startup. That AB interface and 286 PC behind it was amazing in its capability to show real time data from the machine's dozens of sensors and other inputs, and its presentation of graphical data and trend information. And in 1988 the Internet really wasn't that "public" yet, from a user-friendly standpoint. Great for transmitting data, but on-line purchases and message boards were years away. That 286 PC cost about $6000 with its 20 meg hard drive in 1988. You all know what kind of PC $400 can buy you today, and what you can do, and where you can go with that 2010 PC.

Let's not stop at PCs, either. ICs are ubiquitous in wristwatches, automobiles, motorcycles, power tools, medical diagnostic equipment, audio equipment, aircraft, military weapon systems, GPS units, kitchen and laundry appliances, toys, etc. The IC and the Charge Coupled Device sensor put the film camera in a coffin. The list is endless, as are the possibilities.

Yep, I vote for the IC.

Noah

Haycock · Post by **Haycock** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:44 pm

The toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

Hay

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:12 pm

Atom Bomb, or space craft that took us to the moon. amazing spurt of technology perhaps the computer.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:18 pm

Way off gents. It would have to be something we use daily and take for granted. I'll go with two ply toilet paper.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:23 pm

jeepnik wrote:Way off gents. It would have to be something we use daily and take for granted. I'll go with two ply toilet paper.

Beat me to it-I was going to say quilted TP or flush toilets. Of course I'm sure they were both around before the 20th century hit-just not in widespread use (no pun intended)

Pull tab cans are pretty neat.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:05 pm

Not an invention, but....

May 26, 1908. The discovery of cheap and easy oil in Persia by William D'Arcy.

Without cheap oil, modern civilization would not exist. Nor will it continue status quo when cheap oil is gone.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:09 pm

Computer, hands down...

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:12 pm

Simple.

It's the internet.

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:31 pm

Haycock wrote:The toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

Hay

The toothbrush has been used off and on for centuries in one form or another. The first mass-produced ones appeared around the late 1700's or early 1800's.

Fluoride, around time of The Great War.

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:58 pm

I'll go with the jet engine. It has made travel any place on earth possible for most of the world. Before jets, air travel was too expensive and sea travel much, much slower....

That said, the transistor, and all the IC's that followed, up to and including the chipsets we use in all our machines and computers are pretty nifty.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:21 pm

Thats easy-----------the A-Bomb that kept us from having to speak/and worse the Japan or China lingo and more.Without our freedom the rest doesnt matter.
I will give honorable mention to the M1 Garand which kept us from speaking/and worse the German lingo and more.

and God Bless General George Patton!

765x53 · Post by **765x53** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:31 pm

Chemical fertilizer , pesticide, and herbicide. Without them most of us would not exist.

Technical Director · Post by **Technical Director** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:43 pm

For the time period you specified, JohndeFresno, I would consider it to be the invention (or discovery) of penicillin.

Thanks Technical Director

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 12:29 am

Great list but I'll have to say the digital computer and mass storage. Due to the Internet and the ability to access it with hand held devices, every American can have the compiled knowledge of human history at their finger tips if they so choose. Many things have made life easier and they're great, but never in history has this been true and since you don't get the Internet without digital computers and mass storage I think it qualifies them for Most Significant.

Cheers,
Oly

claybob86 · Post by **claybob86** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:42 am

madman4570 wrote:Thats easy-----------the A-Bomb that kept us from having to speak/and worse the Japan or China lingo and more.

The A-Bomb didn't win the war, it shortened it and saved hhundreds of thousands of lives because we didn't have to invade Japan. We were going to win it either way.

Haycock · Post by **Haycock** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:15 am

Otto wrote:
Haycock wrote:The toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

Hay
The toothbrush has been used off and on for centuries in one form or another. The first mass-produced ones appeared around the late 1700's or early 1800's.

Fluoride, around time of The Great War.

I was wondering why you pointed that out until I went back and read the OP again... apparently I neglected a key criteria in my response (historical timing)... my bad...

Revised answer: the electric toothbrush!

Kidding... probably have to say the computer and related communications technology (i.e. the Internet)...

Haycock

firefuzz · Post by **firefuzz** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:50 am

Noah Zark wrote:The integrated circuit, or "chip." Noah

I would have to go along with Noah on this one. Although some day we may all wish it had never been thought of.

Rob

jdad · Post by **jdad** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:28 am

Duct Tape

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:32 am

For Me it's a tie. electricty and pennicillan.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:49 am

The Thermos. It keeps hot stuff hot, cold stuff cold and for the life of me I don't know how it knows which is which...

Post by **Hobie** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 12:28 pm

Some of you realize, due to personal experience, that piped hot water, toilets, toilet paper and central heat and air are the biggest luxuries. Next comes the various washing machines like dish and laundry washers. But, modern medicine makes it possible for us to be here to enjoy those luxuries. TB, polio, cancer, and numerous other diseases are on the ropes compared to about the time I was born or in my early childhood.

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:16 pm

for industry, stainless steel
for aviation, wrought aluminum alloys
for space, titanium alloys
for consumers, and affecting all these other fields - plastics

rodeo kid · Post by **rodeo kid** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:12 pm

For me it's the dishwasher, I'm retired and my wife still works so I do most of the cooking and the dishes. God Bless.

rodeo kid · Post by **rodeo kid** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:13 pm

For me it's the dishwasher, I'm retired and my wife still works so I do most of the cooking and the dishes. God Bless.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 6:33 pm

jdad wrote:Duct Tape

Well, it's a darned close second to two ply T P. You can use it to wrap up a cut just like you can T P, but I'd sure hate to try and wipe with it.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 6:36 pm

Technical Director wrote:For the time period you specified, JohndeFresno, I would consider it to be the invention (or discovery) of penicillin.

Thanks Technical Director

Beat me to it. Yep. Totally.

soon 2 retire · Post by **soon 2 retire** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:13 pm

How about assembly line mass production?

Other than that I'd say Outback's bloomin' onion; I love those things.

Bob in NE Indiana

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:31 pm

In my humble opinion, about the greatest invention ever, was the combustion engine, because it gave us individual mobility, like nothing else has ever done. I began life in a home without running water, telephone, or even a bathroom, and we got buy without computers just fine, but if was the automobile that gave us fast and easy transprotation of goods, and allowed us to live where we wanted to, and work in a distant location, and become the masive consumers that we are today.

Everything else is just just icing on the cake.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:15 pm

An invention unheard of until the late 1700s...

The invention of Individual Liberty as a Political Absolute...

(or earlier, (waaaaaay earlier) the Persian invention of Cosmic Dualisim...)

44magHunter · Post by **44magHunter** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:58 pm

Duct Tape!!!!!!!!!!

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:50 pm

The first thing that came to mind was toilet paper but I believe that came along in the 1800's and was first called sanitary paper.

Several years ago after hurricane Charlie went through here and took out the power lines all over the area I was sitting on the porch and came to the conclusion that the only thing that separates this country from any dirt world country you care to name is that thin copper strand that runs from pole to pole bringing AC current into our lives.

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 1:42 am

The invention of Individual Liberty as a Political Absolute...

The case surely can be made, but I don't think the average citizen of Western Civilization has any concept of it. Or put more simply, one might say that never in history have so many been so blessed and appreciated it so little.

Sorry, shouldn't be so negative I suppose...

Oly

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 1:45 am

Lastmohecken wrote:In my humble opinion, about the greatest invention ever, was the combustion engine, because it gave us individual mobility, like nothing else has ever done. I began life in a home without running water, telephone, or even a bathroom, and we got buy without computers just fine, but if was the automobile that gave us fast and easy transprotation of goods, and allowed us to live where we wanted to, and work in a distant location, and become the masive consumers that we are today.

Yeah, that was my #2 and I had a hard time deciding. You make the case very well I think.

Oly

the telegraphist · Post by **the telegraphist** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:17 am

Power, in our neck of the woods, 240 volt 50Hz mains power.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:26 am

Another vote for Penicillin, I would not be alive if it had not been around, so everything else is just the icing on the cake!

claybob86 · Post by **claybob86** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:07 am

game keeper wrote:Another vote for Penicillin, I would not be alive if it had not been around, so everything else is just the icing on the cake!

That would put a sharper focus on the situation! Glad you're still here!

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:00 am

My vote is time incorrect here but I always thought that the percusion primer was perhaps one of the most significant inventions ever. And though it was not invented in the 20th century, the internal cumbustion engine, in the 20th century, changed life around the world. And some would say, sometimes, not for the better.
Gobbler