I had a lot of fun coming up with my list. The main problem I had was in limiting myself to just ten inventions. There are no less than ten more I had trouble leaving off, that very valid arguements could be made for. Regardless, here is my two cents on the ten greatest inventions of all time, in rough chronological order.
1)Fire- We of course didn’t invent it, but we did invent methods to start it and to keep it going. We also invented methods to harness it and many uses for it. It is invaluable to our species survival giving us limitless heat, warding off beasts, and making meats edible for greater periods of time. Not to mention it’s uses against infections in severe wounds, with cauterizing.
2)The wheel- This was a key invention to our mobility. The wheel allowed us to transport much more weight a much further distance than we otherwise would have been able to. With increased mobility, we were able to follow preferable climates and search out more ample food sources. It was probably instrumental in keeping our gene pools diverse and aiding our cultural growth too, as visiting is also one of the main reasons to travel.
3)Language- No matter exactly which language or the sophistication thereof, our ability to express complex ideas to one another gives us all better chances of survival and prosperity. Language is the ability to share knowledge and knowledge is power.
4)Time- Something else we didn’t really invent but tracking and organizing the passing of time is certainly something that helps our society function efficiently as well as giving us a clearer perspective of our lives and where we fit into the world. Clocks and calanders have us tied to them more than we typically realize but without them, we would be lost.
5)Smelting- Every machine we have today is a result of smelting. This is absolutely one of the greatest contributors to the advancement of our species technology. Most of our modern conveniences are in one way or another tied to smelting.
6)Agriculture- Not just planting a seed and waiting for it to grow but making the fields far more able to accomodate our needs of such. Efficiency increased exponentially and foods became for more readily available with our perfection of basic agricultural understanding.
7)The printing press- Now, anyone could get word out far and wide. This dramatically sped up our evolution of knowledge and warned of dangers well before they arrived. Common people could also be privy to the same knowledge as early scholars, simply by getting and reading the same book. It also drastically improved basic education, all fields of current (to the time) science, advanced art and so much more.
8)Medicines- Our understanding of seeking out, refining and distributing specific ingredients to combat specific ailments has heightened everyones quality of life and given hope to those who wouldn’t have otherwise had any. This is absolutely a major key in our developement as a society. Where would we be without it?
9)Money- Nothing more than a standardized system of implied value but it would have been quite a bold move to start it off. The world would be a far more complicated place and I doubt we’d be as far along as we are as a society, if not for the simple idea of money and its standard value implications.
10)Electricity- This took us from the dark ages to the enlightened path of the future. From lightbulbs to heat to defibrillators, electricity is vital in our day to day lives. Even now, we’re not looking to replace electricity. We’re looking at alternate ways of aquiring it but I can’t imagine ever replacing it.
