Lawrence Husick’s top 25 innovations of all time. (H/t Opening Arguments) A lot more elaboration in the article, but here is the list:
25. Relativity/Quantum mechanics
24. Electromagnetism
23. Evolution/Natural Selection
22. Steam power
21. Water power
20. Concept of science (natural philosophy) /Scientific method
19. Moveable type
18. Fossil fuels
17. Specialization of labor
16. Paper
15. Wheel
14. Formal legal codes
13. Concept of money
12. Gods & religions as social institutions
11. Writing
10. Food preservation
9. Metallurgy
8. Ceramics & pottery
7. Farming
6. Clothing
5. Symbolic communication
4. Lever – simple machine
3. Inclined plane – simple machine
2. Fire
1. Speech
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Where’s beer? :-)
All discovered by Democrats….I think I have that right.
Anything by Ronco.
Id bump 20 up to the top 10. Whats more curious is that the scientific method was alive and well in 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 etc before it was ever defined. More often in its infant form: trial and error.
Id also put the microbial theorem of disease from the 18th century on this list, probably even ahead of Evolution/NS. Nothing had a greater effect on a shift in life expectancy and the growth of the human population in the last 200 years (in collaboration with the Industrial revolution advancements listed above). Antibiotics, vaccines, and most importantly: a focus on waste disposal and cleanliness. Allowed for the urbanization of man to become sustainable – leading to exponential population growth.
Cool stuff, thanks for the link.
Speech is not really an innovation; it’s inherent in being human, like the ability to smell.
I would also put agriculture ahead of simple machines.
Lists like this are always interesting, though.
I think BrianW is right about germ theory — it’s difficult to imagine how frightening the world was before that.
Here are some honorable mentions — things that make civilization civilized.
the roof
the chimney
indoor plumbing
the ‘comfy’ chair
polyphonic musical instruments
democracy
culinary spices
Not a fan of 12, myself.
he forgot sex for pleasure!
Maybe he meant “language” instead of “speech”? That would make more sense to me, anyway.
My wife. You forget my wife.
Sliced bread?
I thought that was implicit. Isnt the subtitle: “Greatest Things Since Sliced Bread”?