July 17, 2010
— Purple Avenger I've been pondering stuff today trying to mentally list all the major technological breakthroughs that humans have come up with over the past 20,000 years or so.
Obviously, the wheel/fire rank pretty high on the list, but what else is there out there our fertile brains have conjured up/harnessed over the millennia? For the sake of this discussion I've explicitly ignored weaponry - which is something humans are particularly adept at developing.
I'll start this out by tossing out few that struck me as pretty handy:
1) Hinges. Imagine a world without hinges. Pretty tough, eh?
2) Glues/adhesives. People have been gluing shit together for thousands of years using anything that was even remotely sticky. Try to imagine going through a day without using something that didn't have some component glued to something else.
3) Paint/protective coatings. Does a day go by that we don't see something that has a coat of paint on it?
Posted by: Purple Avenger at
03:14 PM
| Comments (939)
Post contains 165 words, total size 1 kb.
Posted by: TexasJew at July 17, 2010 03:16 PM (mY03/)
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:16 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: garrett at July 17, 2010 03:17 PM (XC311)
Corollary: high precision nautical clocks, that allowed for accurate calculation of longitude.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:18 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:18 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:19 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Intrepid at July 17, 2010 03:20 PM (92zkk)
Posted by: Room 207 at July 17, 2010 03:20 PM (5HOkm)
LOL, beer was invented shortly after farming. All that grain had to go somewhere.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:20 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:20 PM (AZGON)
Electricity...it allowed you to generate power in one place, and use it in another...
Also, the internal combustion engine... revoutionized transportation.
Posted by: Romeo13 at July 17, 2010 03:22 PM (H+oXM)
Posted by: Tommy Gunnar at July 17, 2010 03:23 PM (rQTdM)
LOL, that is still one of the great mysteries. Some people will talk to you about domains etc but they don't really know.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:24 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: Old grizzled gym coach at July 17, 2010 03:25 PM (QBQcg)
Posted by: Ohio Dan at July 17, 2010 03:25 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal at July 17, 2010 03:26 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:27 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Ricky and Ron from C&L at July 17, 2010 03:28 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:28 PM (nQzf5)
Tampons.
'major breakthroughs'
You bet your sweet ass it's major.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at July 17, 2010 07:19 PM (OGOxi)
Word!
Posted by: not a piping plover at July 17, 2010 03:28 PM (gHyA/)
Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at July 17, 2010 03:28 PM (QvX3o)
But then you would miss out on Pawn Shops and Ice Road Truckers.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:29 PM (/jbAw)
Isn't everything better with frosting?
Posted by: laceyunderalls at July 17, 2010 07:28 PM (OGOxi)
Wait...you're suppose to put frosting ON something?
Posted by: Tami at July 17, 2010 03:29 PM (VuLos)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur, Labor-Slut at July 17, 2010 03:29 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: MrCaniac at July 17, 2010 03:29 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: New York, New York at July 17, 2010 03:30 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:30 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:31 PM (/jbAw)
Second mass printing: Isabella Does The Spanish Inquisition
I tore an ACL doing the Spanish Inquisition.
Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at July 17, 2010 03:31 PM (QvX3o)
Posted by: Pechon at July 17, 2010 03:31 PM (MgsuK)
Posted by: Jehu at July 17, 2010 03:32 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: JAFAC at July 17, 2010 03:32 PM (zrOIY)
LOL, I saw one of those shows once that talked about that. Canning was invented under the direction of Napoleon Bonaparte to help keep his army supplied.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:32 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: crosspatch at July 17, 2010 03:33 PM (ZbLJZ)
But we can still enjoy his stuff from the 70's. "The Day the Universe Changed" was a another good series of his. Also, "The Secret Life of Machines" which has nothing to to with James Burke, but is another awesome 70's-era BBC show.
Posted by: David Ickes at July 17, 2010 03:33 PM (Iixgl)
*ahem* [straightens tie, looks Presidential]
The concept of Zero.
Posted by: Barack 'The Big Zero' Obama at July 17, 2010 03:33 PM (yhnTF)
According to the NAACP, Mizz Osama Obama, Eric Holder and the Black Panthers, this hasn't happened yet.
Posted by: Maxine Waters at July 17, 2010 03:33 PM (Ulu3i)
Posted by: Al Gore at July 17, 2010 03:33 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:34 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: moviegique at July 17, 2010 03:34 PM (1y5Vr)
I think that falls under the heading of generic "food preservation" techniques as a "technology" -- which is indeed a biggie. It allowed social groups a mobility that a daily hunt impeded, and allowed for surviving harsh environments that would have been impossible otherwise.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:34 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: JohnnyTightlips at July 17, 2010 03:35 PM (B5NXK)
Posted by: Ohio Dan at July 17, 2010 03:35 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:35 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Pierre Legrand at July 17, 2010 03:35 PM (52h7T)
Posted by: Everybody in the world whether they admit it or not at July 17, 2010 03:37 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: Zombie Billy Mays at July 17, 2010 03:37 PM (9Lm5R)
plumbing
combustion engines
the loom
nails
incandescent bulb
the harnessing of electricity
zipper
deodorant
toothbrush
Posted by: jmflynny at July 17, 2010 03:37 PM (NHK5s)
Posted by: The Moron Nation at July 17, 2010 03:37 PM (yhnTF)
Posted by: the city of Nîmes at July 17, 2010 03:38 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:38 PM (nQzf5)
The sextant.
The Harrison Clock, which permitted an accurate calculation of longitude
The internal combustion engine.
Sails.
The telescope and its derivatives.
Gears.
Posted by: wolfwalker at July 17, 2010 03:38 PM (aijDA)
Posted by: MrCaniac at July 17, 2010 03:38 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: Abdul Mohammad at July 17, 2010 03:39 PM (4FneT)
2) Ummm.... the airplane, maybe?
3) Rifled guns and ammunition
4) The iPod. Seriously, for somebody who grew up with the Walkman, the iPod is nothing short of a miracle.
5) Tivo
6) GPS
7) Free pr0n
I can't believe nobody mentioned BACON yet9) HDTV
10)Personal Computer
As far as shiat that never should've been invented goes:
1) Alarm clocks
2) Infomercials
3) Reality TV
4) 'Green' stuff
5) Hippies
6) Top 40 radio
7) Soccer
The Designated Hitter9) Pepsi
10)MSNBC
Posted by: Original Mikey at July 17, 2010 03:39 PM (Av4L9)
Posted by: al at July 17, 2010 03:39 PM (4nxhP)
http://tinyurl.com/2e9y6mc
Vic... You wouldn't happen to have been a nuke, would you?
Posted by: Reactor-Axe-Man at July 17, 2010 03:39 PM (yhnTF)
Posted by: George Will at July 17, 2010 07:33 PM (9Lm5R)
Well played.
Posted by: Hey.Wheres.Barry at July 17, 2010 03:39 PM (hyP1j)
I think that falls under the heading of generic "food preservation" techniques
---------------
What? I thought we were talking about "caning", not "canning".
Posted by: Singapore at July 17, 2010 03:40 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: Hey.Wheres.Barry at July 17, 2010 03:41 PM (hyP1j)
rope
the folding shovel
quicklime
Posted by: sifty at July 17, 2010 07:38 PM (xswFW)
Mental note: never get into an argument with sifty
Posted by: AD at July 17, 2010 03:41 PM (3/p/z)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:41 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 03:41 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: Someone else at July 17, 2010 03:42 PM (6sKtn)
(Honorable mention: condoms)
Huh? What are those?
I hesitated adding those - really; I think the French character would
have shown remarkable improvement from 1964 on if the condom had never
been developed.
Posted by: JAFAC at July 17, 2010 03:42 PM (zrOIY)
Posted by: Original Mikey at July 17, 2010 03:42 PM (Av4L9)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:43 PM (AZGON)
Oh. And the axle. What the hell would the wheel be without it?
...which leads to grain grinding mills. Bulk grain processing was a pretty big deal. Imagine pounding up enough wheat by hand with a stone to make a loaf of bread.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:43 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Jessie Jackson at July 17, 2010 03:44 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: Mel Gibson at July 17, 2010 03:44 PM (xswFW)
Posted by: Chuckles Jhonson at July 17, 2010 03:44 PM (w9BEi)
Posted by: Miss'80sBaby is watching NCIS at July 17, 2010 03:44 PM (/h097)
Posted by: Millions of Teenage Boys watching Skinemax at July 17, 2010 03:44 PM (yhnTF)
http://tinyurl.com/27h5fqq
Who said Nukes don't have a sense of humor.
Or go out on dates... >_>
Posted by: Millions of Teenage Boys watching Skinemax at July 17, 2010 03:46 PM (yhnTF)
Posted by: newrouter at July 17, 2010 03:46 PM (bEZJ+)
200 comments. About 20 serious suggestions.
Sounds about right.
Lacey, you know we are too far gone to salvage. Hey, spend your Troll checks to stimulate the economy.
Posted by: Jessie Jackson at July 17, 2010 03:47 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: Billy Ray Cyrus at July 17, 2010 03:48 PM (yQWNf)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:48 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: MrCaniac sheepishly looking around at July 17, 2010 03:49 PM (Vol3D)
Without gluish type stuff, you don't have asphalt, drywall or plywood.
Concrete/mortar was a big deal, it allowed the common man to produce sturdy masonry structures without spending a lifetime doing it.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:49 PM (nQzf5)
Refrigeration
VHS tape, which led to porn in your own home
The waffle iron
Bubble wrap
Instant coffee
Secretaries
Latex
The internet, which led to japanese porn in your own home
The Cartoon Network
Posted by: Timothy S. Carlson at July 17, 2010 03:50 PM (u2dhQ)
concrete
drywall
plywood
Mila Jovovich
Stuff that permits a tough, rigid erection that can tower to the heavens. And some building materials.
Stuff that's usually flat and can really take a pounding or a lot of screwing.
Posted by: sifty at July 17, 2010 03:51 PM (xswFW)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 03:51 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: World Cup Soccer Player at July 17, 2010 03:51 PM (yQWNf)
Posted by: ChicagoJedi at July 17, 2010 03:51 PM (WZFkG)
Also, Vic, because it's a rare breed who would recognize the significance of the Mollier diagram on our civilization.
Posted by: Reactor-Axe-Man at July 17, 2010 03:52 PM (yhnTF)
Posted by: Yes, it took 250 comments before somebody thought of this in place of masturbation and porn at July 17, 2010 03:52 PM (3/p/z)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:53 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: C & L site monitor at July 17, 2010 03:54 PM (rurh0)
The Dvorak layout is supposed to be better, but I could never get used to it.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:54 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at July 17, 2010 03:54 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: MrCaniac at July 17, 2010 03:55 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: ina_ginalship at July 17, 2010 03:55 PM (xzk0q)
Also great for surviving an atomic explosion in a pinch. Without refrigerators, there wouldn't have been an Indy 4!
Posted by: Indiana Jones at July 17, 2010 03:55 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 03:55 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: supercore at July 17, 2010 03:56 PM (JXNSH)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:56 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: phreshone at July 17, 2010 03:57 PM (1AnxB)
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 07:55 PM (W8m8i)
---------------
'Scuse us?
Posted by: Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz at July 17, 2010 03:58 PM (6fER6)
Pretty fatuous idea for a thread.
Posted by: ms docweasel at July 17, 2010 03:58 PM (BVmgA)
Naa, plastics and other man made materials/fibers. I think the first was Bakalite which appeared around the time of WWII.
Prior to that insulators were made of thing like ceramics, glass, and such.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:58 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 03:58 PM (AZGON)
Not if your purpose if to keep people entertained until the ONT ;->
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 03:59 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: James Cameron, King of the World at July 17, 2010 03:59 PM (AZGON)
I can remember when I was a kid an all the radio and electronic stuff my father used to work on was all bakalite stuff.
It actually stayed in use until in the 60s.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 04:00 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: cheep red wine at July 17, 2010 04:00 PM (NheTK)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:00 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: MrCaniac in 2029 at July 17, 2010 04:01 PM (Vol3D)
This is a really good one -- portable storage. until pockets came along, people toted all sorts of annoying little bags and pouches.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:02 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Pathtic Annoying Suburban Mom at July 17, 2010 04:02 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: Aquafina Accounting Department at July 17, 2010 04:03 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: Pathtic Annoying Liberal Movie Director at July 17, 2010 04:03 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:04 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Ohio Dan at July 17, 2010 04:04 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: davidt at July 17, 2010 04:04 PM (HtIec)
Posted by: Tami at July 17, 2010 04:05 PM (VuLos)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:06 PM (AZGON)
I've zeriscaped with a fine selection of FL native weeds.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:06 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: History Channel at July 17, 2010 04:06 PM (3/p/z)
Posted by: Ashley "Ash" J Williams at July 17, 2010 04:07 PM (WZFkG)
Posted by: Ronster at July 17, 2010 04:07 PM (nnNfA)
Posted by: Pathetic Annoying Liberal Presidents at July 17, 2010 04:07 PM (4FneT)
Posted by: B+rry Oblahblah at July 17, 2010 04:07 PM (yQWNf)
You can make all the nuts and bolts you want, but if they have to be matched pairs, you're screwed.
Obviously that principle applies to a myriad of other items and fields, but it's easy to forget that it weren't always so.
And, yes, it was weapons that made it happen - first the standardized caliber, then rifling that had to be the same, then the breech lug.
You can't really DO this without weapons, Purple.
Oh, and Purple? Green!
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at July 17, 2010 04:08 PM (bxiXv)
This has to be some sort of record. 350 comments in under a hour!
We did that in a month once.
Forgot my sock
Does it make sense now?
Posted by: C & L Denizen at July 17, 2010 04:08 PM (rurh0)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:09 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: AZGON, Lord of Darkness and Bombast at July 17, 2010 04:09 PM (AZGON)
Yes, yes, falls under "protective coatings".
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at July 17, 2010 04:10 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 04:10 PM (y4B2y)
We did that in a month once.
Forgot my sock
Does it make sense now?
Posted by: C & L Denizen at July 17, 2010 08:08 PM (rurh0)
Oooh, ok...now I get it.
Posted by: Tami at July 17, 2010 04:10 PM (VuLos)
For quite a while in the beginning that was the case. I think the hand made stuff lasted for a like close to a hundred years.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:11 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:12 PM (AZGON)
Oh well, late to the party, all the important stuff, like internal combustion engines, has been named. Here's a short list anyway.
Life expectancy on earth was extended most by one accomplishment. Potable water. The ability to turn a handle and have clean water appear was and is huge. American Indians taken back East in the 19th century to experience 'civilization' were more impressed by 'running water' than all the other feats of the white man put together.
Electricity, the harnessing thereof.
Oil. Could write a book right here. Did you know that 25% of all oil use is non-fuel in nature?
The transistor.
Silicon. Let me count the ways. A world without computers and with less big breasts? Not for me, thank you.
Salk vaccine, and the rest. Smallpox, flu etc. Go visit a cemetery old enough to have graves from around 1918. The number of childhood deaths is sobering.
The Fermentation Process. I could go on, but my brain is getting lazy from this very nice 2008 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (El Faggio). In the 8-$13 range for red wine, I think a good MD'A can't be beat.
Posted by: Meremortal at July 17, 2010 04:12 PM (7FgWm)
The Dewey Decimal System..and Hot Librarians. But mostly Hot Librarians.
Posted by: garrett at July 17, 2010 04:12 PM (XC311)
Posted by: PA Cat at July 17, 2010 04:13 PM (UtUmM)
Posted by: Cahrles Jhonson at July 17, 2010 04:14 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Zombie Rachel Corrie at July 17, 2010 04:14 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:14 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: American Consumer at July 17, 2010 04:15 PM (4FneT)
Somebody noticed some odd electrical properties of super-thin slices of certain materials, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Also, a quick bravo to the toolmakers.
Also, the Volvo B18 and B20 engine blocks. Not very powerful, not very efficient, but the only reason you throw one away is that the rest of the car has run out. I want to make a generator for one of those, it'd probably run for a hundred years.
The story is that they couldn't get engine-grade iron for certain years, so they switched to tool steel for the engine blocks and heads.
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at July 17, 2010 04:15 PM (bxiXv)
424...
I thought of that. And then I thought of that annoying friggin Microsoft Office "help" thingy and dismissed it immediately.
Posted by: jmflynny at July 17, 2010 04:15 PM (NHK5s)
Posted by: About every male moron on the blog at July 17, 2010 08:13 PM
(OWjjx)
No, no....the thread is about man-made inventions. Goddesses don't qualify
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 04:15 PM (y4B2y)
Posted by: Ohio Dan at July 17, 2010 04:16 PM (rurh0)
And it's a fun thing to do when you're alone with a woman.
The simple screw.
Posted by: Nom de Blog at July 17, 2010 04:17 PM (rUKTY)
Not to mention the farming tech allowing for the Green Revolution, which drastically improved the quantity and quality of the food supply.
And now we're developing better recombinant techniques for plant modification to further improve food production.
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at July 17, 2010 04:17 PM (c0A3e)
Alka Seltzer Morning After Relief
Posted by: Ace--sometime tomorrow morning at July 17, 2010 04:18 PM (OGOxi)
Posted by: ChicagoJedi at July 17, 2010 04:18 PM (WZFkG)
Posted by: John Edwards at July 17, 2010 04:18 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: About every male moron on the blog at July 17, 2010 08:13 PM
(OWjjx)
No, no....the thread is about
man-made inventions. Goddesses don't qualify
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 08:15 PM (y4B2y)
We thank her dad...
Posted by: Shannow at July 17, 2010 04:18 PM (LJcef)
Posted by: davidt at July 17, 2010 04:19 PM (HtIec)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 04:19 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: every hippie and most of Western Europe at July 17, 2010 04:19 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: cthulhu at July 17, 2010 04:20 PM (/0IOT)
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 07:55 PM (W8m8i)
---------------
'Scuse us?
Posted by: Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz at July 17, 2010 07:58 PM (6fER6)
Er, uh, uh, well, the assembly line!
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 04:21 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: Purple
Avenger at July 17, 2010 08:11 PM (nQzf5)
If you count the earliest screws by the Greeks (now THERE'S a double entendre), it's a heck of a lot longer than that.
Also, vending machines. Serious profits, also serious convenience for when it's 3am in a hotel and you want a soda. The Greeks invented these, too. Vending machines, not soda.
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at July 17, 2010 04:21 PM (bxiXv)
Posted by: ChicagoJedi at July 17, 2010 04:22 PM (WZFkG)
1 The most significant invention by humans occurred about 10K years ago. It was farming.
According Jared Diamond:
"In particular, recent discoveries suggest that the adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered. With agriculture came the gross social and sexual inequality, the disease and despotism, that curse our existence." A hearty "Fuck You" to the learned Doctor Diamond
Posted by: effinayright at July 17, 2010 04:23 PM (GNTj/)
Er, uh, uh, well, the assembly line!
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 08:21 PM (W8m8i)
What about me
Posted by: Ransom Olds at July 17, 2010 04:25 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: John McCain at July 17, 2010 04:25 PM (HtIec)
Posted by: ChicagoJedi at July 17, 2010 04:25 PM (WZFkG)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:25 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: sifty at July 17, 2010 04:26 PM (xswFW)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 08:14 PM (AZGON)
I've got another, a little 2008 Zonin MD'A. Get over here.
Posted by: Meremortal at July 17, 2010 04:26 PM (7FgWm)
Alka Seltzer Morning After Relief
Posted by: Ace--sometime tomorrow morning at July 17, 2010 08:18 PM (OGOxi)
Gatorade! Ace, if you and the other M&M's pass a 7-11 before you pass out, chug a bottle. You'll thank me in the morning. (This came from a Moron tip earlier this summer about getting dehydrated working in the summer sun, but, hey, it worls for us drunks now on our 3rd or 4th Black Velvet and Sprite, too)
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 04:26 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: Suburban Teenager on Halloween at July 17, 2010 04:27 PM (9Lm5R)
I was thinking the first hand made nut bolt stuff. For screws, a standardized thread wasn't quite as important.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:27 PM (nQzf5)
that little shelf with the clear lid in the fridge for the butter
I call that the battery shelf.
Posted by: laceyunderalls at July 17, 2010 04:28 PM (OGOxi)
Posted by: every hippie and most of Western Europe at July 17, 2010 04:28 PM (AZGON)
"In particular, recent discoveries suggest that the adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered. With agriculture came the gross social and sexual inequality, the disease and despotism, that curse our existence."
I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Posted by: Ted Kaczynski at July 17, 2010 04:29 PM (3/p/z)
There would be no cell phones, not space mission, no 747 auto pilot.
NOTHING that we do now would be possible without the discovery of the transistor, except fucking.
PERIOD.
On another note,proof that there are really STUPID people out there?
Read this: http://tinyurl.com/2us7ezd
Posted by: Kemp at July 17, 2010 04:29 PM (2+9Yx)
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 04:29 PM (y4B2y)
It keep hot things hot, and it keep cold things cold. But that ain't the best part.
How Do It KNOW???
Posted by: Sheila Lee Jackson at July 17, 2010 08:24 PM (wk1nH)
THREAD WINNAH
Posted by: RushBabe at July 17, 2010 04:30 PM (W8m8i)
#3
google John Currin.
THAT is high art. and whats funnier is the majority of the collection of his is at the TATE museum. Look at the paintings, and then say the museums name out loud. I dare you.
other critical inventions-
the invention of modern plastics
binary code
the battery
the brush
the cutting tool
heres a weird one for you - the cam, combining a the ramp with the wheel. made the automobile engine possible.
Posted by: theoneandonlyfinn at July 17, 2010 04:30 PM (lV4Fs)
Posted by: Helen Gurley Brown at July 17, 2010 04:30 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Dean Martin at July 17, 2010 04:31 PM (Av4L9)
Posted by: Nikola Tesla at July 17, 2010 08:27 PM (/jbAw)
Bite me, asshole.
I should have had you deported when I had the chance.
Posted by: Thomas Edison at July 17, 2010 04:31 PM (3/p/z)
Posted by: The Real Doll and the microchip in the vibrator at July 17, 2010 04:31 PM (AZGON)
BACON!
CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!
DEEP-FRIED CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!
I don't think another layer of awesome could be added to that without the universe tearing itself apart.
Posted by: theoneandonlyfinn at July 17, 2010 04:32 PM (lV4Fs)
Thank an Arab.
Posted by: Charle Bolden, NASA Chief at July 17, 2010 08:31 PM (HtbJN)
No thank me
Posted by: A Hindu at July 17, 2010 04:32 PM (/jbAw)
The Thermos....it keeps your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold.
Why is that so amazing?....How does it know?
Posted by: hobbes at July 17, 2010 04:33 PM (WiOnI)
It will get you fired if you carry one into a DuPont plant.
Posted by: Neo at July 17, 2010 04:33 PM (tE8FB)
Posted by: B. Hussein Obama at July 17, 2010 04:33 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: sifty at July 17, 2010 04:33 PM (xswFW)
Posted by: PA Cat at July 17, 2010 04:33 PM (UtUmM)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:35 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Arlen Specter at July 17, 2010 04:35 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: Judge Reinhold, sitting on the crapper at July 17, 2010 04:36 PM (9Lm5R)
Thanks, I get credit for the lightening rod and the stove, but no fucking body remembers I invented bifocals.
Posted by: Ben Franklin at July 17, 2010 04:36 PM (2+9Yx)
Posted by: Pelayo at July 17, 2010 04:36 PM (QLmzi)
Posted by: John McClane at July 17, 2010 04:37 PM (c0A3e)
The stirrup.
Posted by: American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology at July 17, 2010 04:37 PM (HtbJN)
Posted by: ChicagoJedi at July 17, 2010 04:37 PM (WZFkG)
Posted by: Ben Franklin at July 17, 2010 08:36 PM (2+9Yx)
-----------------
Everyone knows those were *really* invented by a mouse that lived in Franklin's house.
Posted by: Walt Disney, noted mouse fetishist at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: davidt at July 17, 2010 08:37 PM (HtIec)
What's this 'dentistry' that you speak of?
Posted by: England at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (VuLos)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: Doc Merlin at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (GpHQ+)
Er, uh, uh, well, the assembly line!
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 08:21 PM (W8m8i)
What about me
Posted by: Ransom Olds at July 17, 2010 08:25 PM (/jbAw)
Gaaaaaaaaahhhh!
Posted by: Henry Ford at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:38 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Anachronda at July 17, 2010 04:39 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: Erich von Daniken at July 17, 2010 04:39 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: poor sucker in the Wide World of Sports intro at July 17, 2010 04:40 PM (1AnxB)
None of those compare to Penicillin and the Smallpox vaccination.
Nothing in the history of our evolution has save so many lives and extended human life as those 2 things.
Posted by: gk at July 17, 2010 04:40 PM (WH0ny)
Posted by: George Orwell at July 17, 2010 04:41 PM (AZGON)
-----------
But does it have electrolytes?
Posted by: Brawndo at July 17, 2010 08:28 PM (6fER6)
Hellz yes!
Posted by: President Camacho at July 17, 2010 04:41 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: Shannow at July 17, 2010 04:42 PM (LJcef)
Posted by: Charles Johnson at July 17, 2010 04:42 PM (HtIec)
Probably came about after you sacked some neighboring village and took your time looting/sampling all their food.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:42 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: supercore at July 17, 2010 04:42 PM (lLiqo)
You guys do know what a fucking transistor is right? NPN, PNP right you all remember that shit right?
Binary code? WTF, no transistor, no code, get this NOTHING!
No internet, no you pron, no AoSHQ.
Hear me NOTHING!
You have nothing in your life that does not use a transistor, except your underwear.
End this debate!
Posted by: Kemp at July 17, 2010 04:42 PM (2+9Yx)
/WTR
I grow weary of this pretender usurping my unholy number. There will be words soon, I guarantee it!
Posted by: The Beast at July 17, 2010 04:43 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Shaun and Ed in the garden at July 17, 2010 04:43 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:44 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Old dude at July 17, 2010 04:44 PM (73/Tg)
chain link fence for post 666? for goodness sake, that shoulda been Iron Maiden's Flight 666 world tour. geesh.
Posted by: hobbes at July 17, 2010 04:45 PM (WiOnI)
Posted by: Bach, Beethoven, and all the usual long-haired suspects at July 17, 2010 04:46 PM (UtUmM)
Posted by: Al Gore and Bill Clinton at July 17, 2010 04:46 PM (WZFkG)
chain link fence for post 666? for goodness sake, that shoulda been Iron Maiden's Flight 666 world tour. geesh.
--------
Which reminds me: iron maidens!
Posted by: The Spanish Inquisition at July 17, 2010 04:46 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: Gabriel at July 17, 2010 04:47 PM (Lqoet)
Except after the 4th or 5th one the show became it's own parody.
"So shoelace leads to light bulb, a burned-out light bulb leads to the octopus bicycle, and the octopus bicycle lead to Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. "
Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at July 17, 2010 04:47 PM (oL8lS)
Una neah Unu nea ona sona we we wah
Awawane neah Awawane
Una so wa we we we waugh.
Old Indian Burial Chant.
Posted by: Auntie Babe at July 17, 2010 04:49 PM (69Huh)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:49 PM (nQzf5)
But Mr Otis made it safe, which allowed tall, tall buildings.
Posted by: Pelayo at July 17, 2010 04:49 PM (QLmzi)
I remember when the transistor radio first came out. They were expensive as hell. But before them we had tube powered portable radios that ran off of these big freakin 90v batteries that would last about an hour and cost a fortune.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 04:49 PM (/jbAw)
Posted by: Alvin Greene (D) Jupiter at July 17, 2010 04:49 PM (HtbJN)
Posted by: some yuppie asshole at July 17, 2010 04:50 PM (B4e7Q)
Posted by: PA Cat at July 17, 2010 08:13 PM (UtUmM)
Amen, brother. Amen.
Posted by: The Sheep at July 17, 2010 04:51 PM (LtIsn)
Posted by: Big Bad Wolf at July 17, 2010 04:51 PM (e9JZd)
Posted by: The Precedent, Nobel Lariat, Super-Genius at July 17, 2010 04:51 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:52 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Michelle Obama, First Lady of the Entire World at July 17, 2010 04:52 PM (HtbJN)
Oh, and fireworks.
All the ingredients for a well-rounded childhood.
Posted by: Original Mikey at July 17, 2010 04:52 PM (Av4L9)
Posted by: The Chicken at July 17, 2010 04:52 PM (2+9Yx)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:53 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Al Gore and Bill Clinton at July 17, 2010 04:54 PM (WZFkG)
It is why the rest of the world hates us so. If you had to live in a mud hut in 120 degree heat you'd be pretty pissed also.
Posted by: President Ogabe at July 17, 2010 04:55 PM (hjyb5)
Posted by: Rep. Hank Johnson (D) Davy Jones Locker at July 17, 2010 04:55 PM (HtbJN)
Yes. And two inventions enabled that. The Plow, and the calendar.
Everything else since is a direct result of those two inventions.
Connections by James Burke. Awesome Stuff, and interesting as hell. I remember catching as reruns on the Discovery Channel way back when they still strove to follow their niche. All 3 series plus The Day the Universe Changed is on youtube. But the first is still the best.
Posted by: Jeff Weimer at July 17, 2010 04:55 PM (1Mn8Z)
Posted by: Idi Amin Dada at July 17, 2010 04:55 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 04:56 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Abdel Bastard al Megrahi at July 17, 2010 04:57 PM (r/5/5)
Posted by: Neil Arnott at July 17, 2010 04:57 PM (1AnxB)
The steam engine was the first time in history that we had non-human, non-animal, power not only on demand but at demand.
Lots of the other things mentioned are certainly good. Some, farming for example, perhaps even more important than the steam engine.
But most of the others would not be possible without steam engines and the portable power (in the sense that they could be built anywhere) that they spawned.
Not about steam engines per se but see my article on Power at Demand
http://tinyurl.com/33u4qyv
John Henry
Changeover Wizard
www.changeover.com
Posted by: John Henry at July 17, 2010 04:57 PM (ULtdb)
So far, no one's bothered mentioning the Segueway, even as a joke.
I thought our world was supposed to be revolutionized, by now. Isn't that what some Silicon Valley genii were claiming?
Posted by: progressoverpeace at July 17, 2010 04:58 PM (Qp4DT)
------------
lowercaseism!
Posted by: e. e. cummings at July 17, 2010 08:42 PM (6fER6)
Witteh Morons. (I know they're not inventions, but I love 'em.)
Posted by: RushBabe at July 17, 2010 04:58 PM (W8m8i)
Posted by: every piece of audio and video you see or hear these days at July 17, 2010 04:59 PM (AZGON)
Posted by: The Doctor at July 17, 2010 05:00 PM (WZFkG)
I'll go with the steam engine, STILL used to generate ALL electricity.
What do those reactors and coal plants do?
Make steam for steam generators!
Posted by: Kemp at July 17, 2010 05:00 PM (2+9Yx)
Make steam for steam generators!
Posted by: Kemp at July 17, 2010 09:00 PM (2+9Yx)
Not when I'm through with 'em.
Posted by: B. Hussein Obama (D) Commander of Tides and Reducer of Ocean Levels at July 17, 2010 05:02 PM (HtbJN)
Posted by: Abdel Bastard al Megrahi at July 17, 2010 05:02 PM (r/5/5)
Posted by: Don Carne at July 17, 2010 05:05 PM (wSNS7)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 05:05 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: Werner Heisenberg at July 17, 2010 05:06 PM (HtbJN)
Posted by: That guy who is praying you don't remember his number at July 17, 2010 05:07 PM (yhnTF)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:08 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Anachronda at July 17, 2010 05:09 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: Gen. Charles Napier at July 17, 2010 05:09 PM (LtIsn)
Posted by: Rick at July 17, 2010 05:09 PM (Aauui)
What do you mean "revolutionized"?
The US is being "revolutionized" as we speak, but not in a good way, at least politically.
Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at July 17, 2010 05:09 PM (c0A3e)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:10 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Karl Childers at July 17, 2010 05:11 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: conscious, but incoherent - once again late to the party at July 17, 2010 05:12 PM (YVZlY)
Posted by: Al Gore, World Renowned Expert on Sciencey Things at July 17, 2010 05:13 PM (HtbJN)
Posted by: Macho Man Randy Savage at July 17, 2010 05:13 PM (Vol3D)
I blame the lack of an ONT.
150 comments, 650 jokes
Posted by: guy who googled "trepannig" at July 17, 2010 05:13 PM (LJcef)
Posted by: Al Gore, World Renowned Expert on Sciencey Things at July 17, 2010 09:13 PM (HtbJN)
Strap-ons
Posted by: Bwaney at July 17, 2010 05:13 PM (VMcEw)
Posted by: guy who always picks up ugly chicks at July 17, 2010 05:14 PM (YVZlY)
I'll claim that was ummm...by design.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:14 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Gen. Charles Napier at July 17, 2010 09:09 PM (LtIsn)
Brilliant!
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 05:14 PM (y4B2y)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 09:14 PM (nQzf5)
So have the assembled morons exceeded even your expectations then?
Posted by: Reactor-Axe-Man at July 17, 2010 05:16 PM (yhnTF)
I introduced that bill.
Posted by: Barney
Don't you mean you introduced Bill to that?
Posted by: huerfano at July 17, 2010 05:16 PM (NmcJ6)
Posted by: the guy who really likes the number 69 at July 17, 2010 05:17 PM (YVZlY)
Pre order your action figures and save 10%!
http://tinyurl.com/35zswzq
Posted by: Alvin, the candidate, not the chipmunk at July 17, 2010 05:18 PM (2+9Yx)
Posted by: Call me Lennie at July 17, 2010 05:19 PM (r/5/5)
Posted by: the guy who says you knew it was coming at July 17, 2010 05:20 PM (YVZlY)
Wildly. I feel like IBM in 1980 when they were internally projecting 60,000 total lifetime unit sales for the PC.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:20 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Barney
Hey, Barney ripped Kathy Griffin for referring to Scott Brown's daughters as prostitutes. Gotta give him a solid for that, anyway.
Er....that didn't come out right
Posted by: Ombudsman at July 17, 2010 05:21 PM (y4B2y)
Posted by: John Lloyd, not a bloody hippie at July 17, 2010 05:21 PM (ivg7E)
Wildly. I feel like IBM in 1980 when they were internally projecting 60,000 total lifetime unit sales for the PC.
----------------
Well, at least it's better than the previous prediction of 6.
Posted by: Tom Watson at July 17, 2010 05:21 PM (6fER6)
Posted by: Speller at July 17, 2010 05:24 PM (qaOKJ)
Posted by: CoolCzech at July 17, 2010 05:25 PM (tJjm/)
Posted by: Guy Who Just Dropped The Kids off at the pool at July 17, 2010 05:27 PM (Vol3D)
Posted by: popcorn at July 17, 2010 05:27 PM (XXTlq)
Posted by: the gambler at July 17, 2010 05:28 PM (HtIec)
Posted by: Barry Obama - unclenching fists one at a time at July 17, 2010 05:29 PM (YVZlY)
Valium, Percocet, oxycontin and other painkillers.
Posted by: The babysitter looking in your medicine cabinet at July 17, 2010 05:30 PM (84HQT)
The rocket engine - tried to use it for transportation over and over and it failed for a thousand years, then liquid fuel and gimbaled nozzles made it possible. So, what do they put on the shuttle? Solid rocket boosters. DOH!
Optical media - holographic media still hasn't hit its stride yet, but should be amazing.
Sunglasses - why did those take so damned long? I mean, yeah, slit models existed for a long time, but was tinted glass so expensive 'til the last century? I wear 'em almost every day.
Modern medicine can't be mentioned enough. Sure, it's full of quacks, bad science, and bad math, from the top to the bottom, but antibiotics and allergy tests have saved probably a billion people.
The mouse! (As in computer mouse.) Hey, they're everywhere. I wish someone would uninvent the trackpad, though.
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at July 17, 2010 05:32 PM (bxiXv)
Yea, whoever realized that busting a rock would yield a sharp edge, rather than having to hunt around for suitable size/shape pre-busted rocks made a pretty big technological breakthrough.
The whole idea of manufactured, rather than found, tools was a big deal.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:32 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 17, 2010 05:33 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: America's florists, greeting card companies and chocolatiers at July 17, 2010 05:33 PM (84HQT)
Tea. It almost killed Chinese civilization. (Thank you, Stephen Fry and "Q.I."!)
Posted by: Bender Bending Rodriguez at July 17, 2010 05:34 PM (A7toZ)
Posted by: Ohio Dan at July 17, 2010 05:34 PM (rurh0)
1 The most significant invention by humans occurred about 10K years ago. It was farming.
Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 07:15 PM (/jbAw)
Jeez, Vic -- go back to college. Prior to agriculture there was horticulture -- and I don't mean growing ornamental plants. Horticulture, in anthropological terms, means growing stuff you can eat later on. So you plant chenopodium on a flood plains in the spring, go off to hunt critters when there are no berries to pick, and return in the Fall to eat the seeds. Cuts down on the nomadic lifestyle. American aborigines were doing that at least 20,000 years ago. Maize was domesticated over 10,000 ago.The real key is the specialization of labor (which is why you call some company when your Trane AC unit shits the bed) that occurs when people have a surplus of food. It's also known as industry.
Moreover, "farming" doesn't equate to industry. Polynesian islanders developed a society based upon the specialization of labor (fishermen, canoe builders, net makers etc.) largely because they had an abundant supply of fish. If they depended on "farming" manioc they'd probably have joined the population of Easter Island.
I know you're a stodgy old fart but you need to accept that the "fertile crescent" Tigris and Euphrates with the water buffalo pulling the plow inventing farming stuff that was taught to you as a child is a bunch of shit.
Posted by: Ed Anger at July 17, 2010 05:35 PM (7+pP9)
Colored glass goes back a loooong time. People realized pretty early on that different contaminants could color glass. Stained glass windows have been round forever.
That might have been one of those thing where it just took a while for someone to realize the technology could be applied elsewhere.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at July 17, 2010 05:37 PM (nQzf5)
Posted by: Speller at July 17, 2010 05:39 PM (qaOKJ)
Posted by: Uncle Jed at July 17, 2010 05:40 PM (7pGLt)
And I'm only sharing it so that there will be enough other people to join the support group I now desperately need.
Dear. Lord.
Posted by: Hey.Wheres.Barry at July 17, 2010 05:40 PM (hyP1j)
Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 17, 2010 05:40 PM (PQY7w)
Posted by: RecklessProcess at July 17, 2010 05:41 PM (f7ylG)
Posted by: Finnish Army, Winter War 1939 at July 17, 2010 05:42 PM (9Lm5R)
Posted by: david peel and the Lower East Side at July 17, 2010 05:46 PM (84HQT)
---------------
We plant the seed. Nature grooooooows the seed. We eat the seed.
Posted by: Neil at July 17, 2010 05:48 PM (6fER6)
The plastic bag. They're everywhere... you probably have 1,000 in your house right now. They're keeping your bread fresh, and they're keeping your trash can clean, which is a big deal.
I'd wager that the fly population of the United States fell by about 90 percent after plastic trash bags became common.
You never noticed them, but try counting how many of them you encounter during a day, and you'll be amazed. They changed our lives and nobody ever noticed.
Posted by: Lokki at July 17, 2010 05:49 PM (a5F9g)
Posted by: Confused Roman at July 17, 2010 05:53 PM (Qp4DT)
Posted by: Hrothgar at July 17, 2010 06:07 PM (Wners)
Toilet paper. Well, that and time travel (at least that's what George Noory told me).
Posted by: Ken at July 17, 2010 06:14 PM (7LgN4)
Tel me about it. I tossed some old, liquefied rotten potatoes in the garbage today. (We don't eat potatoes much, they were in a fru fru potato hamper my moved-out sister bought years ago and I forgot about them) Normally they would've brought out the fruit flies and then started to smell and I would've held my breath and tossed them into a plastic bag. This time they went all liquid. Nothing stinks like rotten potatoes. I pray the bag doesn't rupture before it's at the curb. And yes -- the fly population seems to have decreased dramatically as the use of plastic bags has increased.
Trivia on flint "knapping" -- the term derives from a specialized hammer (knappen) used by German workers to make gun flints.
Posted by: Ed Anger at July 17, 2010 06:15 PM (7+pP9)
Posted by: Comrade Arthur at July 17, 2010 06:16 PM (4XtKa)
Posted by: tmitsss at July 17, 2010 06:18 PM (WVwF4)
Posted by: td at July 17, 2010 06:23 PM (w7TI0)
Posted by: Comrade Exeter at July 17, 2010 06:24 PM (4XtKa)
Posted by: Breaker19 at July 17, 2010 06:27 PM (T5ftg)
Coffee (think about it: in order to come up with coffee, someone had to look at these disgusting tasting green berries and think, "Those are pretty foul, but I bet if I roasted them, ground them up, and ran hot water through them, I could drink the water.")
The 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.
Sasha Grey.
Posted by: Farmer Joe at July 17, 2010 06:31 PM (e8dsT)
Slide Rule By I.T. Cur
Almost every post 1980 engineering graduate I've ever met did not know there was ever a such thing as a slide rule.
Posted by: Pelayo at July 17, 2010 06:59 PM (QLmzi)
Posted by: Breaker19 at July 17, 2010 10:27 PM (T5ftg)
Hey, you don't like it, punk, find another species!
Posted by: Da Humans at July 17, 2010 07:10 PM (bxiXv)
DDT, despite the idiot legal response, it's still saving lives.
The propeller (derived from the screw), which led to boats, planes, jet planes, turbochargers, etc. Oh, and blenders for fruity drinks.
The automatic timer.
Posted by: Merovign, Strong on His Mountain at July 17, 2010 07:15 PM (bxiXv)
Posted by: Vince at July 17, 2010 07:24 PM (GpQZ/)
Likker, beer , and gettin the band together
Posted by: Doyle Hargraves at July 17, 2010 07:56 PM (7IHKY)
1) The Theory of Evolutionary Systems
2) The Chain Reaction/Diagonal Argument
(And we'd like to thank muslims for their attempts to contribute, even though they turned up a big fat goose-egg)
Posted by: progressoverpeace at July 17, 2010 07:58 PM (Qp4DT)
The Haber process, in other words. Also called the Haber-Bosch process.
This single invention facilitated a revolution in agriculture that permitted the earth's carrying capacity for human population to go from about 1.5 billion to over 6 billion, and rising.
Posted by: Phinn at July 17, 2010 08:14 PM (GiUTT)
Posted by: sexypig at July 17, 2010 09:01 PM (0t7L8)
@ Purple Avenger
Flush toilets & toilet paper!
Jesus H. Christ! Do I have to draw you a picture?
Posted by: memomachine at July 17, 2010 09:07 PM (MwCol)
Posted by: Kevin in ABQ at July 17, 2010 09:09 PM (/RwSS)
Can't say I've read all the posts, but one of the best modern inventions (IMO), is the screen. As is in screen doors, or the screen on the outside of your window.
I would imagine that prevented all sorts of diseases ever since it came in use.
Keeps the bugs out, but the air flowing.
Posted by: HH at July 17, 2010 09:14 PM (6oDXl)
Posted by: Max Entropy at July 17, 2010 09:21 PM (JkwMn)
Posted by: Otis Criblecoblis at July 17, 2010 10:10 PM (kJXs1)
Posted by: FreakyBoy at July 18, 2010 04:49 AM (uKraB)
I just finished watching the first series on You Tube and it's amazing.
The plow really did start it all.
Posted by: Jaynie59 at July 18, 2010 05:32 AM (YjQWV)
It's unforetunate that you removed weapons from the list. The ancient compound bow was made from 3 or 4 different materials glued together
I am sure that weapons research in those days could jump to domestic use, as we have done, when they wanted to and they could glue anything together that needed to be glued together as well.
Posted by: TJWalsh at July 18, 2010 05:54 AM (6f5n4)
Posted by: Call me Lennie at July 18, 2010 06:52 AM (r/5/5)
Posted by: Ranba Ral at July 18, 2010 09:09 AM (l2CML)
Just because you sounded like idiots.
Just because you didn't say anything remotely intelligent.
Just because all you do here is have a circle jerk with each other. And you tried to take your circle jerk over there, they banned you?
Maybe, saying something intelligent as a counter point would have been called for. Not just a bunch of drunk tards billowing smoke up their own ass's.
You tards embarrassed yourselves. And you're to st00pid to know it. Nov will be a disappointment for you tards.
Just like the last 2 elections.
Hey, I know, lets privatize social security. Lets put all the money in the stock market. Better yet, lets let some financial investment house do all the work for us. Like Goldman Sachs or Lehman Bro's. Yeah, That's the ticket.
If you tards get any dumber, we'll end up like Somalia.
I suppose you tards would like that. Guns run amok.
you're all a bunch of dimwits. Or nitwits. Definitely not half wits. That's giving you too much credit.
Adios Boracho's
Posted by: Wanyo at July 18, 2010 01:56 PM (sOXa6)
Posted by: Lee at July 18, 2010 03:46 PM (/gY4D)
Posted by: nobreakfast at July 19, 2010 04:07 AM (GV/H8)
mass produced bed frames, prior to that many poor folks slept on a matttress on the floor ... and gave birth on the floor and all the nasty bugs associated ... death from infection during labor dropped dramtically ...
the sturrip ... prior to that horses could move you around the battlefield ... where you dismounted to actually fight ... (try swinging a sword, heavy axe, or a heavy spear while bareback on a horse, you'll fall off) ... after that the mounted knight became the tank of his day ...
Posted by: Jeff at July 19, 2010 06:38 AM (A3tpD)
Building (bricks, keystone arch).
Screws (also bolts and nuts).
Nails.
Dams and waterwheels.
Boats and ships.
Rope.
Fermentation (and not just for alcohol - cheese, sausage, and tea all have a fermenting stage).
Distillation (and not just for alcohol - stills are used to prepare a huge array of plant extracts, including flavors, scents, and medicines, and industrial distillation is how crude oil is processed for use).
Posted by: Rich Rostrom at July 19, 2010 10:14 AM (1DBBp)
Posted by: pet food directory at September 17, 2010 03:13 AM (+6RGw)
Posted by: clock brokers listings at September 17, 2010 05:32 AM (zM7Ag)
It is apparent that you know you subject matter and you are passionate about it.
I wish I had got your ability to write. I have bookmarked your website and look forward to more updates.
Posted by: German shepherd training at September 19, 2010 01:05 AM (ol2fp)
Posted by: women health at September 23, 2010 04:57 AM (zW8KX)
Posted by: US pet supplies at September 24, 2010 05:08 AM (y1wOX)
Posted by: art insurance directory at September 26, 2010 05:43 AM (3Rr1E)
Posted by: Thomas And Sabo at June 22, 2011 10:40 PM (rDuNS)
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Posted by: Vic at July 17, 2010 03:15 PM (/jbAw)