10 Greatest Inventions of the Common Era - according to Encarta
What inventions have most swayed human history, are “most consequential to who we are today?” A columnist for the MSN Encarta encyclopedia named Tamim Ansary has compiled a list of his ten picks, backed with some pretty solid reasoning. Of course, you’ll probably disagree with him, he notes, but isn’t that the point of any top ten list? To start a good argument?
Here are his picks:
- The mechanical clock
- The toilet and modern plumbing
- The printing press
- Immunization and antibiotics
- The telephone
- The electrical grid
- The automobile
- The television
- The computer
- Something new
By “something new” he means some invention whose effects are only starting to be understood and ripple through society. He tosses out birth control, the Internet, and virtual reality as possible picks here.
I agree, with exceptions. I would have tossed television out and included the gun. Meanwhile, I would have placed the electrical grid higher, as our instant, easy access to electricity drives so much of how we spend our time nowadays. However, the list is arranged generally chronologically, so I’m not sure he means for the ten to be ranked.
Overall, his reasoning is pretty solid, though. It really makes you think how different our lives are from the people who lived a thousand years ago. Can you imagine not having any of these things?
Check out his original list if you want to read more.
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“Here, then, in no particular order, are my nominees as the ten greatest inventions.” So that answers your question. It kind of bothers me that he wrote “something new” for #10… like, how cheap is that? But at the same time, I understand why he did that. It’s tough to tell how great some recent inventions will turn out to be. Personally, I think the Internet should win that spot, but then that would sort of overlap with #9, the computer. Genetic engineering was a pretty good suggestion too, but he said “I’m limiting inventions to physical devices.” In conclusion, I scratch my chin thoughtfully.
From a list purist’s point of view, I agree that it’s a cop-out.
From a thinker’s perspective, I like the points he makes. Really forces me to think about the recent inventions that affect my daily life with a great magnitude.
So I’m torn as to whether I like that pick.
really… I think that clock first is a little iffy… really… although we live our lives based on the clock, I think that for example the Gun has provided a MUCH more important role… I also think that meds in general should be higher because of how much they have affected our overall population levels…