Greatest Invention in the History of Mankind?

Been having a bit of a think about this one.

It can be anything; a philosophy, a movement, a piece of music, a man-made object; whatever. All answers are welcome, although I would prefer it if a bit of thought went into them (ipods will not be considered).

The wheel is the usual "go to" answer, but I reckon there are better.

Thoughts?

 

Communism & the remote control

 

the printing press

*edit*
i forgot... 1962 Fender Jaguars in tobacco sunburst

 

penicillin has to be up there, saved millions of lives...that or underground sewage systems

 

For me it's undoubtedly the George Foreman grill.

 

as you give it a bit of thought what's yours.

Think my first one was one of the best inventions but like many others impossible to empliment ( greedy wee * us humans).

Also angies shouts are top notch

 

Obviously, everything is built upon the first few inventions like the wheel, the torch, the spear point, all that, so to make this interesting it should be something modern. I'll say optical fiber, especially after 1965... our world would be completely different without this discovery.

 

fridge/freezer. * going back to the days before those

 

Have to go with language; the sharing of ideas and the ability to organise individual organisms towards a common goal, purely through the utterance of noises, or scratches on a receptive medium.

 

The biggest landmarks: which revolutionised humanity were (think about the before v after)

1 Control of Fire
2 Agriculture
3 Writing
4 Metalworking
5 The telegraph
6 Jock Stein

 

Penicilin, alternating current, telephone, aeroplane ...

 

Fridges and Irn Bru.

 

I'd argue that the telephone was only a result of its predecessor, the telegraph. That was the REAL revolution in instant (or nearly) communication for the first time over great distances.

 

Printing Press or the transistor

 

Thing is - it all boils down to eras. There were lots of greatest inventions. the difference is the before and after. The printing press was certainly one. a giant leap forward in communication.

Then radio.

The internet is the most recent IMO. I remember my early days abroad relying on phone calls and the Sunday paper to find out the football result. And gossip? 'Him? We sold him a month ago!'

So, the internet for me too.

 

Speech!

 

Taps

 

Condoms.