What is the most significant event in the history of mankind

[Trey of Diamonds]

Trey ~ Early Man started why before 200,000 BC. Early Homo was H. habilis and they developed over 2 million years ago and lasted only about 40,000 years.

Yes, but I was speaking of a specific mutation that had been brought up by Quagmire. He was saying the mutation was 40,000 years ago and I was saying 200,000 years ago.

 

[painted wolf]

If you count H. habilis as the same as modern man. H. habilis is in the same genus, but the leopard is the same genus as the lion.
Otherwise we inherited these things from our ancestor species.

wa:do

 

[Quagmire]

So your saying that Wolves don't hunt because they don't have language? I disagree.

Also, the mutation your talking about was more likely 200,000 years ago.

EARLY MAN 200,000 TO 35,001 BC

Yes Try, I'm saying wolves don't hunt; they live primarily on Chinese take-out.

Wolves have instincts and sense-acuity that we don't have. They also have big teeth and can run 40mph in a sprint.

Lacking these tools and skills, in order to become a successful hunter man had to develop hunting stratagies that were dependant on cooperation and communication, and tracking techniques based on the ability to think abstractly.

According to the one and only book on anthropology available at the library in my town (a very small town with a very dinky library with a bunch of old books which, admitedly, probably contain a lot of out-of-date information) the mutation in question probably occured sometime in the middle of the last ice-age (sometime around 40, 000 years ago).

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

the mutation in question probably occured sometime in the middle of the last ice-age (sometime around 40, 000 years ago).

Did you look at the link I posted that said the mutation was 200,000 years ago instead of 40,000?

I believe our definitions of hunting are very different.

 

[Quagmire]

Did you look at the link I posted that said the mutation was 200,000 years ago instead of 40,000?

I believe our definitions of hunting are very different.

Yes:yes:

Did you read the first part of the sentence you quoted? I said, "According to the one and only book on anthropology at the library in my town..."

What's up with dropping the disclaimer in order to make it look like I was just giving you my opinion?

 

[doppelganger]

I would say the development of language, with religion itself being a close second.

Those are one and the same.

"We are not free of God because we still have faith in grammar." - Nietzsche

 

[England my lionheart]

Inventing the wheel LOL

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

What's up with dropping the disclaimer in order to make it look like I was just giving you my opinion?

I'm not sure I understand your disclaimer. So your library has one book on anthropology. You obviously have an internet connection so why can't you comment on my source? Is the fact that your library small some kind of reason for your not being able to research the subject? If you have an internet connection you have access to the largest library on earth.

 

[Arlanbb]

I still think the invention of the TOOTHPICK is he most significant event in history.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I am going for either "inventing" language or math.

And I'll throw in a recent one: Internet.
Suddenly all of human kind was connected and all information was accesable.
Even the concept of love changed after internet.

 

[BucephalusBB]

At least internet beats the Toothpick by miles!

 

[rockondon]

What is the most significant event in the history of mankind

The invention of the plow. Before that, we were nomadic. After that, we could grow crops and stay in one place long enough to develop every other advancement we've achieved.

 

[gnostic]

The most significant event was discovering fire.

Oh no. I was wrong. The lighting of fire had existed long before the appearance of modern man (homo sapiens sapiens) about 150,000 years ago. There are actually evidences in Kenya that the control of fire was known as far back as 1,400,000 years ago, most likely by the homo erectus. The modern humans in Neolithic time (about 8000-7000 years ago), just discovered a more reliable technique of lighting fire.

So scratch that.

I supposed the most significant events is when man (in the Neolithic period) discovered agriculture and domestication of animals, hence farming. Previously, man was a hunter and food-gatherer. This involved a lot of other things, like making new tools for that purpose, like making pottery for storing food; like building huts and settlement, which led to later urbanisation. And that Neolithic period would eventually lead to discovering the use of metal (or metallurgy), hence the end of Stone Age and herald the beginning of the Bronze Age....well for some people and civilisations. Other remained in the Stone Age.

 

[Beaudreaux]

The invention of golf.

 

[rojse]

I have come up with three possibilities.

1. The invention of the steam engine
2. The invention of the printing press
3. The invention of spam

 

[gnostic]

The invention of golf.

Only a Scotman would think of that.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I still say it was beer.

Why don't we have a beer smilie?

 

[Falvlun]

Most of the "events" people are citing are more like developments: Agriculture, hunting, religion, even the "beginning of humanity". None of these things were one time events, and none of them are done being "invented". We are continually developing and modifying the way we farm and what our belief systems are. We ourselves are still evolving and will one day be just another blip in the line.

That said, I would certainly say that the greatest of these developments would have to be language. I am not saying that animals do not have language, but simply that ours has developed in such a way to allow the easy transport and exchange of ideas, upon which no other invention would have ever been possible. It certainly is the one development that has led to our dominance upon this planet (though, that probably isn't the best of things...)

Now, let's examine some of these other events that people have championed:

I still say it was beer.

But, my friend, this ignores all those other wonderful beverages like wine, chocolate milk, Mike's hard lemonade, mead, rum, and of course, MOUNTAIN DEW. How can you just pick one and claim it is the greatest?

The most significant event was discovering fire.

I don't know if it can really be said that we "discovered" fire. That's like saying we discovered trees. And we certainly didn't invent it. I would say the best verb would be that we learned how to harness it. And certainly, that is an important step in our development, but is it really a one time event? I would think various roaming tribes around the world learned, independently, how to keep a fire going when they found one, and eventually, how to create it themselves with a spark.

I still think the invention of the TOOTHPICK is he most significant event in history.

That's just silly. As long as there have been fingernails and teeth there have been toothpicks. Should we congratulate each other on having feet?

Definitely, in modern history, it was Hiroshima. Not for a good reason; for a bad one. It showed the world the precipice we stand on; it would be so easy just to destroy the entire human race, like that...

A couple of people have said Hiroshima, and at least it has the benefit of being a bonafide event. I would agree that it was a very momentuous moment in human history, and precisely for the reason Elessar gives. But, something balks in me at designating this as the most significant... it just seems so pessimistic.

2. The invention of the printing press

Now this is certainly a worthy invention and one I hadn't thought of. It enabled that spread of information which is so necessary for the continuing development of man. However, if we were to claim the invention of the printing press, I would have to defer to Bouncing Ball:

And I'll throw in a recent one: Internet.
Suddenly all of human kind was connected and all information was accesable.

Surely the internet is the greatest single thing that has enabled the flow of information and the "bringing together" of mankind.

However, to be true to my science-fiction loving roots, as far as the most significant event in the history of mankind, I must agree with Troublemane:

I think the first lunar landing was the most significant, as it represents the moment we broke free of our confinement to this world and began to explore other worlds.

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind! I can't say it any better.

Although, lamplighter has a point:

I'm surprised no one's brought up flight, without the airplane the world would be a munch different place than it is today.

We would never have made it to the moon if it weren't for Kitty Hawk.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

But, my friend, this ignores all those other wonderful beverages like wine, chocolate milk, Mike's hard lemonade, mead, rum, and of course, MOUNTAIN DEW. How can you just pick one and claim it is the greatest?

Because it was first. Without beer, no other beverages would exist.

 

[painted wolf]

hm, I don't know... wine may give beer a run for its money.
The Egyptians were fond of both.

wa:do