What was the greatest invention of all time?

[ChristineM]

The sloped ditch.

It allowed us to bring water from where we found it to where we needed it, whether for drinking or growing crops.

It allowed us to take our waste away from where we lived.

Those two benefits have saved many times more lives than all the doctors in all of history.

Norman Borlaug has saved at last 1 billion lives, the number is growing daily. I guess he ranks up there with ditches... ;-)

 

[Revoltingest]

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

The greatest discovery?

The discovery of thought.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

The sloped ditch.

It allowed us to bring water from where we found it to where we needed it, whether for drinking or growing crops.

It allowed us to take our waste away from where we lived.

Those two benefits have saved many times more lives than all the doctors in all of history.

It needed thought.

 

[Wirey]

The transformer. It allowed for electrical distribution which allowed for the Industrial Revolution which led to the easy exchange of ideas and beer.

 

[Revoltingest]

The transformer. It allowed for electrical distribution which allowed for the Industrial Revolution which led to the easy exchange of ideas and beer.

But they're always trying to conquer Earth, & destroy all the humans.
(There are some low budget documentaries about this.)

 

[Cacotopia]

toilet paper

A HUGE waste of paper, the Bidet trumps toilet paper every day, I have been toilet paper free for 8 years and counting.

Go stick your hands in mud and try cleaning your hands with toilet paper.

OR

Use the hose....

 

[Jedster]

The wheel.

Indeed.

 

[Astrophile]

The zipper?
Toilet?
Glass?
Condom?
_________ you tell me

The loom?

 

[Willamena]

The lever.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

The numeral system along with zero, that made higher mathematics, science and faster accounting possible.

The earlier roman numeral system was incapable of the same.

I agree. People tend to forget that most great inventions are impossible without modern engineering and physics, which would not exist without our understanding of mathematics.

 

[Subduction Zone]

 

[Shad]

Sliced bread.... duh

 

[osgart]

Democracy is one of the greatest inventions, someday , we will actually live in one. The idea that people have intrinsic value, and rights that enable and empower them to be dutiful citizens.