Single most important invention to humans for progression?

[LocNess]

By progression, I mean furthering the world for its time.

Gutenberg's printing press is usually labeled as the most important overall, but I am sure arguments could be made for tons of stuff.

Automobiles allowed communities to spread out from town centers and job locations to be more than working where you live. The wheel allowed humans to transport everything easier, especially compared to the time period they were in. Heck, even nuclear bombs allowed humanity to truly realize its potential for catastrophic destruction.

Anyway, I would say for modern times, the internet. I think it has honestly helped spread a lot of truth to the world, so people can find out what really happened and get picture information to back it up, instead of being fed whatever the news wants (ignoring countries with heavily censored internet). I also believe it helps people understand other cultures a lot more than a lecture in school does, since you are in contact with people globally (just look at the amount of nations this forum has in it). And essentially if humanity goes under due to nuclear war or something, if the internet could be accessed, it is essentially the bible of all things humans have ever done with wikipedia and how to create things and why things work. A lot more, but there is my two cents.

[Foto]

the internet. I think it has honestly helped spread a lot of truth to the world

Though this may seem correct t some, there is as much false information on the net as there is the truth.

Its the wheel /thread almost everything uses some sort of a wheel/circular shape

[Warlight]

I would have to say communication methods. All the ways back from a messenger carrying a stone slab that said "lol good one toby" all the ways to today's internet made for a large sum of our progression.

[chazus]

While those things are ... useful? I wouldn't call them society changing.

Bow and arrow changed humans drastically. As did the concept of counting, and the concept of trade. Though the last two arent exactly inventions, they were ideas that changed society.

[Kalyyn]

Tough one. I'm 100% sure that I'll come up with a different answer as soon as I post this, but I think that future generations will agree that the microprocessor is the single biggest game-changer for humanity.

[chazus]

People say the wheel is one of the biggest deals... But the wheel didn't change society. It just paved the path to make things easier. Carts and sleds already existed. The wheel made things easier, and sped up technological evolution, but didn't change it drastically at any one point.

[Kivana]

It is quite funny how we completely failed to predict the rise of the home PC, internet and mobile technology. Back in the 1980's it was predicted that we would all have jetpacks and flying cars by the year 2000, but we got home PC's, the internet and mobile phones instead...

As for a technological breakthrough, i would have to say it was the birth of steam power that gave mankind more access to the world and open even more possibilities.

Steam powered looms for making cotton thread, steam locomotives to enable people to take holidays or just travel, almost anything steam related was a massive gain to to humanity, despite burning HUGE quantities of fossil fuel (coal).

[LinkMonk]

Fire or possibly agriculture.

[LocNess]

Though this may seem correct t some, there is as much false information on the net as there is the truth.

Meant in the thought, we knew about the Bin Laden raid due to a blogger outside the compound before media released it. If something happens in the world, we get pictures of what is going on, not some media sunshine story.

[Kivimetsan]

Microchip
Internet
Lightbulb

[strossus001]

Fire or possibly agriculture.

Communication via symbols was around long before Gutenberg.

If the most important invention wasn't agriculture, it is easily war. War is the most inspirational and motivating drive ever conceived in a human brain.

[Adam Jensen]

Internet, agriculture, money, simple machines, electricity (the ability to generate and use it, not the "invention" of it, I know we didn't "invent" it)

[obdigore]

Specialization. The thought that you don't have to spend half your day hunting/gathering for food, and then the other half trying to cook/clean/defend yourself.

[Kalmakk]

Mathematics. It's what the ENTIRE human civilisation is based on.

[Potente]

War is what will ultimately destroy us all.

[ImpTaimer]

Toilet / Bathroom / Plumbing.

How is this even a discussion.

[crica]

By progression, I mean furthering the world for its time.

Furthering it how? If you mean furthering what we humans are able to achieve?

Then I would say "global communication".

Global communication (internet) enables all of humanity to "work together" under a "common goal". (if used honestly, of course, but that is true for anything - it must be used honestly)

Humanity, as a global entity, has yet to decide what "common goal" to "work together" for, however...

/shrug...

[TofuBeast]

It's agriculture.

Civilization couldn't even exist without it. We were hunter-gatherers before the agrarian revolution.


Nobody can sit around and think and develop new technology if they don't have a stable food source.

[durza]

the internet, i feel 3d printing will take us ALONG way and biotechnology will make us all immortal in the near future.........hmm immortality or unlimited porn.... hard choices my friends hard choices

[Khraine]

The Axe, allowing humonoids to cut meat etc. The axe developed from a shaped rock to the well honed alloy metal it is today.