# Greatest Invention and moment in History **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 15, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858 "2002-11-15T12:32:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/1 "2002-11-15T12:32:06Z")
I was wondering about this the other day as to what is/was the greatest invention in history, i thought electricity, but someone else mentioned the birth control pill, which is also a good choice. As for moment in History i would either say Battle of Hastings, Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand( the cause of WWI and therfore the resulting 20th Century) or The advent of the use of fossil fuels, but what do you think? It would be interesting to here some of your views as i am sure i have missed some events. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/2 "2002-11-15T12:36:59Z")
This seems like a poll, so in an attempt to make it stay here… Greatest Invention: The microchip Greatest Moment: The resurrection of Jesus Christ ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/3 "2002-11-15T12:38:59Z")
The control of fire. The Wheel. Domestication of animals and plants. Writing (Alphabet) Trade / Currency. As for moments, the meteor event which struck the earth to wipe out dinosaurs to enable man to (eventually) appear. Anthropomorphically speaking, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/4 "2002-11-15T12:39:39Z")
yea the microchip good choice as for the resurrection of Christ then if its true then undoubtly but we cant actually prove it - im really not trying to put down Christianity, but thanks for replying, keep em comming ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/5 "2002-11-15T12:39:44Z")
Greatest Invention: Darwin’s theory of evolution Greatest Moment: The Big Bang ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/6 "2002-11-15T12:40:36Z")
Greatest invention: Farming Moment in History: Marathon, lot of what if’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/7 "2002-11-15T12:41:36Z")
Before this moseys on over to IMHO, I support the dino extinction as the most important event, but propose written language as the most important invention. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/8 "2002-11-15T12:44:11Z")
hmm, yes that meteorite would be bigger than the battle of Marathon. I’ll go along with that one ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/9 "2002-11-15T12:46:23Z")
Don’t think there would be any writing if people had remained small bands of nomads. So sedentary life, caused by farming, was a prerequisite for writing, I think ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/10 "2002-11-15T13:00:18Z")
Just because something pre-dates another thing, this does not automatically imply the earlier event was in any way of greater status or importance. Thatching was invented prior to electricity, but is not necessarily the greater invention, in the effect it had on human society in general. Is it possible to keep this in GD, do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/11 "2002-11-15T13:01:21Z")
Another one for the written language. Greatest moment, mankind landing on the moon. (alot of great moments, and I had to pick this one, shrug) ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/12 "2002-11-15T13:09:07Z")
It’s not the predating that is important. But the fact that without it the other one would not have been invented. ---
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/13 "2002-11-15T13:30:48Z")
As Mel Brooks said (as the 2001 year-old man): Liquid Prell Families are happy again! Mothers and daughters are talking! ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/14 "2002-11-15T13:50:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homer J \* > \*\*. > As for moment in History i would either say Battle of Hastings, . \*\* Honestly, the battle of Hastings in only of some importance in the history of England. From a less narrow point of view , it’s a very minor incident. It was of no consequence for the rest of the world, and probably doesn’t even rank amongst the 10 000 more important events in history. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/15 "2002-11-15T13:59:49Z")
What is liquid Prell??? How come I missed out on the greatest invention of all times? ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/16 "2002-11-15T14:07:17Z")
I’ll go along with Farming. It’s the singlest most important invention or discovery. Greatest moment? So many to choose… 12 october 1492. The discovery of the new world by Admiral Colon ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/17 "2002-11-15T14:54:13Z")
Greatest invention: Slood Greatest moment: when the earth was created… 10,000 years ago… by GOD! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/18 "2002-11-15T17:27:42Z")
Hmm. IANA Buddhist but I would have to say that the greatest moment in history is when the Buddha discovered and expounded the Four Noble Truths. Why? Because it offered a comprehensive path for humans to achieve happiness through their own individual effort without either social or super-natural intervention. As for the greatest invention: writing ,without which civilization is probably impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/19 "2002-11-15T17:33:04Z")
Greatest invention - the miniskirt Greatest moment - whoever had the great idea of hiding Jesus’ body (😉 **Lib** ) Seriously, for a debate, we’ll need some definitions as to “invention” and “moment”. For example, were Galileo, Kepler, Newton’s theories “discoveries” or “inventions.” And does the time at which those “inventions” occurred qualify as the greatest “moment”? I also think it might be of value to distinguish between greatest moments in the history of mankind, as opposed to history of the universe. Otherwise, the big bang is pretty much sine qua non. I propose defining “invention” as a discrete phenomena, attributable to an individual or small group (e.g. development of the steam engine), rather than a gross incremental cultural development (e.g. agriculture, the industrial revolution, etc). Feel free to debate (or ignore) my proposed definitions. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858/20 "2002-11-15T17:40:59Z")
Actually I change my vote to farming. The posters who say that without farming writing wouldn’t exist are probably right. Of course the question is heavily biased towards the very basic inventions since all future inventions are contingent on them. Perhaps a more interesting question is the most important invention of the last 2000 years once we get those very basic inventions out of the way. Here is fascinating collection of answers to that question from different intellectuals: [http://www.edge.org/documents/Invention.html](http://www.edge.org/documents/Invention.html) My answer would probably be one of the obvious choices like the printing press. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-invention-and-moment-in-history/136858.md?page=2)