# Technological Advance with greatest impact **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advance-with-greatest-impact/237513 "2004-03-31T13:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rookie523](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@rookie523](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rookie523)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advance-with-greatest-impact/237513/1 "2004-03-31T13:20:44Z")
Is there a website that shows the various technological advances throughtout history and its impact to civilization? Would it be safe to say that the printing press had the greatest impact to civilization? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advance-with-greatest-impact/237513/2 "2004-03-31T13:31:39Z")
Plow might be the answer. This is tough, because it is almost IMHO and was likely covered here before. I always vote plow. PBS, Discover Mag, History Chanell and similar ‘authorities’ have done pieces. Search their sites. Plow is a common answer. ---
**Author:** ![Achilles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dc4da7/32.png) [@Achilles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achilles)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technological-advance-with-greatest-impact/237513/3 "2004-03-31T13:54:41Z")
I saw a BBC “Horizon” program that argued that the reason that Western Europe progressed (v. arguably) faster than every other region was the invention of the lens & the clock. I can’t remember the precise reasons - but they included Astronomy (and the seasons), the problem of Longitude and a few others.