# The Greatest Inventions in History

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 17, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190 "2002-04-17T18:36:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![jessiecarol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@jessiecarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessiecarol)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/61 "2002-04-23T13:28:35Z")

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alpha-hydroxy

CoKe

Sugar free cookies

personal computers

internet

lip balm

hair gel

debit cards

white mexican cheese dip.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/62 "2002-04-23T13:30:31Z")

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Accepting your thesis, “The Greatest Invention **S** ” are:  
The steam engine  
something else  
Opal something

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/63 "2002-04-24T04:12:39Z")

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I can’t believe no one has mentioned this yet:

Concrete

Another favorite of mine that may not quite rate in the top 10, but always gets utterly forgotten on lists like this:

Corrogated cardboard.

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/64 "2002-04-24T04:45:44Z")

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The Keeper.

Medicine

telephone

sunscreen

pen and paper

Peanut Butter

The many uses of Soy beans.

Airplanes

Getting man on the moon/outerspace.

Ramen noodles.

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**Author:** ![Neil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Neil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neil)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/65 "2002-04-24T05:21:06Z")

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I guess all of my nominations have been mentioned. . . so I’ll just go with one I’m partial to:  
1951- Leo Fender unveils his “Precision Bass.”

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**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-inventions-in-history/104190/66 "2002-04-24T05:52:02Z")

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Another vote for decent sewage systems and glass (for eye-glasses - imagine having to run around horribly near-sighted your whole life. You’d suffer from constant headaches. You wouldn’t be able to climb a hill to see the view. You couldn’t appreciate the night sky. Bottom line, it would suck rocks.)

The uses of antibiotics/vaccines - two words: The Plague

Concept of individual liberty - though it hasn’t spread far enough

Printing press - allowed ideas to spread easily

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