# The Worlds Best Inventions



## stinand (Jan 15, 2001)

Once again I’ve been thinking , which must be a sign of old age. 

Recently I’ve heard a lot of people using the expression “The greatest thing since sliced bread” when describing some new labor saving device. I don’t know why people use sliced bread as a comparison, as it does not seem to quantify the height of human ingenuity.

This is where I started thinking ..What is the greatest labor saving/convenience device invented. Robot vacuums? Cell phones? Velcro?

I did a Google and many of the lists named the TV , computer, the steam engine etc. true but boring. So I’ve started my own list.


Automatic car headlights, which prevent me from leaving mine on and having a flat battery once a week.

Electric screw drivers as I hate handyman stuff so this speeds the process. 

Self-sticking hooks see above.

Phillips Pronto remote, a remote that really does allow me to get rid of all the other remotes.

Black electrical/duct tape as it has more uses than any other object on the planet.

Spell checkers, as they make me look like I paid attention in schul.

Voice command on cell phones, because I can never figure out how to find the address book on my phone.

Call display, there are just so many people I don’t want to talk to.


I know there are more, what did I miss?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

The light bulb, telephone, TV, radio and duct tape.

Of course, if you play "Rock, paper, scissors, duct tape", duct tape always wins.


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

Ooooh I wanted to say "the lightbulb." The world was a different place before it. People's sleep schedules were more adherent to daylight hours beforehand and city's were not as brilliant.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

CC, an excellent observation re the light bulb and "sleep schedules". I had not considered this aspect of this invention.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

The refrigerator pretty much changed the way we all live.

Cheers


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## iGeeK (Jan 27, 2003)

*The refrigerator pretty much changed the way we all live.*

Yep. Before the advent of home refrigeration absolutely no ONE had a (mostly) empty mayo jar with an ongoing evolutionary science experiment.

I still don't. I hate mayo.

iG/<


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Now that I think about it iGeeK, the camera has had a major impact as well.

Cheers


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## We'reGonnaWin (Oct 8, 2004)

Labour-saving? The wheel

what we've wasted time on since saving that labour? the internet


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

eye glasses
a real invention for the people making those less "gifted" equal to those lucky enough to be born with good vision


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macspectrum, I never thought of these either, even though without my glasses, I would not be able to distinguish between you and a doxie.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

> I would not be able to distinguish between you and a doxie.


i bark louder


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## thewitt (Jan 27, 2003)

I'm going with: The Vacuum Tube

Predecessor to the transistor, predecessor to the IC.

Made all this wasted time possible along with TV, radio, wonderful Vox amplifiers... The list goes on


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

thewitt, vacuum tubes were essential for light bulbs as well. Good choice.

Macspectrum, re your claim that "i bark louder", A) I doubt this and B) they bite much harder than the human jaw makes possible. Picture yourself nose-to-nose with this beast!!!  

http://shw.fotopages.com/2538198.html


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## Nina Danne Marshall (Oct 11, 2004)

This is going to sound very random, BUT, i have this screwdriver, and it has retractable bits... and it's become the best time saving device for me ever, since I'm prone to taking things apart and screwing things back together, quite often (i fix everything from my mom's PC to my friend Ryan's trumpet, the fact that it's impossible to lose the screw bits just has changed my way of operating...i no longer need 9 different screwdrivers in my little tool box. It's great.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Nina, very creative "outside the technological box" thinking. Kudos.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The Macintosh


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

The Macintosh Doctor.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)




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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Doctor, heal thyself..........because a Macintosh cannot."


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## thewitt (Jan 27, 2003)

Worst Invention: Autotune

Discuss


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Worst invention -- atomic weapons of mass destruction.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

Antibiotics - without them most of us would be dead. We're living very close to the edge of multi-drug resistance bacteria now.

Anaethetics - without them many of us would wish we were dead.

Birth control. Self-explanatory.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Before we get on the worst...and I agree with Dr. G on the NWMD, I want to nominate the internal combustion engine. It gave us rapid personal mobility over great distances and is the basis for powered flight. 

My favourite other invention is the cordless drill/screw gun. My 14v DeWalt is just such a pleasure to use for practically everything.


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## stinand (Jan 15, 2001)

Dr.G penalty point for changing subject  No treats for you tonight


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

*"everything* !! 







.....pretty kinky that


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Stinand, I live within 50 meters of the statue of Churchill in Churchill Park. Every morning, while walking the doxies, I pick up any litter around the statue. If you honor your avatar, you shall reinstate my "treats".

Still, the "flip side" of the greatest inventions is, by definition, the infamous inventions.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

> Macspectrum, re your claim that "i bark louder", A) I doubt this and B) they bite much harder than the human jaw makes possible


a) i do believe my bark can be louder than your doxie's
b) that may be true, but i have been known to "love bite" women in my past - only positive feedback so far
(cue W. Nelson and H. Eglasias "Of all the women I've loved before")


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macspectrum, kilo for kilo, doxies emit the loudest noise of any mammal in the Northern Hemisphere. Only the Australian whizpop make a louder screech-like growl/bark.

Doxies play bite, but when in attack mode, you would have to kill the doxie before it would let go of its catch.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

> Doxies play bite, but when in attack mode, you would have to kill the doxie before it would let go of its catch.


A gentle pat on the head gets me to release my clench.


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

-trackball mouse
-portable hard drives

-MY CAR
-quality printers and scanners of my own

-hospitals and the various life saving equipment - most importantly - the portable jaw used for prying attack doxies off of the unfortunate human being that p$#*@%d the doxie off!!!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Defibrillators.

Without such technology, I would not be typing this post.

Cheers


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## stinand (Jan 15, 2001)

Dr.G treats are back . While your at it what do the doxies nominate in this category?


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## Kuni (Feb 4, 2003)

[Woops wrong account: This is Cynical Critic. Two different computers and I done got confuzzed. The wife scolded me for my error.








]

Let's go way back...

What about fire! Or the wheel!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Stinand, thank you for the reinstatement. You are a scholar and a gentleman.

The doxies, for some strange reason, suggest helium balloons and candles as the greatest inventions.......along with sleep.

http://shw.fotopages.com/2606539.html
http://shw.fotopages.com/2538194.html


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Altho fire is time saving, in some respects, it's more of a discovery than an invention. The wheel, OTOH, is truly a magnificent invention...wheels and the internal combustion engine keep me employed.


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## iPetie (Nov 25, 2003)

The Copper Wire. Without which the vacuum tube, radio, television, Sincs defribulator, and almost all of our daily communication (including this one) would not be possible.









Really had to get to the chipmonks in my brain running after I read IC and vac tube. Man that hurt!


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

The greatest single invention of our modern world? (Besides the small block Chevy V8)...

The Leatherman "Wave" multipurpose tool. I wear one on my belt 100% of my waking hours. It is the handiest single device I know of.  

It works great for repairing most of todays complex technology. Or, you can fix your plumbing. Or your car. Or, you can file your nails with this puppy, if that's what you need a tool for at the time..

You can aslo gut and quarter a freshly shot moose with the thing. Or effectively dispatch the town bully with one of the two instantly available one-hand-deployable blades.

And the whole device fits comfortably inside your hand. It weighs less than a half a pound...and looks totally innocent when folded.  

It's a wonder of modern technology.  

But you CAN'T carry one onto a scheduled airline flight. Not without all of the officials at the gate flipping out on you.  

Even if you are a middle aged Scotsman....who bears absolutely NO resemblance to the young islamic males that usually cause all of the violence on airliners these days.

Today's stringent rules of political correctness demand that the metal detector drones will freak out on ANYONE who carries any sort of percieved "weapon" onto an airplane these days.

They freak out on grannies with knitting needles, and children with bookmarks.

While waving onto the plane young islamic males who have ceramic knives and plastique stashed in their carry on baggage.  

Bottom line here?

You should carry a Leatherman every single place you go. It is an incredibly useful tool to have with you at all times.

BUT...you CAN'T carry one onto an airplane. Even though THAT is the one place where you might just find you really NEED it. To save your very life.  

What a crazy world we live in.


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

I hear you on the Leatherman. I have one in my vehicle.....just in case.

That and Baby Einstein.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

You guys know a great item when you see one!

I have one in my motor home and another in my tackle box.

Cheers


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

What? Baby Einstein?????


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

Clean drinking water, delivered to your home!









Of course, just ask the good people of Walkerton how quickly one can lose this invention, through sheer stupidity.


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## stinand (Jan 15, 2001)

Yes yes yes light bulbs, the wheel, cameras etc. But what about the really important stuff? The stuff than mankind has used his creativity and cunningness on, to create a better world?









The vegomatic, self propelled golf carts, motion activated sprinklers , the clapper. and the electric apple peeeler.

These are the inventions that inventors have toiled over, quite often having to overcome the derision of others.

Think again of fellow Ehmacers it’s time to come out of the gadget closet and expose the real you.

The Wheel!!!! Trivial







How about cheese in a can,now there is invention. 

Macnutt has got the spirit.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well I did fork out for a gas fired squash ball warmer.








It actually worked very well.
Big relief on wrists and shoulders over warming up a ball by hitting it.
By the looks of it I should dig it out as a collectors item - could find NO reference to it on the web.  

••••
Andy you could change the title to the world's" Best, worst or zaniest inventions" to widen the scope.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

The wheel was good, but it wasn't until it was teamed up with the automobile that it became great.

So I have to stick true to form and say that the automobile is one of the greatest inventions ever. Without it, I wouldn't be sane today. Hrm - okay, maybe I'd be crazier. Definately less happy.

And, following the auto - gotta say the turbocharger is just a wicked invention. This picture was taken this past Monday, and boy, was I smiling...


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Anything by Tesla 

Dave


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Maybe start another thread Dave - greatest inventors and their top inventions in your mind.

Wonder how many would name Armstrong  

A real not imagined Orwellian tale.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Well I guess A.C. wasn't that big of an invention,
D.C. was fun for a while...Until the buildings burnt down.

Wireless electricity looked promising...
But you don't hear much about it anymore, Unless you dig for it.

http://home.earthlink.net/~drestinblack/wireless.htm 

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,743234,00.asp 

Pocket tools 

Dave


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Tesla was almost written out of North American history......Armstrong WAS


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

O.K. I'll leave Tesla out of this thread then...
How about...The Canada Arm?
Without it...The International Space Station couldn't have been built.

Ohh Ohh...
The Super Gun built by Canadian Gerald Bull
It was supposed to be used to shoot satellites into orbit but
Saddam unfortunately had other ideas about it and poor Gerald
got himself assassinated.

Oh well...
I'm sure there are some other great Canadian inventions or even
British ones I can look up that no one has mentioned yet.

Dave


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Digital cameras and the telescope.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

A pair of comfortable shoes.

Imagine life without them.

Cheers


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

The zipper and velcro.


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## iGeeK (Jan 27, 2003)

The ballpoint pen.

I gotta tell ya, sharpening goose quills is such a pain in the tuchas, and while I love fountain pens, they typically fountain onto my clothes. 

iG/<


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Not as technical as iGeeks nomination, but the pencil should have its place there somewhere, especially for the Arctic explorer and grade one children.


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## bopeep (Jun 7, 2004)

The one thing that makes me gush about how useful it is on a regular basis is the hi-liter. 

In school, in business, everywhere - multicoloured, AND you can take it on an airplane. I'm not sure it would serve as a weapon... well. I guess macnutt could shove it down his throat to induce vomiting and puke all over the villans.









eewww...


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## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

Beasts of burden such as the horse, ox etc.

The printing press made mass communication possible.

Schools allowed knowledge to be distributed.

Photography brought history to life, as did the phonograph.

The Swiss army knife over the Leatherman in my book, but why not have both.

Parachute pants with lots of pockets to hold your Swiss army, Leatherman and other assorted tools. I feel naked now in regular pants.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

The printing press, because of it's impact on the spread of ideas and education in general.

Condoms. We all have our own reasons.

Whatever device it was that allowed us to record and replay music, and conversations, in an economical way.

The fish hook.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Bopeep, I would never have thought of the hi-liter. Still, if you see some of the university students I teach, and their textbook, you need sunglasses to read a page of their hi-lighted text (in yellor or pink).


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

SINC, as you may know, shoes used to be made all the same so there was no left or right foot design. Whoever made this improvement available to us commoners, thank you.

Also I stand corrected on fire. It is a discovery. As my last post shows, I was a bit distracted for that time.

I'd like to hear about inventions that _will_ improve and impact our lives in the future. I'm talking about advancements that are being used or developed by NASA and hi-tech companies that aren't yet effecting our lives.


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## kermit (Oct 9, 2004)

One space age invention just getting warmed up is the Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine. It is already being used, but probably lots more potential as the technology matures.



> Epitaxy is the process of depositing, or growing, atomically thin crystal layers of typically dissimilar elemental materials onto a substrate to produce a compound semiconductor. Each crystal layer is known as an epilayer. After the epilayers are grown on a substrate, it is known as an epiwafer.


This page has more information, but basically this technology allows engineers to conceive materials that never existed and build them one atom at a time.


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

Splendid! Thanks for the post Kermit.


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## Jgamer (Sep 14, 2004)

ok.. i didnt read all 5 pages of this.... just too long.. so i dont know if what i have to say has already been said....

but here goes anyways...


so... apparently from what i understand there was research of the best invention of the 1900's.... the answer to this ended up being the "Printing Press"

apparently because of printing press.... wide scale distribution of books was enabled... this allowed to wide spread education... and then this allowed to mass transfer of communication(newspapers and the such....) 

just imagine befor the printing press how long it took to copy a book... done by hand... they were rare and often expensive and only high ranking rich nobles could aquire them, and also most people couldnt read.... but with the introduction of the printing press that all changed...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

> from what i understand there was research of the best invention of the 1900's.... the answer to this ended up being the "Printing Press"


You are off just a tad with the date. Matter of fact by about 500 years. It was invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1450.

Cheers


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## Cynical Critic (Sep 2, 2002)

Speaking of invention dates...

Does anyone know the year the car was invented?

I recall reading that the first prototype or design was invented in the late 1700s and it was a steam-powered contraption of some sort. I read this in an Encyclopedia but my memory may be hazy because it was several years ago.


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

> You are off just a tad with the date. Matter of fact by about 500 years. It was invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1450.
> 
> Cheers


i'm sorry but this is incorrect. gutenberg did not invent the printing press - he invented moveable type.


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## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

can anyone tell me what was the first book gutenberg printed? it would give you some idea of just how 'enlightened' this individual was....


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