OT: Greatest Inventions Ever

[monkeyboy]

Can't believe no one's posted the electric lightbulb yet.

I mean without that, we wouldn't have kick ass light shows at gigs...

[b0unce]

ya, we'd have nothing to turn off when we're porking neb's wife.

[sweetjesus]

ya, we'd have nothing to turn off when we're porking neb's wife.

hahhaa

aha ... haha.... ahaha.... perfect timing

[M. Bréqs]

My top ten (in order, and there's a massive distance between the first two and the rest);

1. Writing
2. The digit Zero
3. The Wheel
4. The lever
5. The wedge
6. The Printing Press
7. The steam engine
8. Gunpowder
9. Penicillin
10. The Abacus

half of these come from ancient arabic and persian areas.

The wheel, lever and wedge were first developed in Sub-Saharan Africa, but were also independantly developed elsewhere later on. Gunpowder and the Abacus were Chinese. The steam engine was Greek (re-invented by the Brits at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution). The Printing Press was German. Penicillin was invented (discovered?) by a Scot.

Only one or two actually came from persian / arabic areas. The Zero for sure was. I think writing was developed in the Tigris / Euphrates river area, but it was certainly developed independantly elsewhere. Plus, in both cases, these great inventions are from Pre-Islamic periods. One could thus consider the expansion of Islam coincident with a massive halt to intellectual progress in the regions subjected to the horrors of muhammad's bloody and theocratic conquest.

[nebulae]

ya, we'd have nothing to turn off when we're porking neb's wife.

hahhaa

aha ... haha.... ahaha.... perfect timing

maybe I'm in a bad mood due to the other thread, but this isn't funny anymore...

perhaps it will be tomorrow

[sweetjesus]

My top ten (in order, and there's a massive distance between the first two and the rest);

1. Writing
2. The digit Zero
3. The Wheel
4. The lever
5. The wedge
6. The Printing Press
7. The steam engine
8. Gunpowder
9. Penicillin
10. The Abacus

half of these come from ancient arabic and persian areas.

The wheel, lever and wedge were first developed in Sub-Saharan Africa, but were also independantly developed elsewhere later on. Gunpowder and the Abacus were Chinese. The steam engine was Greek (re-invented by the Brits at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution). The Printing Press was German. Penicillin was invented (discovered?) by a Scot.

Only one or two actually came from persian / arabic areas. The Zero for sure was. I think writing was developed in the Tigris / Euphrates river area, but it was certainly developed independantly elsewhere. Plus, in both cases, these great inventions are from Pre-Islamic periods. One could thus consider the expansion of Islam coincident with a massive halt to intellectual progress in the regions subjected to the horrors of muhammad's bloody and theocratic conquest.

to the contrary, islam helped the prolifiration of mathematics and science in the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhazes

most modern medicine is based on the works of these two gentlemen.

[M. Bréqs]

...One could thus consider the expansion of Islam coincident with a massive halt to intellectual progress...

to the contrary, islam helped the prolifiration of mathematics and science in the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhazes

most modern medicine is based on the works of these two gentlemen.

I stand corrected. Thanks!

[corygilbert]

Thank you breqs!
you can always tell an intelligent person, when they can admit they have learned something new, sometimes I feel as if noone can admit they're wrong anymore.
Anyway, you both gave awesome, informed info and I appreciate the civility.

[Angstrom]

best invention, contraception.

I'd be knee deep in offspring without it.
A dream to some, but a nightmare to others.

[kennerb]

1. The Joke
2. Duct tape
3. paper

[nobbystylus]

Nam Pla Fish Sauce... it really is magic fairy dust..

[sweetjesus]

...One could thus consider the expansion of Islam coincident with a massive halt to intellectual progress...

to the contrary, islam helped the prolifiration of mathematics and science in the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhazes

most modern medicine is based on the works of these two gentlemen.

I stand corrected. Thanks!

welcome

im not muslim, although born in iran.

i do know this much about islam, the whole thing is remarkably based on science.


the praying (requiring special sequence of washing hands and feet and face) performed 5 times a day subvertively maintained hygine.

the toilets used in that region help pass the 'bottom of the barrel' type stuff thru ur urine so u dont end up with colon cancer or kidney stones as often.

they dont eat pig for the same reason as the jewish people, coz pigs eat their own shit (i dont care)... and their meat has to be slaughtered a certain way with the blood drained to reduce parasites etc..

all of the acts of being a good faithful muslim on a day to day basis are generally there to improve your quality of living through scientific means as much as spiritual.

[12micsn1]

the number 0 is the #1 invention ever created in human history

[Angstrom]

apparently the Welsh invented the number 6, they are just more taciturn about the whole thing

[Tone Deft]

the number 0 is the #1 invention ever created in human history

"the number 0 is the #0 invention ever created in human history"

I'm torn between the printing press, the transistor and the snooze button on alarm clocks.