What do you think was the greatest invention/achievement of the last century?

Canada
May 17, 2010 9:01am CST
Me? I've always been partial to: the MUTE BUTTON on the TV remote control! However, here are a few others that come to mind: ...vaccines for Polio, TB, and Smallpox ...electricity ...cameras ...the aeroplane ...the automobile ...the transistor ...microwave ovens ...mapping the human genome (DNA) ...micro chips ...computers ...L.A.Z.E.R. ...EEG's & MRI's These are just the tip of the iceberg. How many can you think of? Cheers; cdrxo
1 person likes this
8 responses
@crazydaisy (3896)
• Canada
24 May 10
I hope this will answer your question... 1.electric washer & dryer 2. "" "" vacuum cleaner
1 person likes this
• Canada
24 May 10
For sure! I can remember when I was little...that my grandmother used to use one of those wooden scrub-boards with the ribbed glass on them, and huge metal bucket for washing clothes. Then she'd just hang the clothes on a line outside to dry. Talk about work! ...and vacuum cleaners? Yeah! Sure beats the old corn broom, doesn't it? cdrxo
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• Canada
25 May 10
Oh yeah! I'd be lost without a hair dryer. Of course, I suppose the clothes dry could do that, and I could even "go for a spin" at the same time. The electric clothes iron...another good one. ...also a great tool for flattening out curls and/or kinks in your hair. cdrxo
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• Canada
25 May 10
Here's another one 1.Blow Dryer for you hair, 2.Elertic Irons for clothes. cd
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
18 May 10
gosh... the internet? vaccines? in my, never to be humble opinion, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
21 May 10
• Canada
21 May 10
Aaaaaaah! Thank you for that one bro. True agents such as we, MUST always stick together. cdrxo
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@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
16 Feb 11
i think a lot of inventions now have proved to be really great advancement in the society... cars, communication and even computers.. all of which are too advanced even for all of us who seems to just live normal lives... hehe but im glad though that we have such technology.. technology that if put to good use can help build houses, nations.. save lives
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• Canada
16 Feb 11
ABSOLUTELY! Very well put. We DO take a lot of it for granted, don't we? As long as it's to our advantage to BETTER humankind...to invest in our GROWTH, and NOT become victims or restricted by the limits of our imagination...then I say; "Dream on people! We have merely scratched the surface." Let's face it...we ARE an intelligent race. I mean, when you were a child, would you have ever guessed that the sand in your sandbox would some day become responsible for the development of THIS type of worldly communication? I know I never did. Cheers; cdrxo
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
18 May 10
I agree with you there! Me and my mute button are best friends! Can you just imagen the griping and complaining and aggrivation people would have today if they had to get up to change the channel like we did "back in the day"?!!!! They think "road rage" is so bad on the freeways...that'd be nothing compared to the "TV rage" that'd be going on if there were no remote controls!!! Bless the man that invented it!
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• Canada
18 May 10
Yeah...and bless too the one who invented more channels to watch. I can remember how much I hated listening to that dreaded whooooooo-sound and seeing that stupid black & white test pattern come on, when all of the stations(about 6 of them) would sign off the air at midnight...back in the day. When cable arrived at our house, we were so amazed at how many stations we could receive. No longer did we need our towering TV antenna strapped to the house. Then came the advent of color television. WOW! What a world opened up for us all. Staying up late was the coolest thing. Oh those Blue movies. mmm-hmmmm!!! cdrxo
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
18 May 10
Well I'll disagree with you on the number of channels. Yes there are tons of them right now, but nothing worth wasting your time on watching. THe shows these days are trash. What happened to the fun family comedy sitcoms? I was watching a show selling box sets of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast where all the big celebrities would come etogether and "roast" a certain celebrity and celebrate that persons life and accomplishments! IT was only a commercial and I laughed the entire time at those hilariously funny comments and such. What happened to TGIF? ANd the Saturday Night Movie and SUnday Night Movie? And looking for ward to Monday Night Football? And we used to get 26 episodes a season..now it is 13-16 per season and re runs constantly! And color is nice! But what I hate most... you now have to pay for tv ...even local channels. "back then"...we didn't have to pay for it. THat sucks big time!
• India
14 Feb 11
Thanks for sharing the long list commandor I will vote for internet, the best in my view lol. Cheers. God bless you, have a nice day ahead. Professor ‘Bhuwan’. .
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• Canada
15 Feb 11
Aah yes...the internet. The new world information highway, as it were. Quite the invention, indeed. However, being a professor of physics, I would've guessed you'd say...harnessing the splitting of the uranium atom, might have been more your..."cup of tea"...strictly for the BETTER use of mankind, rather than for it's destructive power. But...internet, is definitely cool with me too. Good one Professor. Cheers; cdrxo
@Jules01 (131)
19 May 10
That's easy. It's the Internet. As a child I watched Star Trek. I was always awazed that the captain could talk to people far away and he could see them at the same time. For me this was very futuristic. Then, one day, the idea became real. The first time I saw someone 'in real time' over the internet, wow, I couldn't believe it was possible. Imagine what my grandparents would have made of that if they were still alive. I'm now looking forward to the day when I can have a 'live hologram' of my friends with me in the evenings. How cool would that be? Maybe it will happen sooner than we think.
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• Canada
21 May 10
Funny...I was just talking to a friend of mine about that the other night. I too was amazed at the technology of Star Trek, and DID believe it would come true some day. Little was I aware that it would be in my lifetime. Think of the iPads. Soon, I believe, they will just be sheets of clear plastic but have the same functions as well as the ability to humanly interact with it. This idea will carry forward to home computers and television. Holograms and/or projections of the sort, I truly believe are not that far away. In fact...they're probably just around the corner. cdrxo
• Indonesia
4 Jun 10
It's easy. The greatest invention ever is the electricity. Imagine just one day without electricity. You are totally paralyzed. No TV, no internet, no refrigerator, no washing machine, no cellphone because you can't recharge and the list goes on.
• Philippines
18 May 10
To add a few: insect repellent, fast food chains, fertilizer, e-commerce, solar cell, hubble space telescope, maglev train, robots, compact disc. Lol I can't think of more.
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• Canada
18 May 10
I like the fast food chain idea. Hehehehe. What would become of our smiles without our good 'ol Mc-Happy Meal? Hubble? Yes! ...add to that, putting a man on the moon. All the others...I agree have certainly improved opur lives. Good listings! Cheers; cdrxo