Friday fun: What were the top 5 inventions of the 20th century?

Something a little fun for a Friday, maybe.

Some of you may know from posts I have made in the past that my two adult sons, who live with me, and I often sit around in the evening in the living room, TV on a sports channel but with sound turned down, and watch the game while having a lively conversation about anything and everything.

Well, the topic that came up the other night as we did so was: What were the five most significant inventions of the twentieth century?

After kicking it around for a while, here's the list that the three of us came up with, in order of importance (to us):

1. Computer
2. Antibiotics
3. TV
4. DNA testing
5. Electric guitar

These are probably choices that would make a lot of peoples' short lists, but, of course, arguments can be made for a good number of other things invented in the twentieth century, too.

(BTW, we didn't think the choice of electric guitar was all that frivolous, stopping to think just how pervasive the music of it has been over the past sixty years, and the influence the music it plays has had on so many lives).

And, surely, I would get a hearty round of applause from you all if I were to list as Honorable Mention:

PSA testing [grin]

But opinions will differ, which is the point of this thread.

So, if you have a few minutes and think it would be a little fun to play with this topic, and you'd like to submit your own top five, please do, and let's see how opinions differ (or agree)..

Telephone?

1) internet

Airplane

Trick question - does it include 21st century?

Elastic waist bands.....sigh

There are a lot of things that qualify for the top list for 20th century. This thread reminded me of an interview with an old man after the 1969 moon landing. He was asked if this was the most astounding achievement in his lifetime
He paused and replied, "No I would have to say the indoor, flush toilets were the greatest achievement in my lifetime"

Two excellent books,that cover this kind of topic are Henry Petroski's
The Evolution of Useful Things and The Perfectionists: How Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester.

Despite the explosion of medical knowledge in the past 100 years, disease is still shrouded in mystery. For instance, no one really knows what causes atherosclerosis, which turns heart arteries to stone. Weeks before his fatal heart attack, the newsman Tim Russert passed a heart stress test with flying colors.

As Gary said Airplanes would have to be no. 1 or 2, the other one is computers or internet however you want to call it. Nothing since Electricity has anything changed the world as much as these two.

Larry

Considering the condition of most of us on this forum, I would add Viagra......

Saipan Paradise said...
What scares the daylights out of me is aneurysms. They seemingly can hit anyone at any age, without warning, are often fatal, always at least debilitating. As far as I can tell, they’re only detected early by chance, if you happen to be having thoracic or cranial imaging for some other reason. Brutal.

Good point. When I enrolled with the VA medical system - mostly so I could get free eye exams and glasses I had to sign up with a VA primary care doc. She sent me for an ultrasound to check for aortic aneurysms -- something my primary care doc at UMass Medical Center had never done. The ultrasound showed nothing suspicious. But it makes one wonder why this 15 minute non-intrusive test wasn't recommended by my other doctor.
Jim

logoslidat said...
..anyone getting this...anyone???

If only...only...there it is...one is the loneliest number, worse than two....but not the only number...

the Stanley thermos.. when you put hot stuff in it ,, it stays hot.. when you put cold stuff in it,, it stays cold.. How do it know?? J/K that's a 30 year old joke.. Ed

hard to beat Halbert's list..