Greatest Inventions Of All Time

[L_W_P]

Not greatest but easily our most influential - Time.

While we dont control it's passing, the idea of breaking rise and set of the sun into hours and minutes has changed the course of human history.

How many things have been done because someone had a deadline to meet? How many breakthrough moments have been missed because someone 'ran out' of time?

Have you ever passed up a job because the hours didnt suit? Have you ever lost a job because you didnt meet KPI's in a certain timeframe?

How about forcing kids to go to school/child care at unhealthy hours so that we can go work on time?

If people or services are later than their scheduled time we get upset, even if it's a minor delay of 10-15 minues.

Time is a totally abstract concept by which we govern our entire lives.

 

[cats2rise]

Time is a totally abstract concept by which we govern our entire lives.

As is money, but we let that govern us

 

[L_W_P]

As is money, but we let that govern us

Yep. That would be second. It's value is totally reliant on an unspoken trust that we have with each other.

The second someone decides they no longer value that coloured plastic it becomes worthless for trade.

 

[Adzam]

Not greatest but easily our most influential - Time.

While we dont control it's passing, the idea of breaking rise and set of the sun into hours and minutes has changed the course of human history.

How many things have been done because someone had a deadline to meet? How many breakthrough moments have been missed because someone 'ran out' of time?

Have you ever passed up a job because the hours didnt suit? Have you ever lost a job because you didnt meet KPI's in a certain timeframe?

How about forcing kids to go to school/child care at unhealthy hours so that we can go work on time?

If people or services are later than their scheduled time we get upset, even if it's a minor delay of 10-15 minues.

Time is a totally abstract concept by which we govern our entire lives.

I think you just blew my mind.

 

[Chrizzt]

The water wheel.

Harnessing energy in nature and turning it into useful work.
It's a huge reason why many settlements started, and flourished, near rivers.
Cloth mills, hammer mills, pressing mills (for producing paper). Grinding mills for grains is arguably the biggest one of these.
You could argue that hydroelectric setups are just another adaptation of the water wheel, with a dynamo.