NationStates Jolt Archive

We had a bit of a debate in work the other day.

Greatest Invention.

Coupla rules:

Has to be 20th Century (otherwise everyone will just argue for 'fire' or 'the wheel'. yawn.)

No references to derivative-tech enabling where avoidable. E.g. The microchip is superior to the mobile phone because no micro-chip equals no-phone. Which, while true, instantly has everyone agreeing on the micro-chip.

I'm gonna kick off the debate with, for devil's advocate purposes, ...

CONTAINER SHIPPING

Container shipping is awesome! Apart from the fact that the ships are these monstrous giant leviathan behemoths (the very biggest are about 10,000 TEU - or to put it another way, they can carry 5,000 lorry loads at once) the container and container shipping have revolutionised the modern world. The reason why you can get trainers made in China and sold in the US is all because of the container. It's a cheap, quick, safe (and most-environmentally friendly form) of goods transport the world has ever seen.

Not only that, but owing to globalisation, the humble container-box has the potential to share trade out more equitably around the globe thereby bringing jobs and raised standards of living to the many billions of people around the globe lifting them out of mortifying poverty.

All hail the power of the container-box! For worldwide effects it even beats the microchip.

I'd have to agree with that one, although I think the transistor comes in a close second.

Not to mention containerization helps reduce our oil consumption; container shipping is one of the most efficient means of transportation in the world. It along with rail are able to transport tons of goods with much less fuel consumed per ton of good; that's why the price of containerized goods has not risen as fast as others despite oil prices...it really is the future of shipping.

We had a bit of a debate in work the other day.

Greatest Invention.

Coupla rules:

Has to be 20th Century (otherwise everyone will just argue for 'fire' or 'the wheel'. yawn.)

No references to derivative-tech enabling where avoidable. E.g. The microchip is superior to the mobile phone because no micro-chip equals no-phone. Which, while true, instantly has everyone agreeing on the micro-chip.

I'm gonna kick off the debate with, for devil's advocate purposes, ...

CONTAINER SHIPPING

Container shipping is awesome! Apart from the fact that the ships are these monstrous giant leviathan behemoths (the very biggest are about 10,000 TEU - or to put it another way, they can carry 5,000 lorry loads at once) the container and container shipping have revolutionised the modern world. The reason why you can get trainers made in China and sold in the US is all because of the container. It's a cheap, quick, safe (and most-environmentally friendly form) of goods transport the world has ever seen.

Not only that, but owing to globalisation, the humble container-box has the potential to share trade out more equitably around the globe thereby bringing jobs and raised standards of living to the many billions of people around the globe lifting them out of mortifying poverty.

All hail the power of the container-box! For worldwide effects it even beats the microchip.

Hollerith cards. They pre-dated computers by about 40 years (I'm talking about the humungous Univac type of computer that took up whole buildings).They are those hole-punch cards that were originally used in computer programming. A line of code would by punched in each one, then a batch would be fed throught the computer to achieve a result. They were tedious, time-consuming, error-prone but essential to the development of computers as we know them.

controlled nuclear fission.

Atom bomb.

controlled nuclear fission.


Does controlled nuclear fission exist? And if so, did it come into existence between 1900 and 1999?

Atom bomb.


This is a good choice too. Basically ended war between advanced nations for all time.

Definitely a great, albeit terrible, invention.

This is a good choice too. Basically ended war between advanced nations for all time.

Definitely a great, albeit terrible, invention.

The atom bomb is the best argument against warfare ever created.

Powered airplanes.

Atom bomb.
Completely agreed.

agreed. Powered airplanes FTW.

The Internet.

Powered airplanes.

Bingo! Yes. Try getting along with out them. Not only can you travel far and wide in the world, you can get almost anything you want delivered to your door "next day." If you don't think that is great, try getting three or four day old "live lobster" delivered. :eek:

Bingo! Yes. Try getting along with out them. Not only can you travel far and wide in the world, you can get almost anything you want delivered to your door "next day." If you don't think that is great, try getting three or four day old "live lobster" delivered. :eek:


You can get live animal transports via container ship. Ships are far more important to the world economy than powered flight.

The Internet.

Hmmmm. Good choice. I believe we haven't even begun to see what the real power of the Internet is. I suspect that it will deliver far more than we ever thought possible.

fine then. Computers. Try living without *those*!

The Phrase "JAAAAYSUS!" :p

Sanitation/hygeine

Sanitation/hygeine
Hey! I'd like to think that The romans didn't build those bath houses for nothing!
:D

Hollerith cards. They pre-dated computers by about 40 years (I'm talking about the humungous Univac type of computer that took up whole buildings).

Nay. Hollerith cards were invented in the 1890's - of course, they were little more than modifications to the punch cards used on the Jacquard loom over a hundred years before hand, anyhow.

The Guitar Solo.

Nay. Hollerith cards were invented in the 1890's - of course, they were little more than modifications to the punch cards used on the Jacquard loom over a hundred years before hand, anyhow.

And yet, without them, where would computer technology have started? And where would it have gone?

Already said but heavier than air aircraft has my vote.

I'm gonna have to agree with the Transistor, with out which, none of what we're doing right now would be possible.

And yet, without them, where would computer technology have started?


I already told you: it started with the automated loom.

EDIT: sorry, this read as a lot more snippy than intended - it was meant in the sense 'I am of the opinion that the history of computer technology started with the automated loom, rather than later developments'.

Already said but heavier than air aircraft has my vote.

Not a C20th invention, people had been operating gliders long before 1900.

I

Sanitation/hygeine

A Donnie Darko fan?

You can get live animal transports via container ship. Ships are far more important to the world economy than powered flight.

If you are in England try ordering a Maine live (not frozen) lobster and see what ends up at your door. I darn sure wouldn't eat it.

The zipper.

Not a C20th invention, people had been operating gliders long before 1900.

I

Well "powered" heavier than air aircraft then.

Well "powered" heavier than air aircraft then.

Clement Ader, 1890?

The atom bomb is the best argument against warfare ever created.

More precisely, nuclear weapons are the best argument against nuclear warfare, however, the general deterrent effect presented by nuclear weapons in the prevention of armageddon-level conflicts otherwise did little to prevent smaller conventional wars. One of the key necessary conditions for nuclear deterrence to work is that the threat must be credible; each "side" must be absolutely convinced that the other is willing to use nuclear weapons if necessary. One way to prove one's seriousness, and thus establish credibility, is to engage in smaller conventional wars; in the case of the Cold War, the Korean War and Vietnam War are examples. The willingness to use force in those smaller situations demonstrates a willingness to engage in military conflict which in turn keeps each side fearful of an escalation to a full nuclear exchange.

If, on the other hand, one or both sides abstained from armed conflict of any kind entirely the opposing side may intrepret this as weakness, an inability to exact offensive or defensive capability. This preception of weakness may serve to encourage one (or both) sides to attempt a nuclear first-strike.

The deterrence arangement made possible by nuclear weapons appears to have been quite effective at preventing nuclear war. But the maintainance of the necessary credibility component of the overall deterrence effect can be seen to have actually encouraged the occurance of conventional warfare.

(And I nominate Deterrence Theory as the greatest invention of the 20th Century.)

The computer network, without a doubt. The world changed fundamentally and forever when two simplistic computers on military ships were first set up a basic two-way communication protocol.

That guy who invented the wheeeeele was cool.

Hmmmm. Good choice. I believe we haven't even begun to see what the real power of the Internet is. I suspect that it will deliver far more than we ever thought possible.

Yeah, like end of the world or something like that.

I cannot decide between Beatles and bicycle roads.

I don't know whether Beatles were really 'invented' on other hand maybe there were bicycle roads before 1900. Who knows

I am gonna go with space flight, which someday may lead to getting us off this sorry little planet.

The Concord airplane. It can go faster than sound.

The Geodesic Dome. Yo.

fridges and freezers are good

Antibiotics.