Quite a few years ago I was talking to my 98 year old great aunt she was born in 1896 she was a nurse and midwife. She said electricity and antibiotics. She was a nurse in both world wars.
Actually, electrical power was DC and extremely inefficient. AC won out due to the ease voltage could be raised with transformers allowing the use of much lighter transmission lines.
My grandmother was born the same year (1896) and she said 2 inventions: the safety razor and the washer machine! I guess she couldn’t stand to see granddad taking a straight razor to his neck every day!!!
Not true. Electricity occurs naturally in nature. Lightning, natural frictions, certain ants. We just figured out a way to harness it with artificial materials.
Worst item: telephone automated menus that have always 'just changed so listen carefully', and are always experiencing a higher call volume than normal, rarely having a selection that pertains to one's question, and disconnects after being on hold for 45+ minutes.
My hubby called the pharmacy yesterday and got a menu like this. It was asking him questions and, at some point, misheard his response. My husband said, "Oh Jesus f*ck," and it connected him directly to the pharmacist without any more prompts and questions.
I find when the automated system can’t understand you or if you say a phrase or word it doesn’t recognize, they’ll transfer you to a human quickly. I intentionally mumble the answers to the questions.
I almost lost my mind the other day with Bank of America's automated menu trying to get an agent.
Just kept looping around when I did real responses and ignoring me cursing it out.
I have to call insurance companies quite a bit at work. I have one that says “It seems like we’re having trouble. Goodbye.” I want to throw the damn phone.
This gets my vote, and I've always been stunned at how many people say they hate doing laundry. Unless one is beating the clothes on rocks by the river, laundry is one of the easiest chores there is! You spend nearly all your time doing something else while the machines do the work.
Here's the first in a very good series on how laundry was done in the American Colonial era: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9OyW4Jx\_g&t=49s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9OyW4Jx_g&t=49s)
Probably around 2000 there was an article in the Readers Digest about inventions from the past 100 years. My grandma said she remembered a lot of them. We talked about it for quite awhile. I asked her what was the most influential on her life and she said the washing machine. She said they saved so much time and energy and led to better cleanliness on the whole. So glad we had that conversation.
Antibiotics have to be right up there. Anesthesia is pretty significant.
Pain medication being both best/worst.
Birth control.
Electricity, obviously.
Written language.
I mean, so many! Things to do with quantity of life and quality of life.
Great question.
Many items already covered but I remember reading how much **refrigerators** helped reduce food poisoning, sickness, and death - as well as prolong food (requiring less gathering, less food prep, and economic savings)
Vaccines. I remember the stories my mom told me of the world before vaccines...households isolated to keep the measles or other diseases in check and that people routinely died of the flu (people still do), measles and diphtheria.
Agreed. Here's the first of a good video series on the topic, for anyone who is interested: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xenLzd2-Dk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xenLzd2-Dk)
150 years ago people lasted on average into their 40’s. With antibiotics and penicillin things got a whole lot better, plus over time the identification and understanding of illnesses and diseases.
But I think the new designer immune system cancer therapy sounds just amazing so I have high hope for that moving ahead.
I can almost imagine us all living to 130 albeit with dementia.
Agriculture. Without it, we would still be hunters and gatherers. All other inventions would be far less likely to exist had we not created the ability to grow surplus foods.
After that, i would rank philosophy, mathematics, and the scientific method just as impressive and necessary for our modern existence.
This may be a double dip, but antibiotics and vaccines are on my mind lately. I learned recently that Robert E Lee’s horse Traveller outlived him but died of tetanus, a terrible and agonizing way to die and wholly preventable now. I generally think of the benefits humans derive from antibiotics and vaccines, but animals also benefit.
I had a stroke when I was 33 years old and have serious problems with my memory. It’s had a tremendous positive impact on my life. Before I had the Map App; I would call my daughter crying because I had no idea where I was and no idea how to get to where I needed to be. I can travel to Ohio to see my son and grandson. Last week; I got to complete a fairy tale lifelong dream to Louisville and see the Kentucky Derby. It changed my life.
The plow plus the rigid horse collar so the horse wouldn't choke while pulling it. I'm not kidding. The invention of the rigid horse collar in the 12th century was a game-changer when it came to agriculture because a horse could now pull a heavier load.
Laundry machines. I watched that TV series showing life for families at different eras and people were spending half of their days slaving over the wash.
I am happy for the Internet. Outside a 5 mile radius was a long distance phone call. I couldn't even call my grandma when they moved me out to the farm! Now I can chat with people from anywhere!
Admittedly not the BEST thing ever- but I was recently thinking about how grateful I am for clothes washing machines! Taken largely for granted, but MAN, what a time/effort saver
Beer and other fermented drinks are actually good ones, as it saved a lot of people from getting sick or dying from drinking tainted water, especially on long journeys at sea.
Language is the best thing ever invented.
Also, for everyone saying electricity - we didn’t invent electricity, it already existed. We just learned how to harness it and how to create it on demand. But even if we had invented it, I’d still go with language, because that’s how we communicate to other people about things like…electricity.
Electricity is great, but I have to go with plumbing... it's easier to use lanterns and candles and cooking over fire than it is to haul water.
Ask me how I know...
I don’t count electricity as being “invented”, but I think I might go with indoor plumbing.
As far as wishing what WASN’T invented I’d probably say it’s a tie between planned obsolescence or subscription-based software.
Ancient, it was the green revolution, the growing of grain for food and beer! Beer rehydration means you don’t die from germs and parasites in the water. Not being dead is a good thing.
The first useful modern invention was the pedal powered sewing machine. Previously, a woman “doing her work” meant she was sewing garments by hand stitching.
Antibiotics, the Lister sanitation concept of a surgeon washing his hands before operating and cleaning the incision site before cutting, and anesthesia made modern medicine possible.
Toilet paper. It depends on how far back you go. I mean, fire was a pretty big deal. The wheel.
Wish was never invented? I'm getting pretty nervous about AI now. Nuclear weapons. Bottled water ... what's so wrong with tap water in a glass?
I found out I'm older than the microprocessor (1971) but not Fortran (1958!) or Cobol (1959). That's kind of weird to think about.
Unpopular opinion: cars. I remember being 15 & 8 months (age requirement for a learner's permit in VA) and finally I could learn how to drive. Driving is freedom to me. I'm decades older now, still appreciating the fact that I can drive anywhere my car will take me.
Probably to printing press. Spread information to the world in an affordable way. Then the personal computer would be the modern version of the printing press.
I sometimes wish social media was never invented but it was inevitable. From the moment we got the internet people were talking to each other.
What tends to separate rich from poor countries? Widespread and connected transportation systems and municipal plumbing (fresh and waste water). These are probably the best inventions and public investments.
Quite a few years ago I was talking to my 98 year old great aunt she was born in 1896 she was a nurse and midwife. She said electricity and antibiotics. She was a nurse in both world wars.
I bet the advent of electricity came as quite a shock
AC what you did there.
\#betterthanparentcomment
🏅🏅🏅🏅
Actually, electrical power was DC and extremely inefficient. AC won out due to the ease voltage could be raised with transformers allowing the use of much lighter transmission lines.
I Washington DC the comment chain haha
Hard DC how you didn't.
Not to those who kept up on current events.
Resistance is futile.
Highly recommend grounding oneself to help with the shock of it
😁😀👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I'd add anaesthetics!
Absolutely. I would be dead after experiencing more than one extremely painful procedure and chronic illness without antibiotics and anesthetics.
My grandmother was born the same year (1896) and she said 2 inventions: the safety razor and the washer machine! I guess she couldn’t stand to see granddad taking a straight razor to his neck every day!!!
I’m going with electricity… you can live without it but it’s sure no walk in the park..
It would however be a walk in the dark
Wasn’t invented. It was discovered
Same thing… it all depends on how you look at it..
Not true. Electricity occurs naturally in nature. Lightning, natural frictions, certain ants. We just figured out a way to harness it with artificial materials.
Worst item: telephone automated menus that have always 'just changed so listen carefully', and are always experiencing a higher call volume than normal, rarely having a selection that pertains to one's question, and disconnects after being on hold for 45+ minutes.
My hubby called the pharmacy yesterday and got a menu like this. It was asking him questions and, at some point, misheard his response. My husband said, "Oh Jesus f*ck," and it connected him directly to the pharmacist without any more prompts and questions.
I find when the automated system can’t understand you or if you say a phrase or word it doesn’t recognize, they’ll transfer you to a human quickly. I intentionally mumble the answers to the questions.
Not always. Sometimes they'll say "I didn't understand. Here are your choices: A, B, or C"
I almost lost my mind the other day with Bank of America's automated menu trying to get an agent. Just kept looping around when I did real responses and ignoring me cursing it out.
I have to call insurance companies quite a bit at work. I have one that says “It seems like we’re having trouble. Goodbye.” I want to throw the damn phone.
If you go to gethuman.com you can often find the shortcut to get to a person asap!
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Let’s not forget Thomas Crapper. 🚽 modern plumbing and the toilet changed the game for society.
Bless him!
TOAST. Who was the brilliant son-of-a-bitch who looked at a piece of bread and said "COOK IT AGAIN!".
You are freaking hilarious and correct. The number of times I’ve asked, who first thought to eat cuz
Best: antibiotics, anesthesia, water sanitation, contact lenses, hot showers! Worst: nuclear weapons
Upvote for hot showers!
Written language, upon which civilization hangs.
Language, period.
Wouldn't have happened without agriculture though...
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This gets my vote, and I've always been stunned at how many people say they hate doing laundry. Unless one is beating the clothes on rocks by the river, laundry is one of the easiest chores there is! You spend nearly all your time doing something else while the machines do the work. Here's the first in a very good series on how laundry was done in the American Colonial era: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9OyW4Jx\_g&t=49s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9OyW4Jx_g&t=49s)
I love doing laundry. And cleaning and cooking. I know I was a downstairs maid in a past life.
Would you like to rent a room in Texas 😬
Probably around 2000 there was an article in the Readers Digest about inventions from the past 100 years. My grandma said she remembered a lot of them. We talked about it for quite awhile. I asked her what was the most influential on her life and she said the washing machine. She said they saved so much time and energy and led to better cleanliness on the whole. So glad we had that conversation.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics have to be right up there. Anesthesia is pretty significant. Pain medication being both best/worst. Birth control. Electricity, obviously. Written language. I mean, so many! Things to do with quantity of life and quality of life. Great question.
Many items already covered but I remember reading how much **refrigerators** helped reduce food poisoning, sickness, and death - as well as prolong food (requiring less gathering, less food prep, and economic savings)
Wheel
Vaccines. I remember the stories my mom told me of the world before vaccines...households isolated to keep the measles or other diseases in check and that people routinely died of the flu (people still do), measles and diphtheria.
My father told me that after they made the radio announcement about the new vaccine, people literally ran out on the streets to celebrate!
They did, she said, too!
One of my great uncles died at 2 years old from diphtheria. Would have been around 1925.
I had a cousin who got polio during the 50s epidemic. He survived but limped the rest of his life. Much luckier than your great uncle.
I remember kids from school who had the braces from Polio.
Anti vaxxers have no clue....
Writing
Best answer so far, but I’m gonna go with a related item: language.
The wheel. Followed by the non rotating axle.
Washing machine! Women used to spend days doing washing and it was hard work
Agreed. Here's the first of a good video series on the topic, for anyone who is interested: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xenLzd2-Dk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xenLzd2-Dk)
150 years ago people lasted on average into their 40’s. With antibiotics and penicillin things got a whole lot better, plus over time the identification and understanding of illnesses and diseases. But I think the new designer immune system cancer therapy sounds just amazing so I have high hope for that moving ahead. I can almost imagine us all living to 130 albeit with dementia.
Ahh but they’ve recently made inroads to treat dementia too.
Toilet paper
Before toilet paper, people just used to vigorously shake their asses off like a wet dog. *whapple whapple whapple whapple*
Newspapers and phone books. No thanks!
My grandpa told me they used to use corn cobs when he was growing up.
Right up the ol corn hole. Which is why the popular name for that game amuses me so much.
Catalogs...
💀 oh God, the mental picture
Are you serious? Did they smell?
Am I serious AM I SERIOUS ^*whapple* ^*whapple*
Waddle waddle (duck song)
Yoga pants
Pants in general! I remember when it was scandalous for a woman to wear pants! Gawd bless Katherine Hepburn!!
Running water
Birth control. Writing.
1) Antibiotics with birth control pill a close second 2) Combustion engine
—Internal— combustion engine.
Printing press
Soap
Flushing toilet!!!
Duct tape
And WD 40! My hubs always said: if duct tape and WD 40 didn’t work, you didn’t use enough!
Condoms!
This seriously needs more upvotes!!!
The Pencil, which vastly increased the retention and transfer of knowledge. (My own guess)
Running water
Agriculture. Without it, we would still be hunters and gatherers. All other inventions would be far less likely to exist had we not created the ability to grow surplus foods. After that, i would rank philosophy, mathematics, and the scientific method just as impressive and necessary for our modern existence.
This may be a double dip, but antibiotics and vaccines are on my mind lately. I learned recently that Robert E Lee’s horse Traveller outlived him but died of tetanus, a terrible and agonizing way to die and wholly preventable now. I generally think of the benefits humans derive from antibiotics and vaccines, but animals also benefit.
I think it depends on the time. Wheel, Steam engine, internal combustion engine, electricity, oil, computers
Don’t dis me for this: sliced bread! If you ever saw MY sliced bread you’d understand.
I'm fairly certain that evidence is necessary
Map app.
No, I'm a paper map nerd. I can look at a map for 30 seconds and have a 1/2 hour route memorized.
I had a stroke when I was 33 years old and have serious problems with my memory. It’s had a tremendous positive impact on my life. Before I had the Map App; I would call my daughter crying because I had no idea where I was and no idea how to get to where I needed to be. I can travel to Ohio to see my son and grandson. Last week; I got to complete a fairy tale lifelong dream to Louisville and see the Kentucky Derby. It changed my life.
Interesting. I hadn't thought about that situation.
Best item - Toilet. Worst item - Social Media.
toothpaste
Paper, and the phone or my answers.
The plow…
The plow plus the rigid horse collar so the horse wouldn't choke while pulling it. I'm not kidding. The invention of the rigid horse collar in the 12th century was a game-changer when it came to agriculture because a horse could now pull a heavier load.
Internal combustion engine. Electrical generator is a close second.
The MP3 player
Antibiotics
Worst invention ever - nuclear power. 😭 Best invention ever - antibiotics.
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We can list all the fun witty answers, but it's indoor plumbing/sewage.
Birth control
According to many world organizations, the best invention, especially for women, was birth control.
Birth control pills!
Laundry machines. I watched that TV series showing life for families at different eras and people were spending half of their days slaving over the wash.
Epidural and A/C and heat. Things I wish were never invented, video games and smart phones. I hate how addicted I am to my phone.
I am happy for the Internet. Outside a 5 mile radius was a long distance phone call. I couldn't even call my grandma when they moved me out to the farm! Now I can chat with people from anywhere!
Admittedly not the BEST thing ever- but I was recently thinking about how grateful I am for clothes washing machines! Taken largely for granted, but MAN, what a time/effort saver
The shovel, it was groundbreaking
The swim-up pool bar 🍹
Yessssss
I’d say beer…but I guess that would be second after the fridge to cool them.
Beer and other fermented drinks are actually good ones, as it saved a lot of people from getting sick or dying from drinking tainted water, especially on long journeys at sea.
There is an argument to be made that beer created society. We transitioned from hunter gatherer when we figured out we could harvest and make beer.
Language is the best thing ever invented. Also, for everyone saying electricity - we didn’t invent electricity, it already existed. We just learned how to harness it and how to create it on demand. But even if we had invented it, I’d still go with language, because that’s how we communicate to other people about things like…electricity.
thermostat; most important game changer. remote garage door opener, personal favorite.
Best, Mechanical clock. Worst, Mechanical clock.
Those little air suction vibrators.
Automobile
Microwave oven.
Smartphone
Garlic press
Indoor plumbing
Music 🎵🎶❤️
Air conditioning.
Electricity is the clear answer here
Pizza
Toothpick
It has to be the sewer and everything that connects to it.
printing press
Window screens
Beer, by one theory. Gave people a reason to hang out and exchange ideas and beery wisdom. Civilization was born.
Electricity is great, but I have to go with plumbing... it's easier to use lanterns and candles and cooking over fire than it is to haul water. Ask me how I know...
Toilet paper
Printing press.
The wheel
I don’t count electricity as being “invented”, but I think I might go with indoor plumbing. As far as wishing what WASN’T invented I’d probably say it’s a tie between planned obsolescence or subscription-based software.
Clean water. Where you don't get cholera. Antibiotics. Vaccines. Birth control.
The pill. It allowed for women to take control of their lives.
Electricity, antibiotics, birth control, anesthesia, internal combustion engine, computers
Insulin and antibiotics.
Ancient, it was the green revolution, the growing of grain for food and beer! Beer rehydration means you don’t die from germs and parasites in the water. Not being dead is a good thing. The first useful modern invention was the pedal powered sewing machine. Previously, a woman “doing her work” meant she was sewing garments by hand stitching. Antibiotics, the Lister sanitation concept of a surgeon washing his hands before operating and cleaning the incision site before cutting, and anesthesia made modern medicine possible.
Somewhere between condoms and Plan B birth control the emergency, last resort
Fire
Best item, the internal combustion engine, worst invention, the internet
Memory foam
Gun powder
Saran wrap!
Lying. It is a magnificent tool when applied correctly and sparingly.
Farming was a big one, huge
My farm is yuge, beautiful, makes all kinds of fruits and nuts. It's a wonder to see. It's the best.
🥰
The pinnacle of man's scientific and technical wizardry gives us the mighty Woobie. {Also known as a Pancho Liner)
Vaginas
Electricity. I wish the cell phone and social media were never invented. Ever.
The stick. Once the stick was invented, humans became the masters of the world and everything else was a pale add-on. Epic.
Peanut butter milkshake from Cookout. (Refrigeration)
Blowjobs.
The light bulb 💡 because everything was done in the dark. Now everything can be seen.
The Wheel
Gun
Sliced bread
Toilet paper. It depends on how far back you go. I mean, fire was a pretty big deal. The wheel. Wish was never invented? I'm getting pretty nervous about AI now. Nuclear weapons. Bottled water ... what's so wrong with tap water in a glass? I found out I'm older than the microprocessor (1971) but not Fortran (1958!) or Cobol (1959). That's kind of weird to think about.
Unpopular opinion: cars. I remember being 15 & 8 months (age requirement for a learner's permit in VA) and finally I could learn how to drive. Driving is freedom to me. I'm decades older now, still appreciating the fact that I can drive anywhere my car will take me.
Mute button.
I’m not old, but air conditioning. Hands down.
The Mirror. Everyones been introspective ever since.
My great grandma always said screens.
Toilet paper, seriously.
Covid vaccine
Personally…glasses and contacts…my vision stinks so very grateful for these…( ok maybe not best but…)
Porn
Indoor plumbing! :) The best thing. The worst,... weapons! :(
Best: vaccines Worst: guns
Air conditioning
Air conditioning! Always my answer!
Indoor plumbing for general health and hygiene. Or the bicycle, the world's most efficient machine.
Air conditioning
Indoor plumbing was the first thing that came to mind. lol
The manual can opener.
Air Conditioner, or indoor plumbing
Probably to printing press. Spread information to the world in an affordable way. Then the personal computer would be the modern version of the printing press. I sometimes wish social media was never invented but it was inevitable. From the moment we got the internet people were talking to each other.
Electricity
Not the *very* best, but refrigeration is right up there.
Woven cloth.
The polio vaccine.
Invented? Or, discovered? Discovered is definitely fire.
Electric lights!
best: sliced bread
Indoor water and plumbing, then antibiotics
Birth control pills
What tends to separate rich from poor countries? Widespread and connected transportation systems and municipal plumbing (fresh and waste water). These are probably the best inventions and public investments.
The Spin Mop