# Survey



## ehanes7612 (Oct 7, 2014)

What do you think is the most important invention of the 20th C?


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## Ryan Young (Oct 8, 2014)

Internet. 

Sent from my oneplus one


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## abax (Oct 8, 2014)

Why do you want to know? Who do you work for? CIA NSA FB?????
Paranoids want to know.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 8, 2014)

it's an anecdotal study to see what people will say...the roots of this came from a study done on what a Rabbi said was the most important invention of the 20th C..when I heard it ..I realized I never would have gotten it..but it makes perfect sense..so I thought to devise this survey to see if I was alone.


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## troy (Oct 8, 2014)

He's gonna tunnel up underneath your house to see what yur doing lol..


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## troy (Oct 8, 2014)

Mass communication, technology given the ability to identify


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## cnycharles (Oct 8, 2014)

Ac generator or pennicillin


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## BLReed (Oct 8, 2014)

The transistor. About sixty years ago by three men working at Bell Labs.
They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

In 1954 Texas Instruments produced the first commercial silicon transistor.


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## Denver (Oct 8, 2014)

synthetic nitrogen. Without it none of the other inventions would have taken place as 50+% of the population would still be required to grow food for a much smaller population


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 8, 2014)

I guess I wasnt alone in my thinking


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## KyushuCalanthe (Oct 8, 2014)

I'll take a different tack - the atomic bomb. The reason is simple, since it may very well define the future of our species.


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## Ruth (Oct 8, 2014)

refrigerators


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## gnathaniel (Oct 8, 2014)

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) has got to be pretty high up by any measure of importance...


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## silence882 (Oct 9, 2014)

I second the transistor.


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## abax (Oct 9, 2014)

Well, WHAT, Ed??????


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 9, 2014)

"I was listening to a rabbi's sermon — this was maybe five or six years ago — and he began by saying that the birth control pill may have been the most important invention of the 20th century."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/201...ead-to-a-magical-pill-and-a-sexual-revolution

I didn't think anyone would get this..I, for one , never would have thought of it..but makes perfect sense to me...at least in the Western Hemisphere


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## Drorchid (Oct 10, 2014)

It is a toss up between a ziploc bag, and velcro..

Robert


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## naoki (Oct 10, 2014)

Ditto with Nat. PCR is a still amazing technology, which brought a whole new dimension to humanity (from forensic to understandings of the origin and evolution of human, disease, and biodiversity).


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## paphioland (Oct 11, 2014)

The ability to understand and sequence DNA, nuclear fusion/fission, computers/code. I would strongly disagree with birthcontrol. Sort of short sighted.


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## PaphMadMan (Oct 11, 2014)

DNA sequencing is a powerful technology that is still just starting to have the transformative effect it will ultimately have on biology and medicine, and other fields we probably can't even imagine yet. It is a tempting choice.

But it comes down to this. If the world's population was 12 billion or 15 billion, 20 billion?, instead of 7 billion, we might not even have most of those other technolgies that have been suggested. The struggle just to survive would have pushed aside any research that didn't apply directly to that day-to-day imperative. Safe, effective, relatively inexpensive birth control has helped limit unimaginable suffering and helped make all those other inventions possible.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 11, 2014)

It says something that most people don't think of bç pills as the answer .. I am getting similar answers on other forums . We take our reproductive rights for granted so much ( and it should be this way) that we can focus on other achievements .. But for impoverished families of the first half of the 20th C and for women who wanted the same freedoms as men , this meant more than anything. And the fact that the first pills were called menstrual disorder pills conveniently describes the attitudes towards women. Why is that the HOBBY LOBBY decision sparked so much outrage, even today? The pill put into reality the movement that started with suffrage and changed our society ( ideologically) moreso than anything. 

The 'importance' of the pill is also its consequences as a polarizing agent..as a symbol of reproductive rights that to this day, many resist. 'The pill' is more than just a tangible thing, it's a meme that has challenged authority and the status quo..not just of the patriarchy but of feminists alike (who thought it was a means of control). It worked with many contributions to the empowerment of women as well as the suffrage movement. 'The Pill' is an ongoing symbol of today's struggles between ProLifers and Right to Choose..it's also the compromise between the two. "The Pill" is seen as that which allows women to be promiscuous or free..it represents all that is evil or good (takes away life or gives life).


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 11, 2014)

paphioland said:


> The ability to understand and sequence DNA, nuclear fusion/fission, computers/code. I would strongly disagree with birthcontrol. Sort of short sighted.



and why do you strongly disagree?..if you are going to use phrases like " Sort of short sighted" , back it up with some form of argument (a reference, citation, or even a stream of conscious thought)..be more proactive in your critical thinking skills.


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## paphioland (Oct 11, 2014)

I don't have tons of time to pontificate on my iPhone. Succinctly there are billions of people much of the world lives without access to birthcontrol. Sure it could change the genetic landscape of humans slightly. It is like making the argument that wars greatly alter humanity. No on is disagreeing that these two things do. Is birthcontrol genetically making humanity dumber, smarter or just less populated? Does it change the dynamics of a society with respect to gdp per person and work. Sure. How it does that is debatable and complicated. Does it biologically affect the type of men women are atttracted to? Maybe. With or without birthcontrol gifted people have access to each other like never before. So a very small part of our society is probably getting smarter at the top end. Back in the day the smart successful hunter mates a few pretty women in his village. Now he marries on woman he meets at Yale law school for example. These people may be 1 in 5k smart. They never would never have met previously. My point is if someone doesn't discover something because they were never born due to BC likely someone else will. If Einstein hadn't come up with all his discoveries by now very likely they all would have been illuminated by now whether by an individual or by a group of people. These discoveries that I mentioned could dramatically change or eliminate humanity. The ability to understand and sequence DNA is the first step to changing and controlling what a human is if we choose. It dictates how smart we are. How long we live. What diseases we have. How our raw intellect and athleticism decays with time. Nuclear fission and fusion will allow us to destroy ourselves or give us the ability to travel deep into space or possibly maybe avoid a life ending collision with meteor. Computers and machines could one day make it so humans don't have to work. We may become cyborgs or even transfer our consciousness onto computer chips to increase our ability to survive especially if we need to travel through space. In addition our robot computer children may take over someday and eliminate or enslave humans. Has birth control had some shortsighted changes in humanity. Yes. Nothing compared to what these other inevitable discoveries will bring with time.


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## paphioland (Oct 11, 2014)

ehanes7612 said:


> and why do you strongly disagree?..if you are going to use phrases like " Sort of short sighted" , back it up with some form of argument (a reference, citation, or even a stream of conscious thought)..be more proactive in your critical thinking skills.



My critical thinking is alive and well. I'm perfectly happy thinking in my own head. I don't get paid to critically think on the Internet. You asked for a survey I gave you an initial answer. I strongly disagree and I listed which I though we're more important. Read you initial post.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 11, 2014)

paphioland said:


> I don't have tons of time to pontificate on my iPhone. Succinctly there are billions of people much of the world lives without access to birthcontrol. Sure it could change the genetic landscape of humans slightly. It is like making the argument that wars greatly alter humanity. No on is disagreeing that these two things do. Is birthcontrol genetically making humanity dumber, smarter or just less populated? Does it change the dynamics of a society with respect to gdp per person and work. Sure. How it does that is debatable and complicated. Does it biologically affect the type of men women are atttracted to? Maybe. With or without birthcontrol gifted people have access to each other like never before. So a very small part of our society is probably getting smarter at the top end. Back in the day the smart successful hunter mates a few pretty women in his village. Now he marries on woman he meets at Yale law school for example. These people may be 1 in 5k smart. They never would never have met previously. My point is if someone doesn't discover something because they were never born due to BC likely someone else will. If Einstein hadn't come up with all his discoveries by now very likely they all would have been illuminated by now whether by an individual or by a group of people. These discoveries that I mentioned could dramatically change or eliminate humanity. The ability to understand and sequence DNA is the first step to changing and controlling what a human is if we choose. It dictates how smart we are. How long we live. What diseases we have. How our raw intellect and athleticism decays with time. Nuclear fission and fusion will allow us to destroy ourselves or give us the ability to travel deep into space or possibly maybe avoid a life ending collision with meteor. Computers and machines could one day make it so humans don't have to work. We may become cyborgs or even transfer our consciousness onto computer chips to increase our ability to survive especially if we need to travel through space. In addition our robot computer children may take over someday and eliminate or enslave humans. Has birth control had some shortsighted changes in humanity. Yes. Nothing compared to what these other inevitable discoveries will bring with time.



Okay, that's better..I don't care if you agree with me or not..but if you are going to make statements like "sort of short sighted' , then you need to back up your thinking, otherwise it just looks like you are trolling..thank you for expanding on your thought process


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 11, 2014)

"The ability to understand and sequence DNA is the first step to changing and controlling what a human is if we choose. It dictates how smart we are. How long we live. What diseases we have. How our raw intellect and athleticism decays with time. Nuclear fission and fusion will allow us to destroy ourselves or give us the ability to travel deep into space or possibly maybe avoid a life ending collision with meteor. Computers and machines could one day make it so humans don't have to work. We may become cyborgs or even transfer our consciousness onto computer chips to increase our ability to survive especially if we need to travel through space"




These are possible outcomes of technology which haven't played out ...so in 100 years the answer could reflect these technologies..but all we can do is speculate. The reality of birth control is more visceral to the everyday person..the teenager who doesnt want to get pregnant but wants to explore their natural impulses, the college student who wants a career and not have to raise a family right away. The diminished use of need for abortion..the challenge to religious institutions around the world. These are more prescient realities than what may happen.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 11, 2014)

BTW, the ability to genetically alter our sexual gametes sounds a little like birth control


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## gonewild (Oct 11, 2014)

You guys are may too serious, if was thinking how great an invention plastic pots were.


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## cnycharles (Oct 11, 2014)

Since penicillin cured my scarlet fever when I was a kid, it's easily the most important to me! That and cap'n crunch is right up there 

Since this Is an orchid crowd, I'd expect more people to suggest sterile tissue culture to be most important


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## ALToronto (Oct 11, 2014)

The birth control pill is a convenience. If it didn't exist, there are other methods of birth and population control. If anything, it has had a detrimental effect on society, since the more education a woman has (or intends to have), the more likely she is to take it and use it correctly. The population that really needs birth control isn't using it. Meanwhile, the birth rate among the smartest people has plummeted. And btw, I took it for over 10 years.

I vote for synthetic nitrogen. Without an adequate food supply, we wouldn't have the time to spend on all the fun techy stuff. We've been overdoing it, but that doesn't negate the importance of fertilizers.


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## gnathaniel (Oct 11, 2014)

Like I said in my original answer, it really comes down to what and respecting what is meant by 'important,' including whether we're talking about relative importance of inventions FROM the 20th century or TO the 20th century. Regardless, birth control is certainly a strong contender in light of, among other things, its huge impact on social roles and relationships of women and men in the societies where it's available and widespread in use. 

Anyway, I'm going to change my answer to the enforceable arbitration clause. Though not without its significant drawbacks, it's been and continues to be a hugely important enabler of international trade. Commercial arbitration schemes and the national laws supporting them have even been argued by some legal scholars to be the only true system of international (or transnational) governance yet invented. So yeah, top that.


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## abax (Oct 12, 2014)

I agree about birth control pills, but I was going to say stem cell research
and DNA sequencing.

You actually listen to your Rabbi's sermons??? Geez, I never do...maybe I should.


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## ehanes7612 (Oct 12, 2014)

abax said:


> I agree about birth control pills, but I was going to say stem cell research
> and DNA sequencing.
> 
> You actually listen to your Rabbi's sermons??? Geez, I never do...maybe I should.



It's in the article I posted


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## orcoholic (Oct 12, 2014)

The chip.......potato and corn


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## Trithor (Oct 13, 2014)

I was going to say , BEER!, then I realized that it was discovered way earlier than the 20thC.


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## gonewild (Oct 13, 2014)

Trithor said:


> I was going to say , BEER!, then I realized that it was discovered way earlier than the 20thC.



Really? I think all living beer drinkers discovered it in the 20th.


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## robx (Oct 13, 2014)

Hmm, for me it's a toss up between the transistor and the poptart.


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## cnycharles (Nov 12, 2014)

* - the mute button on the remote control (or the remote control)
And since I like food and cooking, things like stainless steel, Teflon pans, convection/toaster oven and microwave, automatic rice cooker, portable grill/stove are all up there pretty high (plus microwave popcorn bags)


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## NYEric (Nov 12, 2014)

viagra! :evil:


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## cnycharles (Nov 12, 2014)

NYEric said:


> viagra! :evil:



There's an ambulance chaser/lawsuit commercial on tv stating that this chemical has been linked to cancer (how many people would be in that class action lawsuit?)


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## ALToronto (Nov 13, 2014)

cnycharles said:


> There's an ambulance chaser/lawsuit commercial on tv stating that this chemical has been linked to cancer (how many people would be in that class action lawsuit?)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



And how many would you have to take in order to get cancer from it!


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## NYEric (Nov 13, 2014)

No more viagra for you!!


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## cnycharles (Nov 13, 2014)

ALToronto said:


> And how many would you have to take in order to get cancer from it!



They don't say, but like anything safe in moderation I'm sure there are those who over-indulge 


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## ALToronto (Nov 14, 2014)

NYEric said:


> No more viagra for you!!



Ummm... if you mean for me, I wouldn't have much use for it personally. A few posts ago in this thread I mentioned that I took the birth control pill for 10 years...


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## Stone (Nov 14, 2014)

Never listen to a sermon from anyone who believes in fairy stories. They are coming from a twisted viewpoint.


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## orcoholic (Nov 14, 2014)

cnycharles said:


> There's an ambulance chaser/lawsuit commercial on tv stating that this chemical has been linked to cancer (how many people would be in that class action lawsuit?)
> 
> Err, ahh, not me yeah, not me.


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## NYEric (Nov 15, 2014)

Heck! I'll take my chances, you know, risk vs. reward!!


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## cnycharles (Nov 15, 2014)

Funny nobody asked where the cancer was most likely to be


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## NYEric (Nov 15, 2014)

If you keep playing with it, it will fall off didn't happen!


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## Marco (May 10, 2015)

ehanes7612 said:


> What do you think is the most important invention of the 20th C?



Google


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