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LogDog75

(658 posts)
Mon Jun 2, 2025, 02:43 PM Jun 2

What invention had the greatest impact on humanity and why? [View all]

I'm sure there are a lot of answers but IMO, the plow is the answer.

Early human agriculture was labor intensive where people would use their hands and fingers to plant seeds. When someone began dragging a stick creating a furrow planting required less people. The stick was replace but a bigger stick free more people from farming. Eventually, the design of the plow was discovered and when people used animals to pull the plow it allowed one or two people to do the work of many.

The plow gave people more time to do things like weaving, pottery, baking, etc.. With more free time, people began studying the stars, developing math not only to determine how much they had but how it could be used for building. In short, the plow allowed the beginnings of astronomy, math, science, building, etc., which furthered the growth of human society. It is from the humble beginnings of the plow we owe to everything we use today.

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Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
fish hooks . AllaN01Bear Jun 2 #1
Why? LogDog75 Jun 2 #2
give a man a fhish hook and u can feed him for a day AllaN01Bear Jun 2 #13
Language Midnight Writer Jun 2 #3
Easy cheap birth control for all women. Irish_Dem Jun 2 #4
Interchangeable parts The Wizard Jun 2 #5
Cruise control Henry203 Jun 2 #6
Fire. Could cook food and not freeze to death. Could use as weapon and to clear land. sinkingfeeling Jun 2 #7
But fire isn't an invention, it's a discovery. malthaussen Jun 3 #24
Fire. Basso8vb Jun 2 #8
harnessing electricity k_buddy762 Jun 2 #9
Clothing OC375 Jun 2 #10
The steam engine justaprogressive Jun 2 #11
The Internet kacekwl Jun 2 #12
Alphabets. lastlib Jun 2 #14
Greatest impact? Earl_from_PA Jun 2 #15
Many good answers. I'll go with the plow for one of the very first. Norrrm Jun 2 #16
Transistor. Mosby Jun 2 #17
Society nuxvomica Jun 2 #18
'I can domesticate him', says: Norrrm Jun 2 #19
Soap Intractable Jun 2 #20
This message was self-deleted by its author wyn borkins Jun 2 #21
Politics. Or religion. One and the same. n/t malthaussen Jun 3 #22
Jerry Pournelle argued it was the rigid horse collar. malthaussen Jun 3 #23
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