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To date, what do you think is the greatest invention or discovery and why? (kbin.social)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Mine is the computer. I continue to be amazed at what we can do with them.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I would rank plumbing pretty high to be sure, but without the steam engine to drive the water pumps, plumbing is limited to aqueducts, gravity sewers, and intermittent, low-volume supply from animal or wind-driven pumps.

Even today, the overwhelming majority of our energy passes through a steam phase at some point. Steam power is by far the most important discovery/invention of the modern world.