Author Topic: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!  (Read 17681 times)

Offline Triple Jim

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #60 on: December 10, 2016, 08:00:24 PM »
Microprocessors and all they entail really are an amazing thing.  My son and I are working on some really neat microcontroller based ignition systems, and it's amazing to be able to change some C code and have the whole nature of the system change.  What would take hundreds of components to make, and hundreds of different components to change, can now be done in a few minutes with a handful of parts.  Advance curves, position sensing, and user feedback are all based in the software.

When I installed a beta system in my Mille, I checked the timing and found I was a couple degrees off.  I told my son, and rather than have to take off the gas tank, loosen the distributor, and carefully try to turn it just the right amount, he just made the change in software in about two minutes.

Think of how many things in our lives are based on microprocessors!
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Offline kirkemon

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #61 on: December 10, 2016, 08:07:06 PM »
MONEY - with out it you would have to take your cow to town to trade for you Guzzi. :thumb:
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Offline Tom

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #62 on: December 10, 2016, 08:18:18 PM »
Electricity, steel, writing materials, cordage & containers (earthenware, glass, ceramic)
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Offline OlDogface

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #63 on: December 10, 2016, 08:36:52 PM »
Thumbs.
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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #63 on: December 10, 2016, 08:36:52 PM »

Offline johnr

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #64 on: December 11, 2016, 04:18:14 AM »
Two things I think of as immensely important.

1/ Having a number for nothing (zero)
2 / Woolen socks (and being able to utilise wool in general)
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kirby1923

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #65 on: December 11, 2016, 08:56:01 AM »
Two things I think of as immensely important.

1/ Having a number for nothing (zero)
2 / Woolen socks (and being able to utilise wool in general)



Without a doubt..very important!

Invented by an Italian living in North Africa...go figure.

In many places on this planet 0 is used to designate the 1st floor on lifts...go figure.

Offline Xlratr

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #66 on: December 11, 2016, 10:11:50 AM »
In many places on this planet 0 is used to designate the 1st floor on lifts...go figure.

Because in those places they don't consider it to *be* the first floor. It's the ground floor.
A question of perspective probably :-)


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kirby1923

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #67 on: December 11, 2016, 10:53:43 AM »
Because in those places they don't consider it to *be* the first floor. It's the ground floor.
A question of perspective probably :-)


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So does this mean that the ground floor means nothing?

:-)

Offline Xlratr

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #68 on: December 11, 2016, 10:59:45 AM »



So does this mean that the ground floor means nothing?

:-)

A question I cannot answer, therefore I propose a different question! :-)
Does it mean that the basement is "zero" in the US, as opposed to -1 here? And if not, what happened to the zero? :-)


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kirby1923

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #69 on: December 11, 2016, 11:25:46 AM »
A question I cannot answer, therefore I propose a different question! :-)
Does it mean that the basement is "zero" in the US, as opposed to -1 here? And if not, what happened to the zero? :-)


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I suppose the basement could e considered 01? or -01?
Although 0 is indispensable in math it otherwise is considered as nothing.

Hey, just needed a chuckle.

Spent a bit of time on a aircraft carrier and the hangar deck was considered #1 and all decks above were numbered as 01,02 etc.
decks below were single numbers starting with #1 the hangar,then 2,3, etc.
It seems odd to me to have a 0 floor, but I will deal with it!

:-)
« Last Edit: December 11, 2016, 11:36:53 AM by kirby1923 »

Offline Tom

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #70 on: December 11, 2016, 11:36:13 AM »
The concept of cash.  Motivating someone for a piece of paper....now that concept has to change for a digital number in a digital bank.
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Offline azguzzirep

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #71 on: December 12, 2016, 07:03:08 AM »
Fire was Not invented. Fire is a natural phenomenon and Man only learned to control it. Same for electricity.


I think the pulley and fulcrum are two great inventions.
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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #72 on: December 12, 2016, 07:28:41 AM »
The concept of cash.  Motivating someone for a piece of paper....now that concept has to change for a digital number in a digital bank.

So, how'd that bitcoin thing turn out? I remember a big proponent on here at one time.. :grin:
« Last Edit: December 12, 2016, 07:29:23 AM by Chuck in Indiana »
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Offline rocker59

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #73 on: December 12, 2016, 08:55:50 AM »
A question I cannot answer, therefore I propose a different question! :-)
Does it mean that the basement is "zero" in the US, as opposed to -1 here? And if not, what happened to the zero? :-)


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USA:

Different buildings' elevators are labelled differently.
1= Ground Floor
L= Lobby, which is usually the Ground Floor.   In that case the next floor up is still 2.
G= Ground, for Ground Floor.  In that case the next floor up is still 2.

For basement levels, they're usually "B".
B1 = first floor under ground
B2 = second floor under ground
B3 = third floor underground
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Offline Lannis

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #74 on: December 12, 2016, 09:06:27 AM »
USA:

Different buildings' elevators are labelled differently.
1= Ground Floor
L= Lobby, which is usually the Ground Floor.   In that case the next floor up is still 2.
G= Ground, for Ground Floor.  In that case the next floor up is still 2.

For basement levels, they're usually "B".
B1 = first floor under ground
B2 = second floor under ground
B3 = third floor underground

Tell 'em what happens after floor #12, Daddy!    :laugh:
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Offline rocker59

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #75 on: December 12, 2016, 09:35:19 AM »
Tell 'em what happens after floor #12, Daddy!    :laugh:

 :laugh:

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Offline Lannis

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #76 on: December 12, 2016, 09:48:51 AM »
:laugh:



Finding #13 is like finding platform 9-3/4 ... and probably gets you to the same kind of place ...

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Offline kenvil1

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #77 on: December 12, 2016, 11:31:35 AM »
What about glass or rubber? I won't argue that electricity is likely at the top of the heap, but can you imagine cars with plastic windshields and rubber-less wheels?

Offline johnr

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #78 on: December 12, 2016, 05:13:37 PM »
What about glass or rubber? I won't argue that electricity is likely at the top of the heap, but can you imagine cars with plastic windshields and rubber-less wheels?

Well actually, yes I can. The glasses I'm wearing have plastic lenses.  I would prefer toughened glass but the optical qualities of plastic are getting darned good.  And tires are getting less and less rubbery too. Various forms of silicon are forming an ever greater part of them.

Interesting little diversion about lift floors. Here the ground floor is G (ground) and the next floor up is the 1st floor (1) If there is a 13th floor it is labeled as such.  A basement is (B) but it is rare to have more than one basement level here.

No comment about wool? It is still one of the best fibers for a variety of applications and it's insulating properties are legendary.   If I was carpeting a house I would consider no other fibre.

I was a bit surprised at air conditioning being listed here. Frankly I wouldn't want to live in a place where that was considered a necessity. Perhaps I'm too used to living in a temperate climate.

The smelting of metal probably deserves a mention.
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Offline drums4money

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #79 on: December 12, 2016, 06:25:35 PM »
:laugh:

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Offline drums4money

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #80 on: December 12, 2016, 06:29:54 PM »
Polio -.

My grandfather was an incredible guy.  I bet he would've been incredible'r without a leg brace and two crutches. 
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Offline johnr

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #81 on: December 12, 2016, 07:55:05 PM »
0r vaccinations in general eh Drums?

It is interesting is it not that the majority of the technologies mentioned here that we take for granted have only impacted our every day lives since the industrial revolution.

Taking the work of James Watt and his steam engine as the start point for that (though steam power can be dated beck to the ancient Greeks) that is just 235 years. A mere pin prick in human history.

I'm one of those that subscribes to the idea that technological bubbles may well have occurred before in our deeper past, but while interesting, that is not really relevant to our lives now except in that, if they occurred, they did not survive into history as we commonly take it. Could it be that such technology bubbles tend to be self destructive and the one we live within may not last that long either?

What is certain is that technology as we know it depends on the specialist and for specialists to exist a certain level of population is required.  When a population drops below a certain level every able bodied person becomes fully involved in such basics as food and shelter. There is then no room people who do not contribute directly to this.  Within two generations it would be extremely unusual to find anyone who could actually read!

Back to square one we would go for who knows how long.
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Penderic

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #82 on: December 13, 2016, 12:55:51 AM »
Education!



Penderic

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #83 on: December 17, 2016, 08:26:15 PM »


Bah! Humbug! The Zener diode!

Looks like a zit, works like zhit and this post should be in the worse invention thread, but I cant seem to find that thread, so here I yam.   :rolleyes:

Offline lucian

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #84 on: December 17, 2016, 09:21:59 PM »
Threads,  no pun intended.  as in threaded fasteners

Penderic

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #85 on: December 17, 2016, 10:32:39 PM »
No left hand threads on this forum please!


 :laugh:

Offline OldMojo

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #86 on: December 17, 2016, 11:08:36 PM »
Threads,  no pun intended.  as in threaded fasteners

This.
But I would submit that the success of threads owes much to the invention of the Phillips head. Had mankind been limited to slot head fasteners, I'm fairly certain civilization would have ground to a halt due to frustration.
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Penderic

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #87 on: December 18, 2016, 03:37:37 AM »
Although threads and spinning are also important.


 :boozing:
« Last Edit: December 18, 2016, 03:39:09 AM by Penderic »

Penderic

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #88 on: December 18, 2016, 03:42:26 AM »
Before wheels came the plough.


 :huh:

Offline Nic in Western NYS

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Re: The Greatest Invention of Mankind - Or it's time for me to take a break!
« Reply #89 on: December 18, 2016, 05:53:05 AM »
Two things I think of as immensely important.

1/ Having a number for nothing (zero)
2 / Woolen socks (and being able to utilise wool in general)
These are great!  Zero is an amazing concept - way to go homo sapiens (though maybe other species figured this out - some experimenter could probe for a ph.d. or maybe it's been done already). A quick wiki glance dates zero back to the Babylonians.  Negative, imaginary, and irrational numbers are pretty cool too.

Wool.  Let's see, Johnr's from...where?  Hmm, the ratio of sheep to humans on that lovely island nation is ... used to be 20:1 and is still 7:1.  Great fiber for clothes (itchy sometimes though) but there must be a better case to be made for it than I can come up with. 
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