Posted on 05/15/2016 9:02:59 AM PDT by PROCON
Which was a more important innovation: indoor plumbing, jet air travel or mobile phones?
We’re in the golden age of innovation, an era in which digital technology is transforming the underpinnings of human existence. Or so a techno-optimist might argue.
We’re in a depressing era in which innovation has slowed and living standards are barely rising. That’s what some skeptical economists believe.
The truth is, this isn’t a debate that can be settled objectively. Which was a more important innovation: indoor plumbing, jet air travel or mobile phones? You could argue for any of them, and data can tell plenty of different stories depending on how you look at it. Productivity statistics or information on inflation-adjusted incomes is helpful, but can’t really tell you whether the advent of air-conditioning or the Internet did more to improve humanity’s quality of life.
(Excerpt) Read more at mobile.nytimes.com ...
My grandmother was raised in a covered wagon and homesteaded on the Texas plains in a mud house and traveled by horse-drawn wagon. Saw the railroads come in and the bicycle and roadways, the automobile and the airplane. Then the jet and even the lunar landings.
When asked which things made the most impact, it was the washing machine, refrigerator, and electric stove. The transportation allowed people to eat more than the crops and cattle they raised or the water they could draw from a well or catch in a large catch-basin.
She saw the advent of the radio, TV, PC, typewriter, motion pictures, movies, VCRs, and cell phone.
She saw horse and ox power, gasoline power, diesel power, steam power, nuclear power, electrical power, solar power, and windmills.
From the late 1890s thru the 1980s, she saw some of the most influential technological changes of modern man.
“...people have to go without beer unless there is refrigeration.”
Not me. I prefer my beer un-refrigerated except during summer.
I learned to like it that way while living in England. A cold beer on a cold day is the absolute pits for me. I’ve been known to warm them up in the oven before drinking them on cold days.
“Anyone remember calling the USA from VN going through
MARS stations?”
I was too young to know anything about the dialing procedure, but when I was a kid overseas, we only called the grandparents back stateside once a year. It was very expensive.
Electric power.
“That one is easy to answer.”
Yep, sure is. The most important invention of modern times is the integrated circuit or what some refer to as solid state technology. Just about everything or anything depends on it.
I’d vote AC electricity to the cities. Indoor plumbing, then move to the modern age.
Anyone who doesn’t support indoor plumbing should have
to use an outhouse in the middle of winter or haul water
from a well which is itself an improvement on a crick.
Sounds fine to me... my comment pertained to beer-making, which is heavily reliant on refrigeration — German beer used to be made in caves, where it’s year-round cool, and as the population grew, the entire product year would be consumed well before the next batch was even begun. Artificial refrigeration was developed and caught on because of that, rather than, oh, otherwise the children will starve or get rickets.
:’) Preachin’ to the choir... the smell alone in the summer would be enough to change some minds. ;’)
“my comment pertained to beer-making, which is heavily reliant on refrigeration”
Didn’t know that. Thanks for the history lesson.
Toilet paper. Can’t imagine life without it.
Members of current generations tend to think that we have seen the most changes. Those of us who are baby boomers have seen lots of changes mostly relating to electronic devices. But the older folks are the ones who saw far more substantial changes in their actual lifestyles. That is why in the 1950s and 60s especially, we saw all these predictions of flying cars and exploring the universe. People assumed worthwhile changes would continue at the same pace.
Instead we sit around doing nothing but wasting time communicating with other people who are also doing nothing. My grandparents must all be rolling over in their graves in disgust. Most people don't even bother to get any real exercise. Wait a second I think my wife is telling me to go do something constructive... Continue this later.
But, how do people who work sun up to sun down have time to read, even if they can, unless there is something that enables free time. Thus, perhaps a greater innovation is whatever provides mankind with the available free time to think about what comes next. If you are not born into the moneyed class, how do you find time to think.
We had a nosy neighbor on our party line. I remember my Grandmother telling her to “hang up.”
The other day our power went out and I tried to call the electric company. Discovered our phones were out also. I had forgot they all plug into the electric outlets. Then I remembered I wouldn't let my husband throw out our old phones when we got these ones. Searched the boxes in the garage found it and plugged it into the phone line and WALA! it worked.
Before you say get a cell phone, cell phones go out also. Also if in an emergency at home 911 may not be able to find you.
In the 70's in San Jose CA the kids ran across a phone number (unbeknownst to the phone company) that would allow 20-30 kids or more get on the line and all talk to each other. I found that number and would listen in and then would announce, "This is your mother" :-) Eventually the phone company discovered this and cut it off.
And, I want to add Compound Interest to my list of important innovations. Once the people have found time to read, then they can find time to invest and reap a better return on that investment with CI. Thus allowing them to rise in class and get out of the mud hut with no a/c and drink better beer.
One could make an argument for a specific tool as being the most significant innovation, but given the accumulation of every innovation before it, sanitation and refrigeration have probably contributed more to humans living longer healthier lives than anything else.
And in 2016, Gov’t created the unisex bathrooms, locker rooms and SHOWERS just for preverts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.