What is the greatest invention of the last 50 years?

[ramuman]

To clarify, I don't want to exclude electronics, just things that directly are computer related things (PCs, internet, etc. because the internet and PC would be the definitive inventions of the last 50 years otherwise) - e.g. Walkman is fine. Game consoles too.

It's hard to pin down one thing that changed people's lives over the last 100 years. The list would have to include everything from the inventions leading upto the nuclear age to the computer and internet. Excluding the contributions of Einstein, Oppenheimer, Bardeen, Shockley, Turing, Fermi, Bose, Planck, etc. (over 50 years) or Woz, Gates, Berners-Lee, Cooper, Grove etc. (computer related), what do you think was the greatest scientific invention/discovery of the last half century?

I think this is fairly interesting question. I'll leave the interpretation fairly open ended.

My vote? Either for somatic cell nuclear transfer or RNA interference - something along those lines.

Please no moral/religious flames.

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Oral contraceptive pill. Its hard to think of things in the last 50 years if we exclude electronic devices.

 

[ELopes580]

Non electronic? I'd say Breast Implants.

 

[Brentx]

Originally posted by: hscorpio
Oral contraceptive pill. Its hard to think of things in the last 50 years if we exclude electronic devices.

I would have to say that, antibiotics or gene therapy, as that is turning out to be one of the most profound discoveries yet.

Also, I would say MRI machines, but again, that is electronic.

 

[Rubycon]

Downdraft foam fractionator
Hook and loop fastener (aka Velcro)
Resettable combination lock

 

[ramuman]

Originally posted by: Brentx

Originally posted by: hscorpio
Oral contraceptive pill. Its hard to think of things in the last 50 years if we exclude electronic devices.

I would have to say that, antibiotics or gene therapy, as that is turning out to be one of the most profound discoveries yet.

Also, I would say MRI machines, but again, that is electronic.

MRI is fine here. I thought about MRI quite a bit, the Nobel prize that was awarded in it was one of the more controversial ones of recent (third inventor felt he was snubbed) and nuclear magnetic resonance is a very wide spread concept.

 

[JS80]

Reaganomics.

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Plastics! It is the one material in the last 100 years that has drastically impacted our lives, other than silicon which is basically excluded. Of course it might not be considered great due to pollution, but it has definitely had a huge impact on everyones lives.

 

[Baked]

Internet porn.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

fleshlight