18 Comments
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B. G. Jackson, HB's avatar

I nominate the ancient water clock, as the first recorded example of a feedback control system, the same principle that runs your home thermostat, every electrical power supply, and the innards of almost any useful thing. It may not beat the optical lens, but it surely shares the podium.

See https://lewisgroup.uta.edu/history.htm, "Brief History of Feedback Control," with a brief scroll down to the section "Water Clocks of the Greeks and Arabs."

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Brad Smith's avatar

Very Interesting, good pick.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Hadn't heard of the water clock. It's brilliant, for sure! Looks like an early example of engineering, too: developing something that can perform action, rather than simply serve as a static tool in the hands of an actioning human.

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B. G. Jackson, HB's avatar

Yes! Amazing!!

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Brad Smith's avatar

I'd have to go with the printing press, there isn't much in the world today that hasn't been influenced by it's creation in one way or another.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

The printing press is on the list!

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Rat's avatar

I nominate Haber-Bosch process.

Most of the humans living today are alive thanks to it.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Yes, increasing food supply has been vital!

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Bacon Commander's avatar

I would argue that the internal combustion engine is the pinnacle of human achievement. It was a glorious age, but it’s been all downhill ever since.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

The internal combustion engine is a huge development, and on the engineering side, too (like the ancient water clock).

> but it’s been all downhill ever since.

Are you familiar with the hypothesis by folks like Steve Patterson and Bret Weinstein that society has been in a new "dark age" for a while? I tend to agree. There have been a few amazing breakthroughs in engineering that mask a bunch of terribly dumb stuff that passes for "science" and "expert" culture.

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Bacon Commander's avatar

I've learned that evolution and progress are really big lies that serve to maintain the false narratives to which we're subjected.

Humanity is not improving, it's actually getting worse. We're dumber, stupider and lazier than before, not better. The concept of steady forward progress is pervasive and powerful, but it's false.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Real progress seems to ebb and flow; it's not a straight line with a constant slope.

And as Zero hedge reminds those who seek or stumble upon its site, "On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

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Steven Work's avatar

Yes, and corp-media is not asking why with a trillion dollar budget we do not have hypersonic missiles or defense systems as Russia and Iran and likely many other countries have?

But don't worry, the DEI Affirmative-Action meritless hires only need another 10 years, nearly long enough that the homeless well-educated unwritten-policy of refusing employment victims, the sons of previous generations of engineers and research scientist, refused employment because of white men-ness. Those hypersonic and other breakthroughs might be shown to fail before the last homeless white man testicle-crushed confused victim of the baby-murdering Matriarchy dies, lying on our feces covered streets - with a 'thank God for letting me die and leave this vicious vile hate-filled Hell.' dying last whisper.

What did Patterson and Weinstein suggest was the cause? 'toxic masculinity'?

God Bless., Steve

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Steve Patterson wrote about his hypothesis in 2021 and then reprinted it in2023 after he moved to Substack: https://stevepatterson.substack.com/p/our-present-dark-age-part-1

He dates the beginning of the Dark Age to at least a century ago. Bret Weinstein might push it back even earlier, to the late 19th Century, but I don't recall his exact timeline and basic analysis. Regardless, stubbornly stupid, evil "white men" were firmly in charge back then 🤔 🤣

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Adam Haman's avatar

Optical lens, water clock, internal combustion engine, printing press, fire... all good options.

My pick is the blanket. Man, we never would've gotten anywhere without discovering blanket technology. Still use it every day, too. Bed, couch, backyard hammock... gotta have that blanket.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Finally, someone makes a blanket statement!

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Adam Haman's avatar

(rim shot)

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