What do you consider to be mankind's greatest technical/engineering acheivement?

a reply to: ElGoobero

The splitting of the atom

I would go with the production of LIGO or the LHC and the joining detector suites.

Both of these are extraordinarily complex and in many ways, mind bending in their capabilities

LIGO's interferometer being able to detect deviations of about 1/10,000 the width of the proton in the positions and surfaces of its mirrors is frankly an incredible feat of engineering.

Unfortunatley for me its firearms, has any of the other inventions been used as often by so many, Guns have been designed to make killing as easy as possible, almost any human can operate one, all they need is an index finger and your good to kill, anything which stands in your way, dont think just kill.

originally posted by: UpIsNowDown
Unfortunatley for me its firearms, has any of the other inventions been used as often by so many, Guns have been designed to make killing as easy as possible, almost any human can operate one, all they need is an index finger and your good to kill, anything which stands in your way, dont think just kill.

the firearm enables me to sleep peaceful at night and not worry about some thug breaking in and crushing me.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Definitely fire. Without it, civilization would have been difficult if not impossible.

Soft close toilet seat. A moment of sanity in a world gone mad

Coffee.

And then the crack pipe.

I enjoy pockets a lot.

Here's my top 5.

- The Great Pyramid of Giza
- Electric grid
- The internet - 6 Aug, 1991
- Spacecraft
- Nuclear 'Boomer' Sub

a reply to: ElGoobero

Movable type print, it's hard to troll someone with a quill ink and parchment.

That and it helped bring in the age of discovery.