What do you think is the worst invention in history?

we'd have no drug-filled, sex-filled 60's that likely gave a 1/4 of the western world cancer or some crazy nerve-disease. We'd never have had the violence filled seventies, or the 'anti-oppression' movement of the 80's. Even that awful 'I'm a 90's man. I can be sensitive.' Thing could have been skipped. We'd just have been well-adjusted, and likely learned our lesson, but no, we had IMAGE!

and you the the '00's have been any better? now we are arrgoant, image obsessed, and slowly losing our constitutional freedoms as well as drowning in our own body fat.

Originally posted by AD5673
I just wanted to know what you think the worst invention in history is. This has been on my mind and so has the other topic i made: www.abovetopsecret.com...
I think the worst invention in history were nuclear wepons. They kill a lot of people and cause high rates of cancer.

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by AD5673]

The worst invention in history.......

While I think about that, I want to tell you why you are wrong about the nuclear weapons. For hundreds of years scientists grinded away, working long hard hours trying to understand our world and universe. One day, a man came forward and said that energy was equal to the mass of an object multiplied by the speed of light squared. He came about this theory after others had layed the foundation. In other words...it came down to...everything we had been learning in physics rested on an equasion that said the energy in a few atoms was great enough to blow a hole a half mile wide in the ground. Many scientists thought this was absurd at the time. What a righteous validation of the capability of the human mind to reason its surroundings.

In anycase, the worst invention was clearly the allen wrench.............and anything that needs it.......whats wrong with a flat head screwdriver for crying out loud.....everyone has those laying around....reinventing the wheel .......

[Edited on 5/10/2004 by Seapeople]

Lotsa good answers. But, If I had to choose a worst invention ever, I'd have to say the automobile. While I've not seen the statistics lately, I know that cars kill lots of people. While something can be said for the gene pool chlorination that automobile accidents provide, unfortunately, they also take out innocent, intelligent people as well. Not to mention the pollution that is directly caused by cars and trucks, and the massive petroleum usage, and thereby dependance on foreign oil.

Yep, the car. Definitely.

POLITICS ...

1. Because it causes too much unecessary griping amongst civillians.

2. In the end no one ever agrees anyways.

3. It has a definitive impact on War.

4. The only ones who really have a say are those running the entire circus.









[Edited on 10-5-2004 by Sapphire]

Organised Religion.
It's killed more people than any other human creation and shows no sign of stopping.

Malaria is the only thing that has killed more. But at least with Malaria you can protect yourself with a couple of pills and some insect repellant.

Maybe they should invent something that I can daub on myself to protect myself from religion. I think "Popeaway" would be a good name for it.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
How sickening, sounds like a bunch of dingbat beauty pageant wannabe winners calling for world peace.

What's wrong with wishing for world peace ?


There's been so many good ones on this thread, serious and non , and I have a few of both myself.

1. I agree with all those who mentioned weapons, especially biological weapons. (yep, I guess I'm just another of those whinging beauty pageant contestants )

2. The minivan - Special thanks goes to this one for ushering in a whole new demographic of sheeplike soccer-parents and their obnoxiously perfect offspring.

3. The Cell Phone - Thanks to the cell phone human beings now have to suffer in public places, by being forced to listen to other human beings having (what should be ) private conversations at the top of their lungs.

4. Cha...Cha...Cha....Chia !!!!! - Need I say more ? Hands down the cheesiest invention EVER. Ugh !

Here are my top 2 worst inventions ever:

1. Car alarms
2. Land mines

This is a toss up for me. Audible car alarms have to be the most annoying invention ever (my car has one, ha!). I'm sure everyone here has been annoyed by one of these several times before.

Land mines are a pretty terrible invention as well, for another obvious reason. How many millions of these forgotten land mines are there throughout the World?

Television. The TV plays a major role in the degradation of the American family in my opinion. Nothing like an electronic babysitter when mom and dad have stuff to do.

Religious text were the worst invention in history hands down. More human beings have died because of relgious disagreement than for any other reason aside from old age..

The worst invention ever is a relative pronoun:

> "Mine."

I think the condom that George Bush and Martha used that broke and led to the creation of George Bush Jr. was the worst invention ever. Most definately.

The worst invention ever? The concept of "more". There, I said it.

Oh, and Mondays..

[Edited on 14-5-2004 by Toelint]

Well I see some really good replies! Nice things said. Really inteligent people here on ATS with a sense of humor!

1.Nuclear bombs

2.Cell phones

3.Playstation 2

Cigarettes own, dude. In the war on cancer, I'm on the winning side

That said, I'd have to agree that biological weaponry is the worst thing we've come up with to date; anyone who has read Stephen King's "The Stand" can probably agree with me.

Organized religion. It's just fuel for the fire.

[Edited on 20-5-2004 by hooligan13]

(when Stephen Kings THE STAND was made into a TV mini series I worked onthe production.......it was hard work, as we finished in 100 days)

OK the WORST invention........the 'marraige license', hands down Ive never personally delt with anything worse..........(PERSONALLY here)

Whoever made mass cigarette machines...The ones that most tobacco companies have that is able to pump out a few thousand cigs a second....you suck. Some day I am gonna get up enough willpower to quite smoking and then I wont have anything more to do with your crappy mass produced things.

That being said....whoever came up with the idea of the modern cigarette. What were you thinking? Why do you put all those extra chemicals in them? You Suck.

Condoms that a.) all have holes 5 time larger than the a AIDS virus b.) always seem to bust, no matter what you try to do to prevent it.

Imho, the invention of 'sides' or oposites is the worst invention there ever was.

Good and Evil
Left and Right
Democrat and Republic
Goodlooking and Ugly
and so on.