The most revolutionary technology

[Loren Booda]

What applied science has [had] the potential to cause the greatest societal advance in human history?

[HalfThere]

The semiconductor, which forms the basis of all modern computing. From the internet to the iPod, it's at the heart of the current technological paradigm.

[wolram]

What applied science has [had] the potential to cause the greatest societal advance in human history?


Cement science?

[FredGarvin]

The semi conductor is a good guess. But I will still have to stick to my guns with my standard answer to this question. Metallurgy. Specifically, the understanding and perfection of steel.

[Danger]

This might not qualify as applied science in the intent of your question, but I'd go with linguistics. If we can't communicate, we can't accomplish anything of significance.

[whatta]

computer science, if someone will breed it with some logic ;)

[D H]

All of these answers are too recent. I say agriculture.

[out of whack]

The printing press. It enabled dissemination of knowledge to the masses.

[whatta]

All of these answers are too recent.Yep, we speak of things (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_scarcity) that are yet to come.

[Averagesupernova]

Synthetic rubber. Consider our transportation without it.

[frobos]

I’d say electrification. Consider our life without it. The next will be genetics.
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[AlexES16]

2)Electromagnetism and 1)Chemistry


Electromagnetism works for;

-Light
-Computers
-Modern Science
-Science tools
-Modern Medicine
-Factories
-Electric Veichules
-Refrigeration
-Communication


Chemistry

-Medicine
-Drugs
-Toxicology
-Materials
etc.

[Danger]

Synthetic rubber. Consider our transportation without it.

And consider how much worse our population explosion would be without it... :uhh:

[Skrambles]

This is one of the most vague questions I have ever read. Before or after the industrial revolution? What is meant by "societal advance" exactly? Does this apply only to modern Homo sapiens sapiens or all the way back to our earliest "human" ancestors?

[Blenton]

Teleportation, as trips to the moon & mars took too long to... wait nevermind.

[Danger]

Teleportation, as trips to the moon & mars took too long to... wait nevermind.

Damned time-travelers... :grumpy:
I thought that I had a trap set for the likes of you.

Anyhow, as the sign in Callahan's Cross-Time Saloon reads: "Time travelers, strictly cash."

[Ranger Mike]

in my opinion it was the ability for early modern man to speak..language.
neanderthals could not develop this basic communication skill and lost out big time to a physically weaker competitor.

this is not an applied science tho..
i will go with alchemy..the search to change iron. lead into GOLD...



Danger ,,,sign me up for next Callahan's Cross-Time Saloon tour!

[Danger]

Danger ,,,sign me up for next Callahan's Cross-Time Saloon tour!

You know it, pal. I hope that you like Keith's.

[Drakkith]

Damned time-travelers... :grumpy:
I thought that I had a trap set for the likes of you.

Anyhow, as the sign in Callahan's Cross-Time Saloon reads: "Time travelers, strictly cash."

Danger, a sign on the side of a van that reads "Free Candy for Time Travelers" isn't considered an elaborate trap. No matter what instruments of death are inside...

[Danger]

Danger, a sign on the side of a van that reads "Free Candy for Time Travelers" isn't considered an elaborate trap. No matter what instruments of death are inside...

Damn, but I hate being caught like that! Regular assorted candy would have been a sure giveaway, but I thought that the offering of only strawberry Twizzles was rather subtle. I guess that I'm just getting too old to fly with today's flock.