# Greatest Engineering Achievements



## redrum (Feb 26, 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Engi...ng_Achievements

* 1. Electrification

* 2. Automobile

* 3. Airplane

* 4. Water supply and Distribution

* 5. Electronics

* 6. Radio and Television

* 7. Mechanised agriculture

* 8. Computers

* 9. Telephone

* 10. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

* 11. Highways

* 12. Spacecraft

* 13. Internet

* 14. Imaging

* 15. Household appliances

* 16. Health Technologies

* 17. Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies

* 18. Laser and Fiber Optics

* 19. Nuclear technologies

* 20. Materials science


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## FusionWhite (Feb 26, 2007)

I hate these lists because for some reason they trivialize all the little things that go into making these achievements.

As far as #1 I would say its the airplane.

Why? Because its something humans CANT do without the technology. All electricity does is give us better light and ways to cook stuff, which we can do with fire. Cars just give us ways to get around, which we can do with our own feet or horses. But flying is something that cannot be done by man without the airplane.


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## benbo (Feb 26, 2007)

I think they are all amazing, but the ones that impress me are the things I could not possibly have imagined. You can stick out your hand while riding your horse and get some idea of Bernoulli forces and lift. Not that I would have ever connected the dots, but it can be seen and sensed. Now, radio waves and transmitting pictures through the ether in electromagfnetic waves? Never in a zillion years would I have thought of it. I guess when AC goes through a line I might pick up some sort of transmission accidentally, but I would have been baffled. I have an EE degree and I still don't 100% understand it.


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## Desert Engineer (Feb 26, 2007)

I would have to add cement/concrete up there. Think about where we would be with out it.


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## Dleg (Feb 26, 2007)

I wonder why sewage collection and treatment didn't make the list. I thought that was generally considered one of the things that raised humanity from the level of the animals.


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## grover (Feb 27, 2007)

ce hopeful said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Engi...ng_Achievements
> * 1. Electrification
> 
> * 2. Automobile
> ...


I don't even know if I'd consider all of those "engineering achievements" per se... I'm an EE, but I can recognize the best part of the "electrification" effort was not the engineers, but the scientists who discovered the principals of electricity and the wage workers who made it all happen. I'd say similar about highways, nuclear science, etc. Likewise, the airplane (at least the first one) wasn't engineered, it was invented by a couple of bicycle mechanics. Engineers play(ed) key roles in all these, but I don't think I'd necessarily call most of them "engineering" acheivements.

Spacecraft, though- I'd think I'd consider that the greatest engineering achievement, only because engineering is so absolutely critical; every piece must be _exactly_ as strong as it needs to be and no stronger, the lines must be exactly the right size, the temperature rise and materials chosen for just the right strength/temperature, the electronics designed not only to operate flawlessly, but to run on next to no power, etc, etc.


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## Hill William (Feb 27, 2007)

How about the wheel????


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Feb 27, 2007)

Beer isn't one of them?


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## MetroRAFB (Feb 27, 2007)

I called BS on the entire list when I didn't see Astroglide listed.


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## singlespeed (Feb 27, 2007)

grover said:


> Likewise, the airplane (at least the first one) wasn't engineered, it was invented by a couple of bicycle mechanics.


Back in those days, bicycle mechanics *were* engineers and from these lowly mechanics, sprang inventions like steam engines, cars, airplanes, etc..


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Feb 27, 2007)

MetroRAFB said:


> I called BS on the entire list when I didn't see Astroglide listed.





> * 16. Health Technologies, * 20. Materials science, * 17. Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies


It's implied.


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## Fudgey (Feb 27, 2007)

Scarecrows were a great invention too.


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## EdinNO (Feb 27, 2007)

I think the order could be argued for a long time. In addition, some things may fall under the same categories.

Ed


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## TouchDown (Feb 28, 2007)

Thigh Master.


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## DVINNY (Mar 6, 2007)

he said "Astroglide"

ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MetroRAFB (Mar 6, 2007)

^^^^^^I haven't yet found anything that serves the purpose better than that stuff.


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## Fudgey (Mar 6, 2007)

The wedgie-bikini is also another fine invention.


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## Bigwolf (Apr 12, 2007)

VTEnviro said:


> Beer isn't one of them?




My thoughts exactly! :laugh:


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## cement (Apr 13, 2007)

FusionWhite said:


> I hate these lists because for some reason they trivialize all the little things that go into making these achievements.
> As far as #1 I would say its the airplane.
> 
> Why? Because its something humans CANT do without the technology. All electricity does is give us better light and ways to cook stuff, which we can do with fire. Cars just give us ways to get around, which we can do with our own feet or horses. But flying is something that cannot be done by man without the airplane.



we can fly fine. landing is another issue. :lmao:


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## Slugger926 (Apr 26, 2007)

VTEnviro said:


> Beer isn't one of them? :BS:



Bioreactors should be at the top of the list. Thanks to us Biosystems engineers, there has been beer for over 5000 years.


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## HERO (May 21, 2007)

Water supply and Distribution---&gt; # 1

Without clean water and a means to distribute it to people, our living conditions would be filthy.


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