tedkaw

Which discovery or invention had a greater impact on the advancement of civilization?

Nital

I'm gonna have to put my money on fire, for it has had many purposes in the history of mankind. First for cooking, many historians believe that our mental capacity imporved after eating cooked meat. Second is protection, early man used it to keep the wilderness at bay. Third is warmth, without the warmth of fire mankind would not have made it through the last Ice Age. Fourth and finally warfare, many sieges have been won with the use of fire.
But don't get me wrong the wheel would definatly be mankind's second greatest achievement

Commander

I voted for fire as well. Although I do think man could have survived through the ice age without fire. I'm not sure of the exact temps during the ice age, but I bet around the Equator and in Mexico it would have been warm enough to survive with a fur coat.

For some reason this thread reminds me of the beginning of 2001 Space Odyssey

CelticBard

Also, we needed fire to cook meat. High protein diets developed by man turning into hunters, and as well as the needs of hunting, creating tools such as weapons, skinning implements, etc. resulted in human beings developing large brains.

Breth

I voted fire. BURNED! :snakeman:

celtman

It seems everyone is voting for fire. Do you think we really could have got around on a square wheel?

Nikd

Fire, to cook, to warm, to survive.

Ritocal

I think that a primitive society could survive without the use of the wheel.
I don't think a primitive society could survive without the use of fire.

CelticBard

Native Americans never had the wheel and they built huge cities in Mexico and in the Andes.

Vir0n

Great point. An entire civilization built without the wheel. I would further add that wheeled toys from these cultures have been discovered. This would suggest that they understood the concept of the wheel, but they didn't have the resources needed to practically apply the idea - namely large domesticated animals to provide the power. Whatever the case, they did just fine without it. I don't think you could say the same about fire.