30 Most Important Innovations of the Last 30 Years- What do You Think?
Nightly Business Review on PBS, in conjunction with the Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, have conducted a survey and asked experts which were the best innovations of the last 30 years. I received a sneak preview of the list, which will be released on NBR tonight. Here are the top 30 innovations in reverse order:
30. Anti retroviral treatment for AIDS
29. SRAM flash memory
28. Stents
27. ATMs
26. Bar codes and scanners
25. Bio fuels
24. Genetically modified plants
23. RFID and applications (e.g. EZpass)
22. Digital photography/videography
21. Graphic user interface (GUI)
20. Social networking via internet
19. Large scale wind turbines
18. Photovoltaic Solar Energy
17. Microfinance
16. Media file compression (e.g., jpeg, mpeg, mp3)
15. Online shopping/ecommerce/auctions (e.g., eBay)
14. GPS Systems
13. Liquid Crystal Displays
12. Light emitting diodes (first real devices in 1960s; in products in mid-70s)
11. Open source software and services (e.g., Linux, Wikipedia)
10. Non-invasive laser/robotic surgery (laparoscopy)
9. Office software (Spreadsheets, word processors)
8. Fiber optics
7. Microprocessors
6. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
5. DNA testing and sequencing/Human genome mapping
4. E-mail
3. Mobile phones
2. PC/laptop computers
and …
1. Internet/broadband/WWW (browser and HTML)
To compile the list, the consultants asked these questions…
1. Did it have a direct and/or material effect on quality of life?
2. Did it address a compelling need? Did it solve a compelling problem?
3. Was it a fresh, new breakthrough? Was there a “WOW” factor?
4. Did it change the way business is conducted?
5. Did it increase the efficiency of how resources are used?
6. Did it spark an ongoing stream of new innovations on top of the original innovation?
7. Did it lead to the creation of a vast, new industry?
I agree with most of the stuff on this list. Some people might say that ATM’s are a curse, and that genetically modified food is the spawn of the devil, but anyone who has had laproscopic surgery will tell you it’s wonderful. And I guess the Internet has changed our lives. But I think there’s one item missing …
What do you think? What did the group leave off the list? What should they have left off the list?
3 Comments
[...] Invention. If you read through the list of qualifiers for the greatest innovations from yesterday’s post, the disposal diaper fits all of them. Disposable diapers have had a direct effect on the quality [...]
Well, the internet may just go down as the greatest invention of the 20th Century. It has changed everyone’s lives and effectively shrunk the world. It also spreads information so quickly.
I think, the list also missed out another one: Printer/ Laser Printer. The invention of printer brought out a drastic change in our daily life and still, we can not live even a day without printer. Can you think of an organization without a printer? I guess no. So, this should have been in the list.