Who has made the biggest contributions to humankind?

[_moksha]

Truth Dancer asks for other possibilities, so here is one: Milton S. Hershey, who gave the world the chocolate candy bar. Can you even imagine living in a world prior to this event? Life must have been much bleaker.

[_truth dancer]

Hi MG...

You bring up an excellent point and one in which I wholeheartedly agree. :-)

Basically everything that has come to exist was dependent on everything else that came before it.

Our world (our very universe) is constantly unfolding, evolving, gathering, diversifying, increasing in complexity...

Nothing that exists today would be here without everything that has existed.

Think of the movement to settle down? Or the human response to various natural disasters?

It seems each advancement was (is) literally dependent on so much that came before.

Even the great thinkers and philosophers and leaders who made amazing advancements in our world, would not have existed if a billion (ok more than a billion), things didn't come before them to bring them and their discoveries into existence.

The Axial age was certainly an amazing time filled with incredible dynamics which brought forth a foundation for much of what exists today. But even it was built on everything that came before it.

It has been a couple of years since I last read Karen Aremstrong's, "The History of God", (although I did just recently read, "The Spiral Staircase"), .. I need to revisit this topic! :-)



~dancer~

[_maklelan]

I have an interesting book called The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. It ranks Muhammad number one, Isaac Newton two, and Jesus three. Gutenberg, Columbus and Einstein are 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Darwin is 16. Washington is 26, Marx is 27, and Edward de Vere (a.k.a. Shakespeare) is 31. Hitler is actually down at 39, right before Plato. Fleming precedes Locke at 43 and 44, respectively. It's an interesting read.

[_Jason Bourne]

I'm so disappointed in our TBM's. Not one of them has nominated Joseph Smith! What's the matter, people?

\
Coggins did

[_Jason Bourne]

I'm just thinking about those people who have made huge differences for the better, throughout the world. Not just people who are good examples but people who have significantly altered our world.

While it is easy to think of political leaders in our country, how much have they impacted the world at large?

Who has really brought big positive changes to the whole of humankind?

Who has contributed, (in big ways) to the evolution of consciousness and peace?

Who has positively revolutionized the way humans live?

Who has helped in the bringing forth healing, kindness, compassion, care and equality to the planet?

The printing press, the internet, glasses, the end of slavery, evolution, woman's rights, protection for children, advancements in food production, birth control, scientific advancements regarding health, are all GREAT contributions which revolutionized our world.

Expanding this idea.... how about including the big inventions/discoveries along with people that have altered the world for the better?

~dancer~

Jesus

The Apostle Paul

The Buhhda

Muhammad

Madam Curey

Susan B Anthony

Henry Ford

Neil Maxwell ( for me personally)

Lincoln

Washington

Reagan

Gorbachev

Guttenberg

Thomas Edison

Bill Gates

[_Gazelam]

Maklelan

Could you please tell to us why your book says Isaac Newton is #2 ?

[_Mercury]

A thread started by Mental Gymnastics has got me thinking... (smile),

Who (or what organizations) do you think has made the biggest contributions to humankind, say in the last thousand years? I'm thinking in terms of helping our world, humankind, and society in general. People who have really impacted humankind or made huge advancements in how we treat others, how we care for our world, or bring forth greater compassion, understanding, and healing to each other.

I'm thinking Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Jean Henri Dunant (the man who started the Red Cross and Nobel winner), would be a few examples. Possibly the big contributors to the humanitarian efforts like Bill Gates may be on the list? Saint Patrick of Ireland who was the first person we know of who spoke out against slavery perhaps?

Any nominations, ideas or thoughts?

~dancer~

Gutenberg, Turing and Hunter S Thompson.

[_Gazelam]

I don't think you can list Christ, Buddha or Muhammed as being in the last 1000 years can you?

Well, Jesus showed up to Joseph Smith, so I guess you can count him. And you can't really count Paul, but you could count John, since he still walks the earth.

And Vegas, do you honestly believe Gonzo Journalism is a great contribution to mankind ?

[_Mercury]

I don't think you can list Christ, Buddha or Muhammed as being in the last 1000 years can you?

Well, Jesus showed up to Joseph Smith, so I guess you can count him. And you can't really count Paul, but you could count John, since he still walks the earth.

And Vegas, do you honestly believe Gonzo Journalism is a great contribution to mankind ?

Step right up ladies and gentlemen, we now see a prime example of magical thinking.

Gaz, you REALLY need to put down the blowtorch. Have you been huffing welders gas?

[_Polygamy Porter]

William Shockley

Co-inventor of the transistor.

What is a transistor you ask?

The basic building block of the Integrated Circuit and CPU, which computers use. The technological advances we enjoy(this discussion board) are due to his work.

I thank William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain for contributing to my final realization that the religion that my parents force fed me is absolute complete BULL Fecal matter.

Others before them enabled their discoveries. Faraday(contributed significantly to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry), Tesla(father of AC power), many others that I should list but don't have time..

These men have done more for this world and any mystical character from any religious story.