What do you regard as the greatest achievement of the 21st century so far?

The approval to build the world’s largest single lens observatory on top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. With this new tool, we will be able to see farther into the universe than ever before.

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In the last 10 years? That cloaking invention.

It’s impossible to tell. Many inventions are still in progress or have not had a significant impact yet. A lot of ideas have potential but are not put to use right away. For example, mobile phones were considered one of the biggest inventions in the 1980s but by today’s standards those phones were a piece of crap.

You can’t see the entire forest from within the thicket.

I think the rapid progress of the internet is high on that list. It’s incredible the things we can do today that we couldn’t in 2000.

That the US is finally on board with the Kyoto Treaty. Dragged kicking and screaming, but at least cooperating.

I am not smart enough to know what was created this century, and what was created last century. I don’t know, a bridge somewhere. Bridges are awesome. The Mir space station, or was that started last century. The electric car, too bad that didn’t take off, no pun intended. Wow, I have turned into something I hate. I need a break.

We are only 10 years into the century and so far, nothing of significance has really happened. On the social front, we managed to elect a mixed race president but that, to me, should be the norm, not an accomplishment.

We, in the U.S. have created a new type of being. It seems that according to the Supreme Court, corporations are no longer only businesses, they are real people with all the rights of citizens, even if they are not of U.S. origin. So I would guess that our main accomplishment has been to relegate humans as second class citizens.

WiFi and gadgets like the I-phone and and the microwave. Pretty cool shit…can you live without either? Yes you could but would you??

Not dead yet.

@janbb I second that one

A black president. Of the U.S I hasten to add.

Thanks everyone for your answers!

@py_sue What cloaking invention is this?
@Ron_C Thanks for your answer. I was hoping to avoid cynicism on this thread though.

I have not seen any achievements so far.

The Segway (my next new gadget) link

This is bugging me. I can think of some new stuff, but nothing that rises to the level of greatness.

That man-made island out in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the island they are building out into the ocean. They start that this century?

@FireMadeFlesh how could you ask a question like this and not expect sarcasm and or cynicism?

Without a shadow of a doubt. Carbon nanotubes.

@Afos22 I thought the nanotubes predated 2001. As yet, they are not able to make them long enough to be useful.

So far I have heard examples of the 20th century, not the 21st century.

@Ron_C http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/02/large-sheets-of-carbon-nanotube.html . Also, not the discovery, the stretching of carbon nanotubes.

For me, not being married to “that one!”

Seriously, have no clue. Nothing comes to mind.

Wait I have one…

Taking a dump. Always an achievement, in any century.

@Afos22 Thanks, that is very interesting. According to my science fiction sources, carbon nanotubes will be what keeps the space elevators tethered.

Traveling to space via elevator would be s a significant achievement for the 21st century.

Being able to take the most polluted liquid and extract drinking water. Do you have any idea how huge that is!

Even thought the internet was started in the twentieth century, I’d say most of, and the most important of it has happened and will happen in the twenty-first century. I’d say It’s the biggest achievement since the Wheel.

This century is too young so far but I would say the election of a mixed race president and the way the internet is being used. I can’t really think of any others so far.

@MissA GA, thanks.

Sushi flavored Pop Tarts

@FireMadeFlesh Thanks. Dean Kamen really IS a wonder boy in our time. It would be great to work at DEKA.

The movie Amelie.

@truecomedian Nice. I liked that movie too.

@filmfann Pop Tarts some things are just wrong.

Off the top of my head

1) Handling of the 2004 tsunami
2) Response to global influenza threat (bird flu, swine flu)
3) Peace in Northern Ireland
4) Cassini & Huygens space probes reaching Saturn and Titan
5) Soccer world cup in 2006 and how it changed the way Germany is seen by the world