Is writing humanities greatest invention?

Actually the invention of the printing press in the 1500's was picked by experts as the invention having the most impact on mankind during the last millennium. Before that, everything had to written by hand so only the wealthy could afford reading material. The Gutenberg Bible was the first thing produced by the first printing press thus eventually enabling thousands of people to read what before they only could hear preached by the clergy. Books and other written material soon followed thus expanding educational opportunities not only for the rich, but the common citizen. People were able to spread their political, economic, and philosophical ideas much much faster. The invention printing press was the first step in a information/communication revolution that continues to this day.

It would be a toss up between writing which developed into so many different forms or a more universal invention which I think really is an invention.... the wheel. Its design is used in so many different inventions since and it allowed for the creative minds to explore beyond anything else. Gears, bearings, pulleys, clock works just to name a few.

Some societies were still utilizing oral histories in Africa even into the last century. They were by no means totally backwards and utilized items which were derived from the wheel design and items made from utilization of the wheel design as a base.

The written word in each language was only useful in that society and basically was not used afterwards. A few new groups did manage to translate some other writings but not too many.

But the wheel design and the first applications could be comprehended without paper, just look and examine the items and how they worked was enough.

Drawings are what really led to further inventions as opposed to a written language.

Excellent question, but hard to answer because some great civilizations never had a written language. What about the wheel? The invention of the clock was a turning point in man's history--it demonstrated that things could be mechanical and really work, and set off the technological era we still live in. What about the concept of justice? Concepts, after all, are inventions without existential reality. I guess you will just have to count the "yeses" and the "nos" (is that a word?) LOL?

agreed......Writing is humanity's greatest invention. It enables us to communicate ideas over vast distances in time and space...

probably. without writting, im sure there were tons of ideas that never became developed. if you look back in history, as soon as writting is invented in certain cultures, their technology rapidly increases.