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What's the piece of technology that has impacted the modern world the most? (lemm.ee)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

If you ask me? Mobile/WiFi internet... The way and amount of time we use our phones had changed A LOT since their diffusion. I guess the release of the iPhone changed our idea of what a phone is too

Edit: when I say modern world I'm referring to the last 50 years. So stuff like "the electricity" or "the telephone" doesn't count.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I don't believe this, is there a convincing argument to be made or does it hinge on destroying the environment to reduce cost to the consumer?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What a wild question.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Why? They are extremely damaging. The runoff destroys entire ecosystems like the wetlands where I used to live. Now filled with toxic microorganisms feeding on the fertiliser accumulating there

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You are making a red-herring argument.

The post's question is: "What technology made the most impact in modern times?"

A poster says "Chemical fertilizers" and detailed the reasons.

And then you come in and say "NU-UH, IT DESTROYS THE PLANET!!!" an argument that has nothing to do with the question.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

If your interpretation is that "impact" includes negative sentiment and mine did not then sure

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Impact
noun
a marked effect or influence.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

My interpretation of impact includes both positive and negative sentiments.

Whereas you are saying that a negative thing doesn't count as impact.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

This should not be down voted.

Those of you that are down voting this comment just because this skepticism doesn't match your worldview or what you were taught from a textbook (which never tell the whole story) should stop and do a bit of research on your own. There is plenty of accessible evidence that points to nitrogenous fertilizers harming the environment and contributing to global warming without even digging into primary scientific publications.

It doesn't mean that the comment about chemical fertilizers are wrong, that's a more difficult claim to check (fertilizers increase crop yields, but could we support our populations without them if we didn't focus on overproduction). That said, it's what's driving much of the recent research into alternative fertilization methods right now. Chemical fertilizers are damaging and we need alternatives.