What’s the one invention that you can’t imagine living without? Your smartphone? GPS? Facebook? They all made the list of the best inventions of the past 25 years, according to a new survey conducted by OnePoll.com.
I agree that all three of those have, for better or for worse, made major impacts on society. However, looking at the rest of the top 25, I would probably rank stem cell technology and 3D printers a bit higher. Also, I would have included the backup camera, a personal favorite of mine, on the list. While that invention did make its debut on a concept car in 1956, it wasn’t added to mass-produced vehicles until the 2000s.
Top 25 Inventions Of The Past 25 Years
1. WiFi
2. Smartphones
3. Online banking
4. Online search e.g. Google
5. Online shopping e.g. Amazon
Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
6. Stem cell technology
7. GPS
8. Flat-screen TVs
9. Contact-less payment
10. Tablets
Scott Olson/Getty Images
11. YouTube
12. 3D printers
13. Netflix
14. Data encryption
15. Skype
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
16. Modern electric cars e.g. Tesla model S
17. Kindle
18. Bluetooth
19. Facebook
20. Wireless headphones
Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Samsung
21. Ancestry DNA kits
22. Sony games consoles such as PlayStation
23. Amazon Echo
24. Spotify
25. Fitbit
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fitbit