25 Most Significant Inventions In Human History

Arguably the earliest invention on this list, and one of the first signs of the exceptional creativity of the human species.

Not only did human’s mastery over fire help humans adapt to cold environments, allowing for increased human migration and settlement in colder climates, but it also allowed for meat and other food to be cooked, which made it easier to eat and didn’t require the use of canine teeth for ripping. Thus humans could consume more meat, and those proteins led to bigger bodies (and bigger brains), which made subsequent generations smarter on average.

Also, fire as a source of light changed human behavior in a way that allowed for activity to be independent of the sun’s position in the sky. People could work indoors without being dully dependent on the sun and, when coupled with candles and other ways of extending artificial light, could accomplish much more than ever before.

Moreover, fire also changed how humans felt secure. There was a time when humans lived in fear of predators like every other creature on earth. But since humans were the only ones to master fire, it became the perfect tool in protecting our ancestors from those creatures that threatened them at night.

As the only species to understand fire, our ancestors were able to harness that power and use it to create more safety, which in turn led to humans becoming the ultimate alpha predators on the planet.