Pick an iconic object that has helped shape civilisation

[jebus]

Robbed straight from a Sunday Times article about the British Museum putting up 100 objects that tell the story of civilisation

I'll go along Max Hastings in choosing AK-47 Kalashnikov

A deadly weapon that has become both a symbol of freedom struggles and terrorist organisations (what's the difference? boom boom) it's the iconic piece of weaponary from the 20th century I feel. In the article they are an estimated 70m active Kalashnikovs in the world today, used by everyone from LA Gangs to Al Queda. Here's to you you horrible weapon of death

http://dailybabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/mikhail-kalashnikov-213x300.jpg


http://www.rugreview.com/stuf/7oni.jpg

[Rovers1]

Homer Simpson

[John83]

http://blog.smartdraw.com/images/smartdraw_weblog/Posts/2008/August/Reinventing%20the%20Wheel/stone-age%20wheel.JPG

http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/images/plough2.jpg

http://www.brianmicklethwait.com/culture/vibrator.jpg
(Think smaller, and vibrating)

[Scrufil]

Toilet?

[stann]

(Think smaller, and vibrating)
:D
The better ones may well have one of these inside
http://www.elementaryelectronics.com/components/transistor/pic%201.jpg
it's a transistor btw :)

[brendy_éire]

http://www.people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch2en/conc2en/img/bell_telephone.gif

This oul thing is a great one. We could suddenly talk to the other side of the world in an instant.
Shaped civilisation and changed how we communicate forever. Could you imagine being without yours for a week.

[John83]

Speaking of the telephone, modern ones use a few key inventions:
http://www.westga.edu/%7Ebquest/2001/radio5.jpg
Radio to talk to the base station.

http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/AES1161/images/optical%20fibre.jpg
Lasers, and optical fibre to move high bandwidth information across large distances with low loss.

Finally, civilisation is highly dependent on
http://www.hughesplumbing.co.uk/upload/Image/plumbing%281%29.jpg
plumbing - both for clean water and to remove sewage for public health reasons. Preferably not in the same pipe.

[Schumi]

Steel:
http://www.acegrinding.com/images/stainless_steel_rods.jpg
and concrete:
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/attachments/2/3269d1187635163-cutting-concrete-block-img_1395.jpg

[John83]

http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/fileadmin/gdf/gdf10/gutenbergpress.jpg
The printing press.

[Mr A]

http://www.tangischools.org/schools/phs/think/man/FatMan.jpg

Nuclear weaponry. Getting the God damn point across since 1945.

[Rovers1]

http://www.freshpromotions.com.au/products/stress-soccer-ball.jpg

Most popular sport in the world.

[osarusan]

I haven't managed to find an image that adequately encapsulates it, but the move from hunting-gathering to agriculture is what I'd go for.

[old git]

the most obvious one :D

1488

[SkStu]

http://imod.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/the-thumb-dude.jpg

yeah ill go with the v-neck aswell.

[tetsujin1979]

<IMAGE REMOVED BY TETSUJIN1979>

Actually, I'm pretty sure wearing a baseball cap backwards has destroyed civilisations.

[Block G Raptor]

http://www.arrow-israel.co.il/_Uploads/171Microprocessor.jpg
Without These.....
http://www.amitbhawani.com/blog/Images/C/compaq-desktop-computers.jpg
...We wouldn't have these

[strangeirish]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Super400ces.png/254px-Super400ces.png;)

[sligoman]

http://www.icaen.uiowa.edu/~dip/examples/images/airplane.gif

[strangeirish]

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200704/13/images/xin_530404131030787840913.jpg

[Wolfie]

Television.

[gustavo]

http://www.thephantomcity.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/20070629simpsonscarbonrod.jpg

[juan]

The spirit level... Although it was invented a bit too late for that tower in pisa

[Paddyfield]

Sanitation.

Lack of it could kill you. Look at the state of this nation when pipes get frozen. Worse still, think of the 3rd world countries where toilets are scarce.

Best invention ever.

[Boo_Boy]

http://www.satnet.com.pl/foto/122908fr_td110____ral_7035_.jpg

Without the Satellite Dish, I wouldn't see my sports.
Without the Satellite Dish, I wouldn't have seen Derry City in Sofia.
Without the Satellite Dish, I wouldn't have seen Pats in Bucharest.
Without the Satellite Dish, I wouldn't have seen Bohs in Salzburg.

All hail the Satellite Dish.

[centre mid]

http://blog.timesunion.com/saratogaseen/files/2008/04/beer.jpg

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm beer

[juan]

Sanitation.

Lack of it could kill you. Look at the state of this nation when pipes get frozen. Worse still, think of the 3rd world countries where toilets are scarce.

Best invention ever.

Yeah, but what have Romans ever done for us?!