Favourite Scientific Discovery, Theory or Experiment.

[similar.squirrel]

Of the manifold fields of human endeavour, science has the distinction of yielding the highest number of revelations per capita. Pick up any journal or popular science magazine, and you will be guaranteed to come across a number of findings that make you marvel at human ingenuity [or despair at our collective idiocy, as the case may be].
Many of us have a particular discovery, theory or experiment that encapsulates these feelings, be it the stark beauty of Darwin's theory of natural selection, the birth of modern synthesis or the gracefully roundabout way in which subatomic particles were discovered.

Personally, I think John Maynard-Smith's application of game theory to ecological relationships to create the idea of evolutionarily stable strategies is pretty darn awesome, even if the mathematics often goes over my head.

I also love Daisyworld, a computer model that demonstrates how a biosphere's albedo can affect the temperature of planet, and how this fits into the Gaian model of a homoeostatic planet.

So..um. Tell us about what you like and stuff.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Magnets. They do everything!

 

[Jonluw]

Graphene!
[sub]GrapheneGrapheneGrapheneGrapheneGrapheneGraphene!!!![/sub]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene

A sheet the thickness of tinfoil can take the pressure of an elephant balanced on a pencil without breaking!

 

[Slotteh]

The Internet, never figured out how it manages to spread. As well as the concept of standardised time across the globe. I mean, how did everyone from the Japs to the Africans get together to decide on the entire time system thingyfingy.

 

[Bobic]

I quite like Zimbardo's and Milgram's findings that basically show that, deep down, we are horrible, foolish, easily manipulated people.

That and the magnetic frog. That things just funny.

 

[Baron Von Evil Satan]

Relativity. Seeing as most of our knowledge of modern astrological physics comes from it.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Of the manifold fields of human endeavour, science has the distinction of yielding the highest number of revelations pre capita.

Well, that's not to far from the definition of science, so it's not surprising.

For me, it's the understanding that diseases are caused by the spread of micro-organisms. This simple fact means I don't particularly have to worry about plague.

 

[Varitel]

I would have to say that one of my favorite scientific advancements in the past century was the point-contact transistor in 1947. This device lead the way for BJTs (Bipolar-Junction Transistors) a year or so later, and MOSFETs after that. MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide- Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) are the building blocks of modern computer logic circuitry. Without transistors, we'd probably still be using vacuum tubes, in which case we wouldn't have laptops or home computers.

 

[Klumpfot]

Sliced bread. Oooh yeah.

 

[Halceon]

Buckytubes. I love me some hyperstrong strands.

 

[Tharwen]

Computers. I mean, I built a not-very-logical 7-segment display in Minecraft with a processor speed of about 2.5Hz, and it took about 5 hours.

Compare that to the thing inside this computer I'm typing on, which can reach up to 3.4GHz, and I suddenly feel... less than inadequate.

 

[Spade Lead]

String theory is really interesting, but highly unprovable. Which is probably why there are SO MANY of them, something like 250.

 

[Paksenarrion]

The fact that we are made of Star Stuff.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

I'm leaning towards either antibiotics or anesthetics right now. Or maybe vaccines. Something along those lines, anyway.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

Anything that Tesla dreamt up in his insane, genius mind. Everything from wireless electricity to the resonance frequency of the Earth to teleforce death rays and force shields.