iPhone voted one of the world's best inventions

The Apple iPhone has been voted a more important invention than the combustion engine and space travel.

A study of 4,000 Brits also placed the iPhone ahead of things like the car, camera and flushing toilet in the list of 100 most important inventions.

While the wheel came top - followed by the aeroplane, the lightbulb and the worldwide web in fourth - the iPhone figured surprisingly high.

In fact, the Steve Jobs special came in as the eighth most important invention in the world, just behind computers, the telephone and Penicillin.

At least it didn't come above Penicillin, because as far as we know there's not yet an app for curing diseases… though some iPhone users like to think otherwise.

Lance Batchelor, of Tesco Mobile, which carried out the nationwide research among 18-65 year-olds, said: "All of the inventions included in this list have changed the world forever.

"Whether it be something as small as a paper clip, to something which changed the face of the universe like the combustion engine, these amazing feats have all been recognised as truly great.

"Some - like the washing machine and wheel - have made our lives easier, while wireless technology and the internet have changed the face of communication.

"It's amazing to see how much the iPhone is valued, sitting alongside inventions such as Penicillin in people's perceptions and being declared a more important invention than miracle gadgets of their own time, such as the compass."

100 GREATEST INVENTIONS

1. Wheel
2. Aeroplane
3. Light bulb
4. Internet
5. PCs
6. Telephone
7. Penicillin
8. iPhone
9. Flushing toilet
10. Combustion engine
11. Contraceptive pill
12. Washing machine
13. Central heating
14. Fridge
15. Pain killers
16. Steam engine
17. Freezer
18. Camera
19. Cars
20. Spectacles
21. Mobile phones
22. Toilet paper
23. Hoover
24. Trains
25. Google
26. Microwave
27. Email
28. The pen
29. Hot water
30. Shoe
31. Compass
32. Ibuprofen
33. Toothbrush
34. Hair straighteners
35. Laptops
36. Knife and fork
37. Scissors
38. Paper
39. Space travel
40. Kettle
41. Calculator
42. Bed
43. Remote control
44. Roof
45. Air conditioning
46. SAT NAV
47. Wi-Fi
48. Cats-eyes
49. Matches
50. Power steering
51. Tumble dryer
52. Bicycle
53. Sky+
54. Tea bags
55. Umbrella
56. iPod
57. Taps
58. Crash helmet
59. Wristwatch
60. eBay
61. DVD player
62. Nappies
63. Ladder
64. Sun tan lotion
65. Lawnmower
66. Make-up
67. Chairs
68. Sunglasses
69. The game of football
70. Sliced bread
71. Sofa
72. Razor blades
73. Screwdriver
74. Motorways
75. Head/ear phones
76. Towels
77. Push-up bra
78. Binoculars
79. WD40
80. Mascara
81. Hair dryer
82. Facebook
83. Escalator
84. Hair dye
85. Wellington boots
86. Spell check
87. Calendars
88. Cheese grater
89. Buses
90. Post-it notes
91. Gloves
92. Satellite discs
93. Pedestrian crossing
94. Baby's dummy
95. Curtains
96. Bottle opener
97. Food blender
98. Dustpan and brush
99. Desks
100. Clothes peg

source: http://newslite.tv/2010/05/18/iphone-voted-one-of-the-worlds.html