What are the five greatest achievements of humankind?

I think it is cars, telephones, airplanes, computer/internet and hot water!





But there is just so many, what do you think?|||Printing press: Made it so much easier to print and disseminate information.





The micro-processor: key to all modern digital technology.





The wheel. Might seem obvious to us, but it is the basis of all later developments in gears, pulleys and bearings. Most societies never developed it, and most that did never put it to practical use.





The Scientific Principle: this led to the development of modern investigative practices in chemistry, physics and more including invention and research and development of technologies.





The telescope: this device, and some great thinkers, assisted in redefining how we saw ourselves in the universe.





And lastly, a sixth for good measure:





BEER! Need I say more?|||Soap, combustion engine, microscope, telescope, astrolabe





Each of these, I feel, has dramatically altered the world after its invention.|||Tools, language, books, agriculture and civilization. These 5 things fit nicely adjacent to one another because each one couldn't have succeeded without the previous, they are all uniquely human inventions.


Remember that humankind thrived just fine without the inventions that you mentioned and arguably they were better off without all the modern things which make life easy. In addition, I think that the best human achievements probably aren't even tangible inventions, they are probably just abstract notions that we take for granted, like compassion, understanding, love, ambition and integrity. For however idealist and untrue you think that is, all humans are endowed with the capacity to achieve all of these things within their lifetime and they are the things that make life bearable and continue to drive the human race forward.