Aside from the thumb (and having sex for fun instead of just procreation), it’s the one thing that separates us humans from the rest of the animal kingdom: the ability to use our brains to create things that make our lives easier. And thank God for engineers with PhD’s because about the only thing I can create (besides a blog article) is a bowl of cereal and maybe toast.

Now, I’m not just talking about smart phones, TVs, CD players or microwave ovens (although those are all noble inventions). I’m talking about inventions that REALLY make our lives easier. Things that if you took them away (even though I could adjust) I’d be a complete wreck.

So, without further ado, here are my choices for the 4 Greatest Inventions EVER:

4. Electricity. Thank you Mr. Franklin and your kite experiment. Even though it’s a no brainer, I decided to include one of the most obvious discoveries on the list. I suppose a case could be made for a car (it’s much cooler to pick up a girl for a date in a Mustang rather than riding on a donkey) or a candle (can you imagine coming home from work every day and spending the next six hours sitting in the dark?)

3. The Internet. Another no brainer really. Something that’s been around for longer than you think, but didn’t really gain traction until the mid 1990’s. Every answer to any question you’ve ever wanted to know about is somewhere easily accessible.

The Internet is a phone, music player, television, library and pretty much anything else you can think of. Normally, this would blow my top two choices out of the water. Although I do appreciate not having to drive to the library and use big reference books or microfiche anymore to find information, the next two are inventions are ones that have made my “physical” life better.

2. Air Conditioning. I don’t care who you are, if you’re buying a home, this is a MUST. I cannot even imagine how people lived through heat waves during the turn of the century without it. And central air conditioning improved upon an already great invention.

For me, growing up in a home where there was no central air and having to lug ginormous units and place them into small open window frames was a pain. Finding a place to store them once winter rolled around was an even bigger problem.

Speaking of winter, here’s the number 1 Greatest Invention Ever:

1. The Snow Blower. Without question, the greatest contraption ever invented. Case in point: Here in the Northeast, we are bracing for a huge snowstorm. Years ago, this would have meant that I would have to spend HOURS and HOURS shoveling my driveway and sidewalk; back breaking work (especially if it was that wet, packed snow).

Now, I just look out my window and say to Old Man Winter “Is this all you’ve got?” From the time I decide to go out and snow blow until the time I am once again resting on my comfy couch in my stocking feet it’s thirty minutes max. And unlike fancy cars and some other luxuries, use it just one time and you quickly discover it’s a machine that’s worth every single penny you pay for it. Just make sure you remember to fill the gas tank the night before the snowstorm.

Your turn: What are some of your choices for greatest inventions ever?