Answer:

• Most useful: Cell phone, disposable diaper and alarm clock.
• Most important: Electricity, Internet and The Wheel

From Time Invention survey of 10,197 people in seven mature markets (South Korea, the U.S., Germany, Sweden, Australia, the U.K. and Singapore) and 10 emerging markets (South Africa, Kenya, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Brazil, Turkey, India, Mexico and Indonesia).: 

Questions:

• What makes an invention useful?
• How do you think your grandparents would answer this question?
• What do you think the answer might be in 20 years?
• What do you think is missing from the list? Make a persuasive argument for its inclusion on the list.

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Interested in Entrepreneurship? We have a lesson on that.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.