Our readers (most of them) have voted for electricity and the telephone (cells, landlines, et cetera). A few have given different answers and voted for other amenities like the car, camera, television, among others. The electricity-voters have argued that modern amenities would not run without electricity, hence it is the ‘mother of all inventions’. Cellphone-fans have said that this portable invention has made ‘communication-on-the-go’ possible. However, one reader has pointed out that we as humans beings have the ability to adapt to any kind of situation. In his view, if (God forbid) tomorrow electricity suddenly fails to work totally, we will just strike a match and light a candle. So, here’s to the indomitable human spirit that is always able to find solutions.

We as human beings can live in any condition and situation, and this means with or without modern day amenities. When we picture life without modern amenities, we already have a solution. It doesn’t mean that people living in village with oil lamp (tuki) are living in the dark. It is just that being used to modern amenities, we would hate to live without those. But when the light goes out, we light a candle.

— Rajin Maharjan

For me it is the mobile phone. I just cannot imagine my life without one and I am sure this implies to the majority of the global population. A mobile phone encourages people to communicate and that is what we need to progress. Communication is mainly of two types — written and oral, and a mobile phone enables one to communicate in both ways. What could be better than that? Carrying a mobile phone is like carrying a telephone, a pager, a computer, a camera, a video camera, a walkman or a discman.

— Sona Pradhananga

After my marriage, I started missing the most important people in my life very, very much — my parents and grandparents. At that time telephone services were not as common as they are now and living far away from my parents without a proper communication system was like punishment. But now I am happy that I have telephone at home and I can talk with whomsoever I like. So, telephone is one of the best innovations.

— Eklaxmi Nepal

If you are talking about invaluable stuff then the best invention so far has to be the camera. A camera enables you to capture your most memorable moments — be it happy or sad — and store those in exactly the way they happen for a lifetime and more.

— Meenu Kayastha

Probably, Internet is the best innovation so far that has penetrated every facet of modern life. There is nothing that cannot be found on the Internet. Micro-miniaturisation of electronics goods might rank the second followed by humanoid robotics. They all are the utmost novelty that human intelligence has ever thought of.

— Ekendra Lamsal

With the introduction of automatic and semi automatic equipment and appliances, urban life has virtually been turned into a mechanical one. We have TV for entertainment, electricity to illuminate our houses, automobiles for comfortable journey and telephones for communication without which life seems to be impossible. Telephone of course, tops the list of priorities because it is the most reliable means of communication.

— Ambika Pandey

Life without electricity would be a nightmare. All our electronic gadgets would be useless without electricity. So electricity is the best innovation of all modern technological inventions. We can’t even think of a life without electricity.

— Vipul Kabra

Life without electricity is unimaginable as it is only because of electricity that we are able to use other amenities that have become indispensable to our lives.

— Abhinay Jayaswal

Modern amenities are just for to aid us. We can live without them but life would not be the same. Innovation are good, they improve our standard of living, thinking and help improve efficiency and performance among other things.

— CP Bhattarai

I vote for the automobile. If you have one, you are free to go anywhere. When a sudden shower catches you unawares, you remain dry. And there is no fear of getting sun burnt on summer days. And if you want to take a nap you can do that also. In your car.

— Shweta BK

The e-mail must be the most innovative (and effective) electronic innovation of the century. Just imagine, without it I wouldn’t have been able to communicate this in such a convenient and efficient way, and the same is true of the millions of millions of e-mail senders.

— Uday Lama

Mobile phone surely tops my list of best innovations. This mobile phone has made communication-on-the-go possible. Mobile users are able to contact anyone, anytime, anywhere, anyplace. It has become a kind of bridge between dealers and customers, friends and relatives.

— Neelam Maharjan

Every scientific innovation has its own importance. But in my view the best innovation so far is electricity. Almost everything we use now is powered by electricity. With electricity we have been wired into a new world. It is a part of life that most of us take for granted. We flip a switch or push a button, and there it is. Over the years, the number of electrically-run items has increased. We now use at least five of these almost continually every day. We use it so much that we take it for granted. However, when there is a power cut, we begin to realise just how much we need it and how dependent we have become on it.

— Ashish Ojha

Life without light will be like a nightmare. We know that most today’s equipment are based on electricity. Take for example television, computer, washing machine, refrigerator, mixer-grinder, photocopy machine, and a lot more. All electronic devices totally rely upon electricity. So electricity is the best innovation as much work will be left undone for lack of it.

— Vipul Kabra

The best innovation so far is electricity without which no modern amenity will work. For instance, I wouldn’t be able to send you this mail. I believe that our life has become very comfortable because we are able to use all modern innovations. What is the use of TV if

there is no electricity and what to do with all those home appliances without which my Mum’s kitchen work is doubled?

— Sajina Karki

The best modern day invention is the television, which is one of the major sources of knowledge. The ideas we can get from television has opened up the minds of people and spurred them to move ahead in their life.

— Mohan Narshingh Shrestha

Electricity is the important invention so far.

— Ganesh Poudel