The discovery and control of fire is the most important human invention. In fact, the discovery of fire has long been considered a major turning point in human evolution. For starters, fire served as protection of human life by allowing for separation and effectively a weapon against dangerous animals. With fire, early humans were also able to protect themselves, and able to devise new ways of hunting.
High heat was used in forming tools to make them stronger and more useful and could be used to hunt at night. Fire made weapons sharper and led to a whole new variety of weapons. All of these tools made hunting and gathering easier.
Fire provided warmth and light which allowed for existence in new geographic areas as well as activity and productivity at night. It allowed humans to survive in colder environments. Evidence of fire has been found in caves, suggesting that fire was used to keep the early humans warm. This is significant because it allowed them to not only migrate but thrive in cooler climates.
Fire also enabled advanced cooking methods, which made food more digestible and safer to eat. High heat could kill parasites leading to less sickness and death from food poisoning. In addition to cooking, fire allowed humans to dry meat which could be stored longer helping to provide food even during harsh weather conditions. Before the advent of fire, the human’s diet was limited to mostly a vegetarian diet.
Cooking, however, made starchy and fibrous foods edible and greatly increased the diversity of other foods available to early humans. Cooking allowed man to eat easier, quicker, consume more calories. Ultimately fire lead to mankind desire and the pursuit of a more efficient and controlled lighting process. This resulted in the production of oil or kerosene lamps and ultimately leading to the invention of electricity. Our modern-day ability to be able to walk in a dark room and create light with a flick of a switch can be traced back to the invention of fire and maximize its many uses. In conclusion, fire is the most helpful invention because of all its advancements in hunting, migrating, and cooking which not only resulted in a series of later discoveries, it also is one of the most significant contributors to the evolution of the human mind and race.
