The most important invention is the idea of continued scientific and technological progress. The individual who deserves the most credit for this is Francis Bacon. Before Bacon progress occurred but was sporadic, and most people did not expect to see new inventions in their lifetimes. The idea of continued scientific progress became institutionalized in the Academei dei Lincei, the Royal Society and other scientific academies. the idea of continued invention was institutionalized with the patent laws.
To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds,
put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.