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Well, there's "best," and there's "most useful," and there's "most influential" and they're all slightly different things. It's hard to argue with the utility of simple machines like screws and levers and wheels, but it's also hard to argue with the sheer game-changing awesomeness of the internet. I'm gonna say language doesn't even get to play, it's in such a category by itself. And who of us would not be here without antibiotics? *raises hand*
That said, I'm going to argue for an unglamorous choice: public sanitation. Maybe it's because I've read way too many books about the misery of Victorian London and the revolution that modernized sewers created. The invention of modern public waste has made living in a city of any size livable and clean.
Worst: Billy Bass. Serves no purpose, is not amusing, is not aesthetically pleasing, contributes nothing to the human experience. How many of those things are rotting (or worse, not) in landfills? I mean, really.
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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