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We may only be 4 years and 8 months into it, but that by no means makes naming the 'Greatest Invention of the 21st Century' an easy choice. In this short time, almost 60,000 patents have been issued from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, let alone those from the rest of the world. With so many candidates, the definition of 'greatest' comes under scrutiny. In my opinion, the Greatest Invention must be one that improves human life on the largest scale.

While consulting lists of inventions from Time Magazine, Popular Science, and other sources, I came across such things as an artificial heart invented by Abiomed that employs groundbreaking medical miniaturization technology. While it is an incredible feat, I realized this invention only affects the small percentage of humans who are in need of new hearts. Another candidate I considered was the GeneChip by Affymetrix ' a chip that contains the entire Human Genome. Again, I rejected it because this chip is only useful to scientific researchers and shows no tangible result to the general public.

After extensive perusal, I finally found my winner - the Toyota Prius II, the latest in hybrid engine technology. A car is a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power; the Prius II, along with its competitors, runs off a rechargeable battery and gasoline. There are several simple differences between hybrids and normal cars. Hybrid engines are built smaller and more efficient, and the battery is used to provide extra power when needed. Second, when a car is stopped or traveling at very low speed, the gasoline motor shuts off and the car runs purely off the electric motor and battery, using no fuel and giving off no emissions. Finally, all components are controlled by a sophisticated algorithm (mathematical computer program) that judges the amount of assistance the engine needs from the battery, whether merging onto a freeway or being stopped at a red light. It all comes together to produce a beautiful machine that is super fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, as it greatly reduces the emission of poisonous gases that contribute to global warming.

What distinguishes the Toyota Prius II from its competition? Simple: no company has come up with an algorithm that beats Toyota's. The Prius II boasts up to 60 miles per gallon in fuel economy, a top speed of 134 mph, and 95% fewer carcinogen emission than the most efficient diesel car. It is easy to see why Toyota has sold more hybrids than all other automakers combined, not to mention winning 2004 Car of the Year Awards from the North American Auto Show and Motor Trend Magazine. Moreover, Toyota is the only manufacturer that has unwavering faith in the long-term prospects of hybrid cars. Says Ernest Bastien, VP of Toyota's vehicle operations group: "we're at the edge of making the internal combustion engine (ICE) similar to regular film for a camera." Simply put, Toyota wants to make the ICE obsolete. At a time when gas prices are skyrocketing and global warming and depletion of fossil fuels are of top concern, this hybrid car is the clear answer. The Toyota Prius II is undoubtedly the greatest invention of the 21st century.