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by extasia 1028 days ago
Well for one there was no printing press via which to persist knowledge and translate it cheaply through time and space.

Imagine what an individual could achieve technologically today, if they were unable to access any materials or knowledge that was accrued over the history of our species. The result would probably be a subset of the things you describe as originating from before 250 years ago, but they would certainly not be splitting atoms or mapping the human genome.
1 comments
ransackdev 1028 days ago
Knowledge was spread in written form before the printing press. Yes less of it and a lot slower, but you don’t have plumbing systems or built pyramids without knowledge being persisted for generations. The printing press is a factor I think but it not existing doesn’t explain why no progress was made for so long imo.
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extasia 1028 days ago
Of course knowledge was persisted in written form, but it was not industrialised. I would imagine progress is dominated by a small number of individuals, if information is dispersed across society broadly, your chances of those capable individuals having access to the knowledge requisite to advance the field is much higher.

How many geniuses did not advance science because they were ignorant of the current state of the art?

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