The Bigย Ideas - Necessityโs Motherย Chapter 13 (Part 1 - the first 50% of the chapter)
Considerably richerโฆbrainer than YOU!!!
Why did most monumental inventions in history emerge from European nations and not in Australia or Sub-Saharan Africa ๐? Is it because the marvellous Europeans in their pantaloons were just a bit cleverererer (tricky that one)? ๐ค A European might tell you itโs simply because theyโre a massive bunch of smarty-pants with innate genius ๐ง . Is there another explanation? I hope so because I really donโt want to accept the idea that some people are naturally more sagacious than others ๐คทโโ๏ธ. Thankfully, Diamond, our faithful friend, is here to explain ๐โจ.
Invention leads to invention
Say you invent an automatic tooth extraction device for dogs ๐ถ. The device strokes the dog, coos softly to lull it into a peaceful and tranquil state ๐ถ, and then gently pulls the decayed and dangerous tooth out ๐ท. Naturally, being the wily business-savvy people you are, you immediately think about developing a human version ๐ฉโ๐ฌ. All you need to do is cross out โdogโ and write โhumanโ instead ๐. Humans love to be petted and cooed to, so all is in order ๐. Thomas Edisonโs phonograph machine, first built in 1877 to record, rather soberly, the dying words of people about to pop their clogs, and other very serious, ever so serious functions, became a jukebox for people to play music ๐ต. Edison wasnโt thrilled because he was a bit of a bore ๐, but it teaches us a fine lesson. One invention can be adapted into another and another. It starts a chain of events โ๏ธ.
Copycats
Take James Watt, the genius inventor of the steam engine ๐. It was used at first to pump out water from mines, but then went on to power ships ๐ข, trains ๐, and the latest version of our Dog Human Tooth Extraction Device (available at www.DogorHumanToothExtractionDevice.com)ย ๐ถ๐ฆท. Except, Watt was inspired by watching a steam engine invented 57 years earlier by Thomas Newicome! What a cheater! ๐ฒ Should we dismiss people like Edison and Watt as flagrant copycats and wipe them from the annals of history? Not really - itโs a bit too far ๐ค. Should we recognise, according to Diamond, the relationship between invention and next invention? Abso-steamy-lutely ๐. Human nature dictates that we observe things around us and develop it ๐ง ๐ก.
Tinker, tailor, spy, llama
The ancient world was no different, really ๐. Humans love to tinker ๐ง. Have you ever seen your Dad inventing a solution to a problem that doesnโt really matter, but heโs insanely bored so ploughs ahead? I have ๐โโ๏ธ. My Dad couldnโt stop tinkering with things that didnโt need to be fixed or invented ๐ ๏ธ. Now, I do the same. Tinkering led to glass windows from the random discovery of melted limestone and sand ๐บ. The ancient Greeks tinkered and messed around with petroleum, pitch, and other lovely chemicals like quicklime (donโt get THAT in your eyes - baby shampoo it is NOT! ๐) and invented incendiary devices ๐ฅ. Were a few people blown up completely? Sure! ๐ฅ But tinkering changed the world ๐. The Islamic Empire invented grenades ๐ฃ. The Chinese cooked up gunpowder ๐จ. The world tinkered their way to guns ๐ซ.