I think people discover something new soon after a set of preconditions are met. Then once people know about it, it becomes easier for later people to discover

I think people discover something new soon after a set of preconditions are met. Then once people know about it, it becomes easier for later people to discover it, because this knowledge starts to be incorporated in speech, other fields of knowledge, and culture. The concept of zero did not exist before a certain time. Now my four year old gets what zero is, without me ever having to really explain it. Perspective in painting did not exist before a certain time. Now 10 year olds can draw using perspective, without having to be taught. Distinctions between certain colors did not appear to exist in various cultures before they suddenly did. Blue and green were considered different shades of the same color. Certain harmonies did not exist in music before a certain time. Now tiny children make up new songs with those harmonies. Double entry bookkeeping didn't exist before a certain time. Barbed wire didn't exist before someone invented it. Until then ranchers in areas with little wood had to use shrubs and hedges to try to keep cows from getting out, or just herded the cattle around semi-nomadically. The way you are able to think about a problem is influenced by language, perception of the things around you, art, and culture. In a world that understands the Pythagorean Theorem, it's easier to figure out the Pythagorean Theorem. Also I agree, a lot of software design patents are bullshit.