While I agree in doubting that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis can be used in the way the author does (for one thing, I do not think the strong version is supported

While I agree in doubting that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis can be used in the way the author does (for one thing, I do not think the strong version is supported by the evidence, and I think the strong version is required here), I think it is worth noting that De Forest, inventor of the audion (precursor of the triode), had a very mistaken idea of how it worked. Today, we have devices that use high-temperature superconductors without having a complete theory of how they work. The inventors of smelting and gunpowder did not understand the chemistry of their inventions...