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It does seem like it may be a case of culinary convergent evolution: I'd wager that anything involving fermentation/brewing/pickling/salt preservation is likely
by eindiran 6y ago
It does seem like it may be a case of culinary convergent evolution: I'd wager that anything involving fermentation/brewing/pickling/salt preservation is likely to be discovered multiple times by its nature.
- p1necone 6y agoGood thing patents are such a recent invention.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- est31 6y agoPatents are only valid for at most 20 years. On historic timescales, that's nothing.
- jasonwatkinspdx 6y agoAnd on current time tables that can be everything.
- est31 6y agoSure, today, it means a lot that e.g. e-ink screen technology is patented. But once the patents run out there will likely be a cambrian explosion. In the 2040s, who will care about it? Do we care which semiconductor company in SV had a tiny edge over another company 50 years ago? There is so much acquisition, merging and bankruptcy going on that in 200 years, the landscape will be different. Check how many companies managed to stay in the DJIA since its founding in 1896.
- p1necone 6y agoThis is nothing but speculation, but every major evolution to something having a forced 20 year gap before the next major evolution can be made seems like it would have big effects on the long term too. I do think software engineers probably have a uniquely cynical view on patents though - software patents do tend to be more spurious and ridiculous than in other industries.