3 ms·
I think a counter-factual is an invention that came along many years after all the precursors were present. And would have been in demand / successful / useful
by ballenf 6y ago
I think a counter-factual is an invention that came along many years after all the precursors were present. And would have been in demand / successful / useful much earlier.
Are there any examples of that? Wheeled suitcases is sometimes cited, even if it is a slightly less profound advancement than the ammonia/nitrogen process.
- akadruid1 6y agoThere's no apparent reason why supermarkets or other self service stores weren't invented until the 20th century. The precursor to railways, the Diolkos in 600 BC, was not developed into wooden mining railways for another 2000 years.