What we lost in the existing body of knowledge, I'm sure we gained back in the ability to simulate the entire mechanical system virtually. Trial-and-error is mu

What we lost in the existing body of knowledge, I'm sure we gained back in the ability to simulate the entire mechanical system virtually. Trial-and-error is much easier when your turn-around time is shorter, and when you don't have to contend with losses of expensive raw materials/components expended on each trial (stripped gears/unmatched springs, etc). And this time round, the record can be made in a digital format, so we won't lose it for future generations.