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The rest of the thread in your link is contradicting that one answer. And the fact that particular answer says the modern steam engine was invented by Watt does

by rfrey 5y ago

The rest of the thread in your link is contradicting that one answer. And the fact that particular answer says the modern steam engine was invented by Watt doesn't give me a lot of confidence in the author. Hero's Aeolipile boiled water, but didn't resemble what we call a steam engine in any other way: it's just a jet. And in fact, it's very difficult to get it to work; you need modern bearings, extremely lightweight modern materials, and very large burners to give it enough power to spin itself. It's pretty unlikely it ever worked in antiquity, it was probably a concept sketch. Likewise, the illustrations of "steam engines" in China show no boilers, no pipes, no evidence of pressure vessels of any kind. A steam engine that produces useful power requires strong steel pipes and connections. It was technology gates being passed that led to the steam engine being invented and improved, not a change in economic condition. Agreed slavery can slow down technological adoption, but keeping slaves has its expenses too. It's easy to imagine there being an economic advantage to mechanical power even in a slave tolerating society.

vkou 5y ago
In addition to this, I would also like to point out that the British Empire - the birthplace of the steam engine - was a society formally practicing slavery between 1562 and 1833. (And that in addition to practicing chattel slavery, it had no issue with forced labour, penal labour and colonies, the Enclosure acts, etc. In short, it had no shortage of manpower.) Were all of these institutions different from what was practiced in Ancient Greece and Rome? Somewhat. But they are more similar than we often think.
- i_am_proteus 5y ago
  The British Empire lacked one thing that was abundant in the Roman Empire - lumber - and Britain needed lumber, the heat source, more, both because Britain is colder (residential heating) but also because of high demand for charcoal needed to fire blast furnaces to smelt iron. It was for this reason that Britain began mining coal at scale (as well as harvesting peat), and found herself in need of an efficient way to de-water her mines. And when the prerequisites (metallurgy, abundant fuel, and economic necessity) converged, the steam engine emerged.

by rfrey 5y ago

vkou 5y ago

In addition to this, I would also like to point out that the British Empire - the birthplace of the steam engine - was a society formally practicing slavery between 1562 and 1833. (And that in addition to practicing chattel slavery, it had no issue with forced labour, penal labour and colonies, the Enclosure acts, etc. In short, it had no shortage of manpower.) Were all of these institutions different from what was practiced in Ancient Greece and Rome? Somewhat. But they are more similar than we often think.

i_am_proteus 5y ago
The British Empire lacked one thing that was abundant in the Roman Empire - lumber - and Britain needed lumber, the heat source, more, both because Britain is colder (residential heating) but also because of high demand for charcoal needed to fire blast furnaces to smelt iron. It was for this reason that Britain began mining coal at scale (as well as harvesting peat), and found herself in need of an efficient way to de-water her mines. And when the prerequisites (metallurgy, abundant fuel, and economic necessity) converged, the steam engine emerged.