Advancement in science & tech needs curiosity, critical & independent thinking and most importantly ability to change mind when data says that you were wrong.

Advancement in science & tech needs curiosity, critical & independent thinking and most importantly ability to change mind when data says that you were wrong. These are precisely the things which religion (organised or otherwise) has suppressed for thousands of years. The most important factor in advancement of sciences came because of: separation of the state and religion. When this happened it still took few centuries where rational thinking was accepted in ruling class. From this point it was really the case of one idea leads to another.