for the first time, all essential components of the much later steam engine were assembled by one technological culture Though comments here indicate they lack

for the first time, all essential components of the much later steam engine were assembled by one technological culture Though comments here indicate they lacked sufficient metallurgy. It makes me think of the wolf riders books. A series about "elves" that are basically descendants from a crashed alien ship and there are two groups of them, forming a mini civilization. Humans seem endlessly fascinated with the question of what is the minimum viable product to make civilization as we know it? or something along those lines. That seems to be a basic impetus behind a lot of dystopian/post-disaster stories. It seems to be a means to strip away a lot of current social stuff and imagine a world with fewer people where someone -- or a few people -- with the right knowledge can create a more civilized microcosm by keeping some of our achievements while largely eliminating the hell is other people parts. On the flip side is Kyle in Terminator saying "I didn't build the fucking thing!" in exasperation, a scene with seemingly broad appeal, like it hits a nerve for a lot of people. And maybe we should be wondering in more practical, real world terms about the technological MVP for civilization. Like if you were a bit of a luddite, how would you arrange a comfortable existence where you could understand a lot of the essential tech required to sustain the lifestyle to which you've become accustomed.