> In the right hands, knowledge that something specific can be done is often enough to dramatically accelerate discovery. It allows for serious resource allocat

> In the right hands, knowledge that something specific can be done is often enough to dramatically accelerate discovery. It allows for serious resource allocation in a specific trajectory, while the rate-limiting step in original discovery is working through innumerable dead ends ... For this theory to hold, it would have to explain the inordinate duration of the Dark Ages. My explanation of same is the prerequisite for successful discovery is collective understanding of foundational principles, not awareness of previous achievements. For example, just because someone has knowledge of the Catskill Aqueduct[0] existing doesn't mean recreating another like it would be any quicker if the underlying knowledge was lost. 0 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catskill_Aqueduct https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catskill_Aqueduct