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This criticism seems so odd to me. Does the author really believe that people reading that are going to assume that Watt knew nothing of steam engines, this id
by colomon 11y ago
This criticism seems so odd to me. Does the author really believe that people reading that are going to assume that Watt knew nothing of steam engines, this idea hit him out of the blue, and he built a working model the next day? Of course he spent the previous years learning the problem domain. Of course it took him time to make his idea work.
But neither of those details changes the fact (I guess, the author does not try to dispute it) that on this stroll, Watt hit upon the key idea which eventually changed the world from muscle- and wind-powered to machine-powered.
- jacobolus 11y agoDid you read the source article in the Guardian? I think the post here is pretty fair to criticize it as oversimplified and decontextualized to the point of absurdity. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/29/james-watt-sabbath-day-fossil-fuel-revolution-condenser http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/29/james-watt...
- roel_v 11y ago" Does the author really believe that people reading that are going to assume that Watt knew nothing of steam engines, this idea hit him out of the blue, and he built a working model the next day?" This is how many people who have never build or invented anything think these things happen.