The 1751 Machine That Made Everything

Technology is the single most important driver of history - it drives everything, it changes everything, it creates advantage and disadvantage, it creates sometimes desperate adaptations.

It creates chaos, often enough, upsets stability, it destroys social systems.

And it forces unlearning of old ideas about history.

Making tools is a divine, or demonic, act. Either way, there is nothing more consequential. Its worth thinking this through.

One nice lathe = one industrial revolution.

https://sts-program.mit.edu/book/technology-drive-history-dilemma-technological-determinism/

#83 One nice lathe = one industrial revolution.

It led to hydraulic cylinders that required precision that led to all sorts of other things like bulldozers, cranes, car shocks, elevators/lifts etc.

Steam engines with pistons cylinders crankshafts bearings, etc.

“Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism”

Eschaton = the final thing or final invention
(Also called “the transcendental object at the end of time”.)

History is the shockwave that precedes the eschaton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Qu5hbZ8Q8
Terence McKenna - The Human Eschaton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgEqQAIpLoo
TIME IS SPEEDING UP - Terence McKenna

Also...
https://www.organism.earth/library/document/eros-and-the-eschaton

Terence McKenna: “It’s very important to science to eliminate from its thinking any suspicion that this eschaton might exist. Because if it were to exist, it would impart to reality a purpose, you see? If the eschaton exists, then it’s like a goal, or an attraction point, or an energy sink toward which historical process is being moved. And science is incredibly hostile toward the idea of purpose. If you are not involved in the sciences this may come as somewhat of a surprise to you. If you are a workbench scientist or a theoretician, you know that this is what’s called the problem of teleology. It is because modern science defined itself in the nineteenth century, when the reigning philosophy was deism—and deism was the idea that the universe is a clock made by God, and God wound this clock and has walked away from it, and the clock will eventually run down. That theological construct was poisonous to evolutionary theory in the nineteenth century. And so they said: we must create a theory of reality that does not require a goal, does not require a purpose. Everything must be pushed from the past. Nothing must be pulled toward the future.”

“The problem with this is that it does not fulfill our intuitions about reality. We can see that evolution—biological evolution—has built on chemical systems. We can see that social and historical systems build on biology. As people with open minds—or as open as they can be inside this culture—we nevertheless have this intuition of purpose. And it is dramatically underscored by the psychedelic experience, which takes the raw material of your life, your culture, your history and tells you this is not an existential mishmash to be lived out with dignity because there’s nothing else to be done with it in some kind of Camusian ‘Why not?’ affirmation. It says, ‘No!’ It says: your reality is a coherent cosmos. And embedded in your own sense of identity, embedded in your own sense of purpose, is a microscopic reflection of the larger purpose that is built into the universe.”

(FYI, Terence McKenna advocates psychedelic experiences. I do not advocate psychedelics and have never tried them.)

“One nice lathe = one industrial revolution.”

Whole books could be written to disprove your claim. I will give a few brief examples. Many other technologies, discoveries, and inventions were necessary precursors to the invention of the lathe, starting with the basics:

The Wheel: The invention of the wheel was essential to the creation of the lathe, providing the foundational concept of rotational motion.

Fire: Discovering how to make fire allowed for metallurgy and the manipulation of metals, enabling the creation of tools and machines.

Metallurgy: Basic knowledge of metal extraction and refinement was crucial. Advances in metallurgy during the Industrial Revolution allowed for stronger, more durable materials necessary for machine-based manufacturing.

Machine Tools: The development of specialized machine tools, originating in the 18th century from clockmakers and scientific instrument makers, was critical. Before these tools, metal parts were crafted manually using labor-intensive methods, limiting precision and scalability.

Cylinder Boring Machine: In 1774, John Wilkinson’s invention of the cylinder boring machine allowed for precise manufacturing of large steam engine cylinders, a key innovation that powered early industrial machinery.

Letter Punch and Coins: Techniques for imprinting symbols using a master type punch date back to ancient Sumer (circa 3000 BC) and were precursors to the metal punches used in movable type printing.

Movable Type Printing System: Gutenberg’s 15th-century system, utilizing a lead-antimony-tin alloy, revolutionized information dissemination by making printed knowledge more accessible and reproducible, fostering scientific and industrial advancement.

Beyond technological innovations, many societal and economic frameworks were also indispensable:

Timekeeping: Advances in watches and clocks enabled precise time synchronization, facilitating organized labor and industrial scheduling.

Steam Engine: As the primary power source during the first phase of the Industrial Revolution, steam engines enabled efficient transportation via locomotives and powered industrial machinery, accelerating production and distribution.

Legal Frameworks: Property rights, economic regulations, and contract law provided the necessary foundation for industrial-scale production and trade.

Literacy and Knowledge Dissemination: Widespread literacy, enabled by movable type, was crucial for the development of management theory, economics, and scientific inquiry, which underpinned industrial progress.

These were among many factors by which the Industrial Revolution became possible. And they did so synergistically. For example, clocks, watches, and trains (and train schedules required for cost savings) led to time zones and synchronization of time. This was requisite to the organization and specialization of factory labor. Factories required the power of the steam engine.

Do you think the lathe generated everything out of thin air? You had to have markets, buying power, the extraction of metals and other natural resources, and a legal framework for ownership, buying, and selling. Economics, law, and management practices require literacy. Literacy and a large body of important knowledge would not exist apart from moveable type. The whole reason moveable type was invented was a desire by people of faith to serve God.

The second phase of the industrial revolution involved harnessing electricity and other things that had little or nothing to do with the lathe.

While no one would dispute the value of the lathe, your position invites mockery because you essentially deify it as the singular source of everything useful, replacing religion, law, science, medicine, etc.

What you said.

Thanks.

Yes, yes, all of that.
But when you get to ONE beautiful combo, its like stepping though a dimensional warp. That, my friend, is a lathe.

You can bore a true cylinder (with much effort) without a lathe. Or rather, to do so you will have to invent a lathe-like device, which is amusing. Its how cannon were bored, eventually, spun on centers. Its also the case if you need to make a true piston.

But to make any engine, or any mechanism with true bearings (like your printing presses), you need a lathe.

This, too, shall pass.

My point is that modern technology relies on a vast network of discoveries, methods, and inventions. While the lathe is an important tool, it is not singularly responsible for technological progress.

If civilization were reduced to Stone Age technology and needed to rebuild, it would take a lifetime to re-establish the foundational knowledge and infrastructure required to reach modern technological levels. Even with a large, well-educated team, access to knowledge, and abundant natural resources, rebuilding to today’s level of technology would likely take at least two centuries under ideal conditions. A powered metal lathe could potentially be developed within 50 years if everything proceeded smoothly.

In this scenario, the lathe would remain a crucial manufacturing tool throughout the rebuilding process but would gradually become less central as more advanced machinery emerged. Within 80-150 years, milling and grinding machines would begin to take over tasks requiring flat surfaces, complex shapes, and precise finishes. By 150-200 years, CNC machines would significantly reduce the need for manual lathing by automating multi-axis machining with greater accuracy and efficiency. During this same period, additive manufacturing (3D printing) would likely emerge, enabling the creation of complex parts without traditional cutting methods—though it would complement rather than fully replace subtractive processes.

While lathes would continue to be valuable for cylindrical work, advanced machines would provide greater versatility and productivity, gradually assuming much of the manufacturing workload. As is true today, lathes would still be preferred for applications where rotational symmetry and speed are critical. Automated systems, such as CNC machines, would offer further advantages by reducing human error, enabling continuous operation, and increasing production speed. These innovations would also drive economies of scale, lowering costs and supporting broader economic growth.

Those lathes got us through the industrial revolution, and were essential right up through the 1980s - arguably essential to this day, for low tech or specialised needs. They don’t make machining centers the size of some lathes.

The view from the factory floor is instructive. Academics really don’t get it.

This topic was posted 2/27/2025, thanks buwaya. Adding to the GGG catalog, not pinging.