Posted on 02/27/2025 5:15:07 AM PST by buwaya
An early precision lathe - France, 1751, Jacques de Vaucanson
Lathes are fundamental to modern science and industry. Every last thing in modern tech starts from that. You can trace European (and later global) "economic takeoff" to this thing.
ALL human progress and change, and history, comes from advances in technology. Religion, philosophy, warfare, all matter little or nothing, or are rather reactions to technological change.
Amen the blessings of tech that amplify sins can be curses.
My later career was in the main buying “hokum mixed with bunk”. Or rather, doing my best not to.
Been there, done that, over and over. The tech (even for very conservative DAQ/SCADA) is vastly different from 10 years ago.
1865 was when Henry Bessemer hit on his process for consistently and scientifically making high-quality steel (or 1851, if you believe American William Kelly beat him to the punch).
Man had been making steel for more than 2000 years but that was more art than science, hit or miss. The Bessemer process (regardless who invented it) made it possible to make more-or-less 'perfect' steel on an industrial scale.
Which directly cause one of the greatest revolutions in the history of mankind. And according to his 'hockey stick' graph, the advent of industrial steel coincides very nicely with the start of the uptick (and it bore no allegiance to the invention of the lathe).
The New World was immediately significant in many immeasurable ways, like new foods. The U.S. was so significant that it was born after a series of civil, continental and world wars.
Mankind has always been ingenious with the materials which were on hand. New materials are necessary for the tech to go “forward”...wisdom to use the technology/materials to benefit mankind is more important than all of tech and materials.
Unfortunately new tech is many, many times used to kill many people and other living creatures. The “worship” of tech can be just as harmful as codified principles..
...but I very much like your posting. Thanks and FReegards!
I still find it amazing that humanity went from the horse and buggy to atomic science in the span of 40 years.
I don’t know how it happened. Divine intervention? The Akashic Records exist, and spiritually gifted people found a way to tap into them?
Thanks Sheldon!
The US as a society, a culture, a factor to be taken into account in geopolitics - absolutely not. The US was in the main a curiosity.
The horse and buggy days lasted a LOOONG time. At the beginning of it world trade went by sail. At the end people were working on radioactivity.
Not a great example.
There is an argument that tech development is accelerating. I doubt it. Its more irregular than that.
I have a small POS (piece of ....)from Harbor Freight. I intended to bolt on some digital calipers for measuring but never got around to it. Used to have access to a full shop including a Clausing with gap bed and a Hardinge Chucker (my favorite) with Trav-a-dials.
Worked for a while developing a new motor for Servo’s power feed for mills. (cost reduction project using a variable reluctance motor.)
Yes, I know. The NYT is obsessed with white racism.
Great electromagnetics list but I would have included Franklin at the beginning of that list, which undermines the OPs hypothesis of the insignificance of America and its founding geniuses.
The public library was the internet of its day too.
Give me a lathe and a vertical mill..... I can pretty much make any useful thing. Make it CNC, preferably Haas, and I can really go to town.
I would have also included Franklin if my mind were still working.
That is a wonderful skill. I did the formal machinist training (as part of a BSME) but I dont really have the passion.
Got a lathe in my basement.
++++++++++
Not many people can say that. I got one too. It is a 13” South Bend from around 1960.
The 1st colony to tear itself away from the Sun Never Sets Empire! Believe me, France, Spain and Russia were very interested.
I had a wonderful 9 X 36 Southbend Heavy. Lost it in the divorce.
“ALL human progress and change, and history, comes from advances in technology. Religion, philosophy, warfare, all matter little or nothing, or are rather reactions to technological change.”
In all of my years on FR, this assertion has to be among the stupidest and most ignorant of any I’ve seen posted.
Making tools does not make you a god. The lathe is not the most important and does not even make the top ten of most lists. Many much more fundamental discoveries and inventions were required precursors as well.
I’m a big fan of technology, but only a fool would believe it is the single most important determinant of progress.
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