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A comment on Why did the peoples of the New World fail to invent the wheel?.

Re:Why did the peoples of the New World fail to invent the w... by DanielBMarkham on Sunday May 17, 2009 @08:58AM (#613352)
If I'm understanding the first part of the answer, he's sayin the wheel was not invented in the New World because there was no inventor of the wheel in the New World.

Kind of sounds like some of the answers I used to put on extra credit sections of tests when I wasn't sure : )

I think the more interesting and pertinent question, which he barely touched on, is why do some societies invent and adopt things and put them to all kinds of use while other societies either don't invent them or invent them without ever adapting and applying them to their full potential?

Taking off my PC hat, I think this probably describes the difference between a stagnant civilization and a dynamic one. (Bet I'll get the downmods for that one!)

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Re:Why did the peoples of the New World fail to invent the w... by asciilifeform on Sunday May 17, 2009 @11:08AM (#613469)
> why do some societies invent and adopt things and put them to all kinds of use while other societies either don't invent them or invent them without ever adapting and applying them

This may also be why:

http://www.uwgb.edu/DutchS/PSEUDOSC/WhyAntiInt.htm

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