Great post. Another point I wanted to mention was the European university system. Oxford, Cambridge are close to a 1000 years old. By 1500 AD, Europe had over 30 universities (most of which are still existing today). Newton himself was a Cambridge student, where he became the Professor of Mathematics later. James Watt himself was affiliated with the University of Glasgow when he started working on steam engines.
Such a formalized education system didn't exist elsewhere in the world.
I find the arguments you make compelling in many ways. With the exception of wheat vs rice. China has been growing wheat on a massive scale since the Tang dynasty. https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/chinese-farmers/
Great post. Another point I wanted to mention was the European university system. Oxford, Cambridge are close to a 1000 years old. By 1500 AD, Europe had over 30 universities (most of which are still existing today). Newton himself was a Cambridge student, where he became the Professor of Mathematics later. James Watt himself was affiliated with the University of Glasgow when he started working on steam engines.
Such a formalized education system didn't exist elsewhere in the world.
Great post Erik! Worth a note that Anton Howes pushes back on the claim that an understanding of the vacuum was essential for the invention of an atmospheric engine (https://antonhowes.substack.com/p/age-of-invention-why-wasnt-the-steam ; https://antonhowes.substack.com/p/age-of-invention-why-wasnt-the-steam-cc8).
Salomon de Caus created a kind of atmospheric engine decades before Torricelli and Pascal's work.
I find the arguments you make compelling in many ways. With the exception of wheat vs rice. China has been growing wheat on a massive scale since the Tang dynasty. https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/chinese-farmers/