"Jim Wilkins" on Sun, 24 Nov 2019 18:39:58
-0500 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Wow, so much loss for these poor guys! Then fame for Fulton rather
than Fitch. That sucks. But we did have some very talented people
in the USA.

History is full of guy A inventing / discovering something "first"
but guy B is the one who got the publicity. E.G., it is called
"America" because the map maker called it after Americo Vespucci,
for
various reasons.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although far too often, Age travels alone."

It's often A, B, C and D tinkering with the idea, then E making it
practical after a different advance removes the last stumbling block.
Steam transportation required stronger boilers,

As I understand it. one of the critical features of steam engines
(smooth round cylinders which allowed a tight fit) came as a result of
development in the armaments trade: the ability to bore out cannon
barrels.
And so forth.

airplanes needed lightweight engines.
Although I have plans for a steam powered aeroplane. (circa 1908
iirc)


In my own experience the Segway required solid-state gyros, and cell
phones required A/D converters fast enough to digitize radio
frequencies. I was building prototypes with digital storage scope
components.

I recall reading an article of a guy who made a processor using
individual transistors soldered to circuit boards.

There is a lot of "retro-" building where people are doing "by
hand" as a hobby what is not practical to do commercially. I make
wooden boxes, the wife crochets blankets. Nobody is going to pay for
our time, the best we can hope for is to cover materials. "It is a
hobby."

--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although far too often, Age travels alone."