So at least there is 1 guy who understood me. What is Science of the Discworld 3: Darwins Watch? I know Discword by Pratchett, although i never read any of his books.
Science of the Discworld is a series of books where Pratchett has some of his Discworld characters create "Roundworld" (Earth), then find out it works on different rules to the Discworld (no magic for example). He co-authors this with 2 scientists, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen.
It pretty much breaks down as 1 chapter by Pratchett, then 1 by Stewart and Cohen to explain the story. Works nicely for the most part.
Anyway, they explore various concepts. SotD 3: Darwin's Watch is mostly aimed at biological evolution. However, one of the concepts they explore is that ideas/inventions/concepts only really work if the "time" is right.
Chapter 18 has them looking at steam engines. To summerise:
Steam engines have been used for motive power since around 150BC (at this time, Hero of Alexandria wrote "Spirtulia seu Pneumatica", only partial copies of which survive, but which clearly refers to multiple steam-driven machines.) Most of these uses appear to be of limited practicality (the only practical one referenced is a steam-driven door opener in a temple).
Yet for all this, it was 1663 when Edward Somerset, the Marquis of Worcester invented and built a steam-powered pump in Vauxhall. However, there wasn't any funding available to manufacture more machines by Somerset or, later, his widow.
Dennis Papin is credited with applying safety valves to control steam pressure (initially in his "Digester", a sort of primitive pressure cooker). He then went on to create the first mechanical steam engine and first piston engine around 1687.
Thomas Savery patented and built the first steam engine used to clear mines of unwanted water.
Thomas Newcomen created the "atmospheric steam engine", whereby he separated the piston and pump, and added a separate boiler and condenser. The separate piston meant that it would be attached to anything, making the engine more generally useful.
John Smeaton scaled Newcomen's design up to a larger scale.
This can be considered to be the time of the "invention" of the steam engine, yet it is Watt (and Boulton, his partner) who get most of the credit. All Watt did was change the method of operation slightly to dramatically improve the efficiency, yet once that change was made no-one else could compete.
So, as you can see, steam engines did exist and had some limited practical applications in antiquity.
However, it took some 1800 years from the first known recorded instance to the first acknowledged practical use.
It took a further 35 years for the engines to become commercially viable.
It took another 70 years to reach what can pretty much be considered it's "final" form - a total of some 1900 years (and probably more).
There's some things which aren't covered (possibly because they're uncertain). For example, they refer to 2 machines from Hero's treatise, both of which consist of fires being lit on altars which contain the water. A key development would have been building the boiler around the fire, but as I said, this isn't covered.
The point I'm making is that it isn't just tools that are required, it's also a use and economy.
) but they are certainly very awared of History, their knowledge is huge.
