Why Did We Not Automate Manual Labor Until the Late 1700s?
We've had the mechanical skill to build clockwork automata for hundreds of years, yet why did we not use it to automate manual labor until the late 1700s? Find out the answer in this blog, which explains the phenomenon of automation using water and animal power, and the reaper being pulled by horses until the 20th century.
Jason Crawford
Founder, @rootsofprogress. I write about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. Part-time consultant to @OurWorldInData. Former tech founder