From: buzzard554@fastmail.co.uk   
      
   On 10/15/2018 3:46 PM, reader wrote:   
   >> In all honestly, as far as I can tell the only thing   
   >> stopping the Industrial Revolution from happen in ancient   
   >> Roman times, instead of the 18th century, was the Roman   
   >> elite.   
   >   
   > Simple, all of the prerequisite technology elements of the industrial   
   > revolution were not in place.   
   >   
   > China was the leader in technology until about the 17th century.  If it   
   > were to have happened anywhere else it would b china.   
   >   
   > A 1st century roman in egypt described a rudimentary steam engine, which we   
   > associate with the industrial revolution as a primary energy conversion   
   > prerequisite.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   In the fifteenth century the Chinese had ocean going ships, they might   
   have discovered Europe rather than the other way round.  Unfortunately   
   the caravan companies lobbied the government and ships above a certain   
   size were banned.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)