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Vladimir_M comments on Open Thread: December 2011 - Less Wrong Discussion

6 Post author: Tripitaka 01 December 2011 06:59PM

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Comment author: Vladimir_M 03 December 2011 12:12:51AM 4 points [-]

Now, I'm not a scientist, but I think I could invent a steam engine if there was decent metallurgy already.

No way, unless perhaps you're an amateur craftsman with a dazzling variety of practical skills and an extraordinary talent for improvization. And even if you managed to cobble together something that works, you likely wouldn't be able to put it to any profitable use in the given economic circumstances.