Actually, you brought the invention of the steam engine into the conversation.
I spoke about the invention of the steam engine as a means for pumping water out of mines. The Greeks never tried to use it for that purpose.
required scientific knowledge of thermodynamics, behavior of gases, metallurgy, etc.
I don't think that Thomas Newcomen had much scientific knowledge of thermodynamics. Most of thermodynamics developed after there were already commercial steam engines.
I think knowledge about metallurgy at the time wasn't mainly scientific but based on trades. You had smiths who learned it by being smiths and who then passed it down to an apprentice.
I spoke about the invention of the steam engine as a means for pumping water out of mines. The Greeks never tried to use it for that purpose.
True, but you and two other people pointed out that the Greeks had invented the steam engine as if that somehow invalidated something that I had said.
Most of thermodynamics developed after there were already commercial steam engines.
This is not really true. Scientific work in the area of thermodynamics had been done in the 17th century by Denis Papin, Otto von Guericke , Robert Boyle, Thomas Savery and other...
Another month, another rationality quotes thread. The rules are: