this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2026
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Well, the first step was making a machine that does every step of the process to make it easier. Then you combine those machines into one big machine, hence "combine".
No one starts from zero and builds a machine like this. Each of those processes was its own problem that got solved first.
People don't seem to understand that complicated things don't just get invented out of nowhere. They almost always are the result of many steps along the way, each of which was useful in its own right.
And that's why it's common that multiple people invent the same thing at the same time. Like the theory of evolution, or the telephone. These things may be complicated, but all of the building blocks were created over a long time, and suddenly, their invention or discovery becomes inevitable.
Not to say that it never happens that people make large leaps, but it's rare.
The first season of Connections did an exceptional job of illustrating that idea. Highly recommended!