Introduction: The Substitution of Human Faculties with Technology: Powered Machines The development of the steam engine in 1776 represented a major advance in the construction of powered machines and marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Powered engines and machines soon became common and led to the first extensive mechanization of manufacturing processes. The development of |
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Medieval universities and copying of books The first of the great medieval universities was established at Bologna. At the beginning, universities predominantly offered a kind of do-it-yourself publishing service. Books still had to be copied by hand and were so rare that a copy of a widely desired book qualified for being invited to a university. Holding a lecture equaled to reading a book aloud, like a priest read from the Bible during services. Attending a lecture equaled to copy a lecture word by word, so you had your own copy of a book, thus enabling you to hold a lecture, too. For further details see History of the Idea of a University, |
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