All Recognized Famous Inventors Had Capable Predecessors

Two Types Of Choices Seem To Me To Have Been Crucial In Tipping The Outcomes [of The Various Societies' Histories] Towards Success Or Failure: Long-term Planning And Willingness To Reconsider Core Values. On Reflection We Can Also Recognize The Crucial Role Of These Same Two Choices For The Outcomes Of Our Individual Lives.

In Fact, Everywhere In The World There Has Been A Flux Between Big And Small Societies. Big Political Units Are Constantly Being Formed, Later To Fragment. The Individual Pieces Try To Pull Apart, And Then They Join Together Again. One Sees That In Europe: There Have Been Unifications And Then Dissolutions And Reunifications. So In The Long Run, It's 10,000 Steps Toward Amalgamation Offsetting 9,999 Steps Toward Falling Apart Again. In Businesses And Industries, I Would Guess That's Also True.

Eurasia's Main Axis Is East/west, Whereas The Main Axis Of The Americas Is North/south. Eurasia's East/west Axis Meant That Species Domesticated In One Part Of Eurasia Could Easily Spread Thousands Of Miles At The Same Latitude, Encountering The Same Day-length And Climate To Which They Were Already Adapted.

Technology Causes Problems As Well As Solves Problems. Nobody Has Figured Out A Way To Ensure That, As Of Tomorrow, Technology Won't Create Problems. Technology Simply Means Increased Power, Which Is Why We Have The Global Problems We Face Today.

Our Biggest Threat Is Not An Asteroid About To Crash Into Us, Something We Can Do Nothing About. Instead, All The Major Threats Facing Us Today Are Problems Entirely Of Our Own Making. And Since We Made The Problems, We Can Also Solve The Problems.