An alternative view rests on the heroic theory of invention. Technological advances seem to come disproportionately from a few very rare geniuses, such as Johannes Gutenberg, James Watt, Thomas Edison, and the Wright brothers. They were Europeans, or descendants of European emigrants to America. So were Archimedes and other rare geniuses of ancient times. Still another alternative view holds that it is a matter not of individual inventiveness but of the receptivity of whole societies to innovation.
Some societies seem hopelessly conservative, inward looking, and hostile to change.
Written by Matt Nuenke August 2000.