Alternate routes of technological development

Yun-shuno

Banned
So because I'm bored and shiftless I got to thinking does technology have to advance in a straight line that we OTL would recognize. Quite a long while ago I read an article talking about how during the turn of the 20th century there was a lot of innovation with roads and what not in regards to horses of course cars came along and the modifications for horse travel in cities went out the window.

I had an earlier thread asking if no gunpowder how would medieval weapons have developed.

I think the principle is wider though than these two examples, what if for example the development of various sciences proceeded differently. Or came about under different circumstances.

Of course it requires a tremendous amount of imagination and technical know how to write a TL not including making it different.

So what are your thoughts on how progress could have gone different roads and the world look very different?
 

trurle

Banned
Technical progress cannot actually go a "different" road unless temporarily and only in fringe areas. It happens mostly due to tendency to invent based on "low-hanging fruits" - all simple devices will be ultimately tried, competed and optimal one selected.
If you want a distortion of OTL picture, following criteria should apply:
1) Large dream-driven inspiration (to overlook optimal devices)
2) Technology must be complex to prevent full optimization

The history of gunpowder IOTL is actually a story how the development of technology lagged centuries after the most plausible moment. I remember a quite elaborate novel about 7th century Tang dynasty making some minor improvements to gunpowder recipe (replacement of wood powder to charcoal) to produce a cannon-grade propellant instead of just incendiary.

Another topic i though a bit is the some sort of the religious prohibition to use the power of wind. Without commonplace windmills, steam engine may become viable much faster compared to OTL. Like 15th century instead of 17th.
 
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