Can you name one invention that really doesn't have ANYTHING to do with some other piece of work? I think you'll find the "chain" of innovation goes quite a way down if you follow it the way you have...
ie. bell labs has a building (many?).
buildings were built by builders.
The builders just copied plans that someone else made.
The plans originally come from a guy named Bob.
Bob, ironically, was born when his parents were trying to prove the usefulness of birth control which was invented by someone else.
His parents used to feed Bob and diaper him in Pampers, which by the way were invented by.... And on and on and on....
The problem with this whole argument is where you want to draw the line; where you want to "flatten" the tree of relationships between anything.
I guess if you bring it down to the level you're looking at it, nobody is responsible for ANYTHING, really... Not by themselves. But that has some magically interesting properties in and of themselves.:-)
(Yeah, it's getting late.......)
Slashdot Mirror
The Wheel is great, and all, you know... all by itself, without something to attach it to, or axles, or any of that stuff.... Oh wait. No it's not. :-)
Can you name one invention that really doesn't have ANYTHING to do with some other piece of work? I think you'll find the "chain" of innovation goes quite a way down if you follow it the way you have... ie. bell labs has a building (many?). buildings were built by builders. The builders just copied plans that someone else made. The plans originally come from a guy named Bob. Bob, ironically, was born when his parents were trying to prove the usefulness of birth control which was invented by someone else. His parents used to feed Bob and diaper him in Pampers, which by the way were invented by.... And on and on and on.... The problem with this whole argument is where you want to draw the line; where you want to "flatten" the tree of relationships between anything. I guess if you bring it down to the level you're looking at it, nobody is responsible for ANYTHING, really... Not by themselves. But that has some magically interesting properties in and of themselves. :-)
(Yeah, it's getting late.......)