[The Prometheus Shot – E004 :: Who Invents – Watt: Innovation, Steam Engines, and Industrial Revolutions ]
This post is part of the Prometheus Shot series.
Great Work and the Fascinating Processes of Invention…
How do inventions happen? What about their bigger contexts?
What does innovation need to thrive?
An exploration that looks at Change, Networks, Attunement, Opportunities, and Systems… by starting from the story of the steam engine…
James Watt was sitting at home… looking at the boiling tea kettle… and he had a Genius Idea… Right?
Wrong… Let’s trace it.
Who – REALLY – Invented the steam engine?
This is – in fact – a story that goes back thousands of years… and reflects deeper truths about how progress happens, the evolution of technologies, and when inventions can be considered relevant and great.
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Some comments from this work:
Who – Really – Invented the Steam Engine?
Who Invents things (in general)?
Is Necessity the Mother of Invention?
Radical vs Incremental Innovation
What would “Hero of Alexandria” do with a steam engine?
Why do we like Hero stories?
Is the “Garage” a magic ingredient of success and invention?
The Industrial Revolution as a ‘Spirit of the Age’

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Chapters:
- Reflecting on Innovation and Creative Systems
2. Stories of Great Inventions
3. Who Invented The Steam Engine?
4. Elaboration: Who Invents Things?
5. Heroes, Systems, and Revolutions
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Youtube Video :
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Podcast (Substack) :
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Prometheus Shot