• pressanykeynow@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    3 days ago

    Talking about steam, steam-powered things are 2 thousand years old at least and we still use the technology when we crack atoms to make energy.

    • superkret@feddit.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 days ago

      What the Romans had wasn’t comparable with an industrial steam engine. The working principle of steam pushing against a cylinder was similar, but they lacked the tools and metallurgy to build a steam cauldron that could be pressurized, so their steam engine could only do parlor tricks like opening a temple door once, and not perform real continuous work.