> Such stories are entertaining, but there is usually no analysis of whether the outcome would have been materially different had the specific chain of circumstances not played out in the particular way they did
Well, most of these things are 'infotainment' for the lay public. I'm sure if you go into the academic literature then there may be a more robust examination:
Both Newton and Leibniz came up with calculus for example. Bell generally gets the credit for the telephone, but (a) he built past developments, and (b) there's Grey:
Well, most of these things are 'infotainment' for the lay public. I'm sure if you go into the academic literature then there may be a more robust examination:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_discovery
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multiple_discoveries
Both Newton and Leibniz came up with calculus for example. Bell generally gets the credit for the telephone, but (a) he built past developments, and (b) there's Grey:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone
I think the shows are useful in that they help people realize that history can be messy and convoluted.