There’s an interesting weird theory about how we get ideas (related to Platonic philosophy) called “morphic resonance”. Basically the theory is that ideas are actually like radio waves, in the environment, and our brains are like radio receivers that pick up ideas existing in the universe. If so, then multiple simultaneous invention makes total sense. Proponents of morphic resonance actually posit a number of other weird related coincidences and experimental evidence for their hypothesis. For example rats who master a maze in one part of the world make it easier for unrelated rats anywhere in the world to master the same maze pattern — it’s as if the learned skill/idea is “broadcast” to all rat brains. Or chemical formulations of new molecules becomes easier and faster over time, even with no change in technique.
I knew someone who believed in that. Morphogenetic fields, he called it.
Something about tribes living close to each other, but with no contact, inventing the same stuff. After the first one got a tech, the others would also invent it, but faster.
Seemed a bit far fetched to me. Like, they are living in similar conditions, so it seems reasonable that each of them develops similar tech.
> Basically the theory is that ideas are actually like radio waves, in the environment, and our brains are like radio receivers that pick up ideas existing in the universe.
That sounds interesting. Like an accidental combination of movie + song + recent news that gives useful insights in some area.
With today's digital tracking, I wonder if we can quantify it: "X% of programming language creators read both Asimov and Terry Pratchett in non-English speaking countries".
> For example rats who master a maze in one part of the world make it easier for unrelated rats anywhere in the world to master the same maze pattern — it’s as if the learned skill/idea is “broadcast” to all rat brains.
Oh, you were being literal. That's deep into pseudoscience territory. What's the proposed mechanism for this "broadcast"?
Gravity, the luminiferous ether, psychic, even RF? Who knows. Maybe all rats are multi-furcations of the same rat, and there's squeaky action at distance.
Regardless I don't know how you'd prove this to everyone's satisfaction, it seems real easy to game/cheat.
