Quote by Freeman Dyson, Infinite in All D

The technologies which have had the most profound effects on human life are usually simple. A good example of a simple technology with profound historical consequences is hay. Nobody knows who invented hay, the idea of cutting grass in the autumn and storing it in large enough quantities to keep horses and cows alive through the winter. All we know is that the technology of hay was unknown to the Roman Empire but was known to every village of medieval Europe. Like many other crucially important technologies, hay emerged anonymously during the so-called Dark Ages. According to the Hay Theory of History, the invention of hay was the decisive event which moved the center of gravity of urban civilization from the Mediterranean basin to Northern and Western Europe. The Roman Empire did not need hay because in a Mediterranean climate the grass grows well enough in winter for animals to graze. North of the Alps, great cities dependent on horses and oxen for motive power could not exist without hay. So it was hay that allowed populations to grow and civilizations to flourish among the forests of Northern Europe. Hay moved the greatness of Rome to Paris and London, and later to Berlin and Moscow and New York.

Summary

This quote highlights the significance of simple technologies in shaping human history. It uses the example of hay, a basic invention that revolutionized agricultural practices during the medieval times. While the origins of hay are unknown, its importance cannot be underestimated. In contrast to the Mediterranean climate where animals could graze in winter, hay became crucial in regions like Northern Europe, enabling the growth of populations and the development of cities dependent on animal power. This technological shift from ancient Rome to cities like Paris, London, and beyond had a profound impact on the course of urban civilization.