Approximately how long did the gap span between Hero’s dispenser and the next documented commercial vending machines?
Answer
Nearly two millennia
There is a vast temporal gulf separating the first recorded instance of automated dispensing and the rise of true vending as a widespread commercial convenience. The text explicitly notes that the gap spanning between Hero’s singular, ceremonial application of automation in the first century AD and the next documented commercial vending machines—which began appearing in England in the early 1800s—was nearly two millennia long. This long hiatus suggests that while the proof of concept existed, the societal and economic structures needed for widespread adoption were not yet in place.
Related Questions
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