What invention is argued as most transforming for economic scale and the Industrial Revolution?
Answer
Steam Locomotive
The Steam Locomotive and the modern, scheduled railway systems it generated are argued to be the most transformative inventions concerning economic scale and national integration. This technology enabled the efficient, reliable, and timely movement of massive volumes of industrial materials, such as coal and ore, to factories, and subsequently moved finished goods to markets across entire nations. This predictability, regardless of local weather or road quality, was considered a quantum leap in human capability that served as the engine for true mass industrial power.

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