Cross-Application Technology
Denis Papin was employed to explore the idea of using gunpowder to create vacuums for a usable machine when he realized shortly after that steam would work better. Between 1690 and 1695 he built a simple piston that used steam to lift weights on a pulley. In 1698 Papin was working with Gottfried Leibniz to put the machine to use. The problem was mines flooding. Horses couldn’t be used and fuel was abundant for a machine that ran off steam. Miners couldn’t mine in flooded sites. Papin started dreaming of other places this steam machine could be applied. He wrote to Leibniz saying, "I believe that this invention can be used for many other things besides raising water. In regard to travel by water, I would flatter myself to reach this goal quickly enough if I could find more support." A great creation is one that can be applied to multiple problems at once.