How to Invent Everything

1. Stranded? Determine Your Era First

We recommend proceeding through this chart first, to better orient yourself in your new period in history.

Handy Flowchart. The first step upon realizing you're stranded in the past is to determine the time period. A handy flowchart is provided to help navigate the possibilities, from the presence of dinosaurs to the existence of modern humans. This orientation is crucial for understanding the resources and challenges you'll face.

Human Evolution. A key distinction lies between 200,000 BCE and 50,000 BCE, marking the emergence of anatomically modern humans and their subsequent behavioral modernity. This period presents a unique opportunity to influence human development by introducing language and abstract thought.

Impact on History. By understanding the timeline, you can strategically apply your knowledge to accelerate technological and cultural advancements, potentially altering the course of civilization. This initial assessment is the foundation for all subsequent actions.

2. Language: The Foundation of Civilization

Language is the technology from which all others spread, and you’ve already got it for free.

Communication is Key. Spoken language is the cornerstone of civilization, enabling complex thought, shared ideas, and cultural transmission. It allows for nuanced expression and the survival of ideas beyond individual lifespans.

Teaching Language. If stranded before 50,000 BCE, prioritize teaching language to early humans, especially children. Focus on a simplified pidgin version of your native tongue, incorporating sounds already familiar to them. This can give humanity a 150,000-year head start.

Linguistic Universals. While language is arbitrary, consider incorporating linguistic universals found in all natural languages, such as pronouns, vowels, verbs, and nouns. These elements may facilitate easier adoption and communication within your new civilization.

3. Five Technologies to Kickstart Civilization

This guide will allow you to create a world like the one you left, but better.

Essential Technologies. Five fundamental technologies are crucial for building a civilization: spoken language, written language, non-sucky numbers, the scientific method, and a calorie surplus. These information-based technologies are resilient and can be implemented regardless of the time period.

Overcoming Limitations. These technologies took humanity an embarrassingly long time to develop, but you have the advantage of knowing them already. Focus on their rapid implementation to save millennia of wasted time.

Building Blocks. Each technology unlocks further advancements. Written language preserves ideas, non-sucky numbers enable precise quantification, the scientific method refines knowledge, and a calorie surplus allows for specialization and innovation.

4. Measurement: Standardize for Progress

All units of measurement are arbitrary, but the vast majority of humanity agrees that you should at least make them practical.

Practical Units. Establish a standardized system of measurement based on the metric system and the centigrade temperature scale. These units are practical, scalable, and easily reproducible, even in the distant past.

Centigrade and Kelvin. Define 0°C as the freezing point of water and 100°C as its boiling point. For a scale without negative numbers, invent the Kelvin scale, setting 0 Kelvin to -273.15°C.

Length, Weight, and Time. Recreate a meter using the provided 10cm ruler, and define a kilogram as the weight of 10 cubic centimeters of water at 4°C. Measure time using a pendulum 99.4cm long, where one second is the time it takes to swing from one end to the other.

5. Farming: From Scarcity to Surplus

It’s on calorie surpluses—and therefore farming—that civilizations are built.

End Hunting and Gathering. Transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming to create a calorie surplus. This allows for population growth, specialization of labor, and the development of an economy.

Selective Breeding and Crop Rotation. Implement selective breeding to improve crop yields and domesticate animals. Use crop rotation to maintain soil fertility and prevent pest infestations.

Challenges of Farming. Be aware of the challenges associated with farming, including increased labor, food storage requirements, income inequality, vulnerability to attack, and the spread of animal-borne diseases.

6. Edible Plants & Animals: A Forager's Guide

Great news: you can eat anything once!

Foraging Safely. Identify edible plants and animals in your new environment. Use the universal edibility test to determine if a potential food source is safe to eat.

Useful Species. Prioritize plants and animals that have been historically useful to humans, such as apples, bamboo, barley, cacao, chili peppers, cinchona, coconuts, coffee, corn, cotton, eucalyptus, grapes, oak trees, opium poppy, papyrus, potatoes, rice, soybeans, sugarcane, sweet orange, tea, tobacco, wheat, white mulberry, white willow, and yams.

Selective Breeding. Remember that wild varieties of these species may be less palatable or nutritious than their domesticated counterparts. Use selective breeding to improve their characteristics over time.

7. Health is Wealth: Basic Medicine

The scientific method is still our best technology for uncovering, verifying, and refining correct knowledge, because what the scientific method allows us to do is make wrong knowledge gradually more correct.

Germ Theory. Understand the germ theory of disease and prioritize cleanliness to prevent infections. Wash hands regularly with soap and water, and purify drinking water through boiling and charcoal filtration.

Basic First Aid. Learn basic first aid techniques, including the Heimlich maneuver, the recovery position, CPR, and how to treat broken bones and wounds.

Vitamin Deficiencies. Be aware of the symptoms of common vitamin deficiencies and ensure a varied diet to prevent them. Consider introducing vitamin C-rich foods to prevent scurvy.

8. Engineering: Solving Problems with Machines

Now we are Become Farmers, the Devourers of Worlds.

Water and Wind Power. Harness natural forces by inventing waterwheels and windmills. These machines can grind grain, saw wood, operate bellows, and generate electricity.

Steam Engines. Develop steam engines to convert heat into mechanical work. These engines can power pumps, factories, and transportation systems.

Flywheels. Use flywheels to store energy and smooth out power production. These devices can improve the efficiency of various machines.

9. The Power of Numbers: Computing from Scratch

Because everyone wants their civilization . . . to really count.

Binary Logic. Understand binary logic and create logic gates (AND, OR, NOT) using fluidic systems. These gates can be combined to perform calculations.

Full Adders. Build full adders by combining logic gates. These adders can be chained together to create machines that perform complex arithmetic operations.

Mechanical Computers. Use full adders to construct mechanical computers that can automate calculations. These machines can revolutionize various fields, from accounting to science.

10. Art and Philosophy: Shaping Culture

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Visual Art. Master the basics of visual art, including perspective, to create realistic and compelling images. Explore different artistic styles to express emotions and ideas.

Philosophy. Introduce philosophical concepts to guide ethical and moral decision-making. Consider various schools of thought, such as utilitarianism, existentialism, and stoicism.

Cultural Expression. Encourage artistic and philosophical expression to foster a rich and meaningful culture. These endeavors can provide a sense of purpose and identity for members of your civilization.

Last updated: March 3, 2025