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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6548460" data-attributes="member: 177">I find most such systems nonsensical.  They tend to assume that areas of understanding are independent, when they generally aren't.  Technology from column A is often a required precursor for technology in column B.As examples:  Understanding of medicine beyond a certain point requires being able to see within the patient without causing them notable harm.  If our critters are made from normal materials, that means X-rays and ultrasound technology - and those require certain levels of electronics and computational technology.  The ability to safely perform an operation to remove a brain tumor, for example, implies computational power sufficient to run the Space Shuttle.In the other direction - to get beyond sub-orbital spaceflight, you need a certain understanding of your own species biology and medicine.  Space is harsh, and it will kill your astronauts if you don't understand what's killing them, and how to prevent their death.  And then, you have the follow-on chains: Understanding what's killing your astronauts will tell you something about stars.  Understanding the stars will tell you about nuclear reactions, if you hadn't already figured them out.Understanding of biochemistry requires understanding of chemistry, which requires understanding of physics (quantum mechanics, specifically) - you need quantum mechanics to understand how large complex molecules in your body are shaped, as their physical shapes actually matter in function.  But, the same equations that tell you how basic chemistry works also hand you how semiconductors work.  So, it is hard to explain why a culture with the biochemical knowledge has one without the other.And so on.  Having major differences in tech levels typically requires you to explain why the culture is restricted from developing the technology.  With thousands to millions of creatures investigating things on your planet, why do they *not* investigate an area?  Because if they do investigate, they *will* learn.</blockquote>

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