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Comment Re:Proof of obviousness (Score 2) 258

Calculus isn't an invention, it's a discovery. It's not patentable. Calling them the "finest minds" seems a bit of hyperbole, they made great discoveries, but you don't need the finest minds to do what they did (Newton looks rather all too human and of his age, particularly with regards to his Biblical literalism and alchemy). It seems likely that equally great minds concurrent with Newton and Leibniz would have made the discoveries. They weren't in isolation and the progress in maths makes certain discoveries more likely at certain periods when the necessary pieces are in place.

Comment Re:Not the sun (Score 1) 320

Continental drift wasn't a theory, it was a proposed historical fact. Wegener had no mechanism to suggest it which made sense, and his mechanisms where (and still are) rejected. It was the theory of plate tectonics that confirmed the historical fact of continental drift. It was not Wegener who made a concrete proposal of plate tectonics as that article you link to appears to suggest.

Comment Re: Uh huh (Score 1) 570

I am aware of that list. The operating system itself is not on that list, specifically the kernel as well. Consider that OpenDarwin shut down for the express reason that they couldn't get the code off Apple, I don't see what you are talking about.

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