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Its not so much the invention of the wheel but rather the invention of the axle (feddit.org)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Nature creates round objects all the time (stones in a river, a hedgehog in a ball,...), but the principle of an axle is not found as far as I know.

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[–] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 child)

But good sir, what use is an axle and wheel without whatever doohicky thingamajig that attaches to a frame that transports things or people?

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago

    Not sure if you're serious or not, but wheels and axles are used for a lot more than just transportation. Pottery wheels predate vehicles by about 1,000 years. Windmills and water wheels use interlocking wheels and axles to grind grain. A windlass is essentially just a rope tied to a wheel on an axel for hoisting stuff up, like a bucket in a well.

    Not that this matters to the discussion of naturally occurring wheel-and-axle structures. Just an interesting little aside on the value and versatility of wheels.

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