Water treatment plant and jacquard loom: what they have in common

1. Step 1. Water treatment plant — is used in — Plumbing. Treated water.
2. Step 2. Plumbing — is made of — Clay. Minoan plumbing used ceramic pipes.
3. Step 3. Clay — is material for — Movable type. Bi Sheng’s type was made of fired clay.
4. Step 4. Movable type — is part of — Gutenberg printing press. Text is set from metal type.
5. Step 5. Gutenberg printing press — works like — Jacquard loom. An analogy, not proven influence: both set type and a chain of punched cards are a replaceable pattern that a machine reproduces over and over.

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