Scott Alexander (author/host)

Footnote, the story is that it was invented for Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse, a patron of the arts and sciences, who hired engineers to devise him clever weapons for his wars with Carthage.

Main text?

And ever since then, the artillery has been one of the most technical fields of warfare.

You give random noblemen commissions in the cavalry and trust their ability to charge with fervor.

The reason Napoleon was an artillerist was because the artillery was where you sent the people with a good mind for geometry and ballistics.

Arendelle.

Today, I'd expect her not to be a computer programmer.

Just like in 1800, I wouldn't believe an illiterate artillery savant being Napoleon.

But she wasn't being Napoleon.

When you say that they need to know ballistics, you imply that they knew what they were doing.

If everyone is calculating by eye, the person with the best intuitive ability to calculate projectiles, which I'll bet you is IQ related, is your best artillerist.

And Joan was clearly brilliant.

Basilica.

I'm really not sure you're right.

I'm no more of an expert on the development of artillery than you are, but this pattern matches to a lot of dumb medieval stories.

And this is the late Middle Ages, not the Dark Ages.

They not only have geometry, they practically worship geometry.

Why shouldn't they be able to solve this?

Arendelle.

They probably did.