Originally published at: Documentary about automata, the mechanical "robots" of the past | Boing Boing
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There is a 2013 perfect little gem of a movie, “The Best Offer,” where a clockwork automaton plays into the plot. It stars Geoffrey Rush. If you seek it out, I urge you not to look at any reviews, movie posters, or cast lists beforehand, as it will spoil it. The original movie poster featured only Rush; subsequent marketing/advertising features … stuff … that spoils it. Go into the experience knowing nothing and you’ll be rewarded.
I’ve read that one of the big factors in the Roman empire was a matter of economic incentive. If your society has a huge supply of enslaved people to do physical labor, row your warships across oceans, etc., then investing in steam engines isn’t as profitable as it otherwise would be. 
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