In that vein Tom, I think early religions were much more science based. I agree the wheel and its geometric laws, etc. seem more science than religion.

As an case in point, Taoism, one of my early interests, is an example of a "religion" that first began as a science. In China, there was never a Taoist church until many many years later. The forces of Yin and Yang (its foremost teaching) are not about gods, but universal principles and interactive forces found in nearly every facet of life and substance. Same w/ The Five Elements, the I-Ching and the Chinese Zodiac.

Taoism became a religion when people began to follow these nature-based "teachings" en-masse. But it began with solitary recluses observing universal laws. Somewhere/time in the West, science and religion got split into very distinct camps.

A strong proponent of this separation is the Catholic Church; free thinking is hardly encouraged. The world is flat, etc.

Anyway, probably running of topic a bit, but I also wanted to add that Smith found the Daisy Wheel was used even to place the pegs in the old frames he studied. Wow, even the pegs!