My sister took me on a birthday trip to Rome, and we found ourselves in the Campo di Fiori, where there is a statue of Bruno. I became quite excited when I worked out who he was and why he was there. And the market traders seemed quite pleased that I appreciated him. So close to the Vatican - it seemed...interesting.
As I have a friend concerned with exo-planets, his hypotheses in that direction have been discussed often. I'm not sure if he got as far as plantes transiting their stars. The concept of other worlds would have been quite challenging for contemporary religious belief. Still is, of course.
As is the identified great age of the female figurines I was shown yesterday, which are contempory with Homo Erectus. Datable by the eruption of Mt Toba, between 71,000 and 74,000 years ago.
We didn't get much done because we were few, and everyone had to do everything. You need surplus people and surplus food to make progress. And no pandemics. It's amazing we managed to do what we did.
Well, I say we, but I know how useful I would have been in an ice age after a volcanic catastrophe. And that goes for most of us.