The Printing Press: The Invention Built on Debt and Sin

Before 1450, books were written out by hand. It was slow and expensive. But Johannes Gutenberg borrowed a ton of money to create a printing press that could crank out Bibles and pamphlets and documents in huge numbers. Science, politics and philosophy were all up-ended. 

For example, the Catholic Church seized on the invention to sell special certificates absolving people of their sins - a move that made money, but caused a permanent schism in Christianity.   

And Gutenberg too found himself in trouble - when a financier sued the inventor to reclaim his loan, plus interest.  

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