huinventors1-5, Exercise 2: Simultaneous invention

Model answer:

When similar ideas appear in different places at about the same time, it is hard to say that one country "invented" the thing, because others reached it independently or built on shared knowledge. The match, the electric motor, the carburettor and television all had several contributors. A national claim picks one name and ignores the rest, so a careful account says what each person contributed (the idea, the build, or the success) and where the work was done. This is common in the history of technology and does not lessen the achievement of the individual. Details should be checked.