Plato offers the following myth to explain the origin of human technology, along with its limitations:

Once upon a time, there existed gods but no mortal creatures. When the appointed time came for them to be born, the gods formed them within the earth out of a mixture of earth arid fire and the substances compounded of earth and fire. And when they were ready to bring them into the light, they charged Prometheus and Epimetheus with equipping them arid allotting suitable powers to each kind. Now Epimetheus begged Prometheus to allow him to do the distribution himself—"and when I have done it," he said, "you can review it." So he persuaded him and got to, work. In his allotment he gave to some creatures strength without speed, and equipped the weaker kinds with...