Editing Blog/2025-02-24/Lost Science (section)

=== Paddles ===

One example is the bent-shaft paddle, popularized by Eugene Jensen<ref name=paddle-jensen/>. Well within the technology of millennia but somehow only really adopted since the 1970s. Strictly bent ones with a sharp discontinuity are harder to do in ancient times, and one could argue that joinery and nailing make one less reliable. But curved carvings could be made quite reliably in the past. But there are arguments against:

* Increased complexity
* Lack of need (a 10% improvement is not noticeable in prehistory and only noticeable in racing)

So it was probably just dominated by the fact that paddling technique and physical characteristics of the paddler dominated this greater than the tool for much of human existence.