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The origins of knowledge diffusion comes from oral storytelling, where stories were passed down from generation to generation. This is the oldest form of knowledge diffusion humans discovered, and continues today in certain parts of the world.
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Organized religion was another human invention that allowed for the diffusion of knowledge. Having dedicated religious leaders to carry over knowledge kept in written form and taught to citizens was how the majority of society taught its population from the Iron Age up until the advent of secular education, and in many societies religious leaders continue to be the first to educate youth.
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Writing is single largest contributor to the spread of knowledge among humans. As humans became increasingly capable of spreading knowledge past multiple generations, knowledge could accumulate as well as diffusion across the planet without the errors that word of mouth/oral storytelling brought. The first form of what modern humans would call writing is said to come from Mesopotamia in 2900 B.C.E in the form of cuneiform.
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The Library of Alexandria was the world's largest library of the ancient world and contained many ancient works that modern day historians were able to find, however it fell into decline by 270 A.D. The library was a significant object to the development of knowledge, as well as other libraries throughout the developed world.
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The Islamic Golden Age was a period where Muslim scholars developed many pieces of knowledge such as arithmetic and preserved ancient texts in Arabic that were rediscovered during the Renaissance in Europe. The golden age had a profound impact on the Middle East and Europe both during and after.
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Universities are institutions of higher learning that gathered intellectuals to discuss the knowledge of the time and develop new theories about the world. The first European universities, which is the basis for modern day universities, was founded in Italy, the first one being the University of Bologna in 1088. These centers were crucial to the advancement of both during their founding and today.
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The printing press, popularized by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439, allowed for the rapid diffusion of literature, and the creation of the Protestant Reformation which fundamentally changed the development of knowledge, as the Catholic Church had actively fought discussion that went against church doctrine. The creation of the Printing Press changed both the religious face of Europe and the progression of knowledge throughout the world.
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The Renaissance, a period where Roman/Greek literature was rediscovered in Europe, led to the development of knowledge such as the Scientific Method. The date of the Renaissance is contentious, but I chose 1453 because that was the year the last remnants of the Roman Empire fell in Constantinople, where as Greek scholars fled to Italy and reintroduced ancient texts. With the reintroduction of this literature, Europe's position in the world changed towards global hegemony and knowledge diffusion
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The Industrial Revolution was the period in which countries transitioned from agrarian economies to ones based upon manufactured goods in large cities and in factories. This period saw inventions rapidly increase and knowledge secularized en masse, and people were able to travel farther with the invention of easier transportation.
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With the advent of the internet, knowledge and discussion could travel across the planet in a matter of seconds. With this, knowledge was incredibly easy to gather, as well as the previous millennia of gathered knowledge being accessible online. The Internet fundamentally changed how humans communicate, and allowed for a rapid diffusion of knowledge throughout the globe.
