Quinn,
Your blog post is a good read and offers much insight into an “advantage versus disadvantage” standpoint. The Maddin article also highlights on the theory that many discoveries involving the production of iron, including steeling and quenching, were accidental. I found this particularly interesting, as it further suggests that scientific knowledge does not always precede technology. I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on this aspect, as I feel that it is relevant.
Kailey Deane