S‑CURVES a field guide to technology adoption · 1825–2026

A slick new site called S-Curves promises a big, sweeping look at how inventions catch on, from the 1800s to 2026. The idea is simple enough for anyone: many products start slowly, then suddenly take off, creating that famous “S” shape on a chart. But the real fireworks weren’t in the graphs — they exploded in the comments, where readers treated the project less like a history lesson and more like a courtroom drama.

The loudest complaint? People think the whole thing feels suspiciously machine-made and weirdly arranged. One critic said it was so mangled by “clankers” — slang for AI systems — that it became useless. Another went straight for the jugular, saying it seemed “fully AI generated,” which in internet terms is basically calling the site a synthetic fake. Others piled on with gripes about dubious numbers, cherry-picked examples, and vague sourcing, asking why missing crazes like tulips, crypto, virtual reality, and aviation didn’t make the cut.

And then came the juiciest accusation of all: is this secretly a giant ad for generative AI? One commenter said the site looked manufactured to convince everyone that AI is currently a “rocketship,” even though, in their view, comparing chatbot tools to world-changing inventions like the personal computer, the internet, or smartphones is laughably premature. The funniest mic drop came from a user who pulled out a Carl Sagan line ending with “they also laughed at Bozo the Clown,” then twisted the knife with: “In a shocking twist, the prompter works in VC.” Ouch.