Somewhere in England, in 1653, the first coffee klatsch opens. Until then, the water being too nasty to drink, alcohol was the dominant form of liquid consumption. Liquor, as you know, is a depressant.
With this new establishment serving coffee, a stimulant, you now have a setting where alert people are sitting, talking, & exchanging information. Within 50 years, you have The Enlightenment.
Coffee FTW!
