Is it not an extraordianary phenomenon?

Not that I would deny my countries contribution to the sciences but I must point out that most cultures at one time or another have made significant contributions also. From what I would surmise, when a culture reaches a level of te3chnological development in excess of those around it there is time to reflect on the world (you aren't in a daily struggle to find food) and that reflection leads to new insights and invention. The romans made many an advance (roads, aquaducts, etc), arabian and greek development of mathematics were millenia ahead of that in europe. Indeed if it were not for the mathematics exported to the west in medieval times it is unlikely that the industrial revolution could have taken place. The wheel (invented circa 5000 BC in mesopotamia), I would say, has enabled major advance. I would think it arrogant for any one culture to lay claim to the advances of a whole species.