The Duke

The 1000 year cycle stuck me as odd as well. For the reason mentioned above (what changes?) and another one; Even if there is one, how would they know? they have to have at least two messurments to make a hypotesis probably quite a few more to make a sound theory. If we take into consideration how much knowladge from that time is lacking and/or currupted, how come they believe in such a cycle? The only thing I can imagine would be remembered is something cataclysmic, or extremly significant. perhaps an extremly long storm lasting or days, or an extreme period without storms at all (like the weeping but scaled in months or even a whole year).

Somewhere in WoR it's stated that regular rain does not drop crem. I do believe that winds from below should occasionally spray some of the rain up above the clouds, just like the everstorm in WoR is shooting boulders above.

Mining might be tough, but once a method is developed they can soulcast the materials. Just like they do with their metals (iirc) for swords, spears and practically everything. If they can afford to Soulcast food they can probably soulcast gunpowder. I believe to the contrary, the last thing that I would have wanted to do is get into swinging distance of a shardbearer. Seems like it's a lot more effective to spread out and shoot at one from a distance than to clump up about him. Which makes me wonder how come there are no crossbows, catapults, trebuchets and scorpions in the books. Especially crossbows could be extremely effective against shards. Perhaps the shardbearers in the nobility discourage ranged weapons because they know it can hurt them? Just like the forbid darkeyes from using swords (albeit for different reasons). Though it's hard to believe some shardless brighlord never tried to use this tactic.

@OP As stated by some, there is no law demanding that discoveries must be made in the same order as in our world (and more specifically in Europe), especially across fields. Sure if we check specifics we can find that some discoveries correlate to others, but it's not set in stone. Specifically to maths, unlike other fields which require experiments, and technological tools that are able to carry them out, to advance, everything we worked out in mathematics up to the most recent discoveries can be done with pencil and paper. Even 10,000 years ago. If one is sent from our age back to the Bronze age he would find it very difficult to actually build an engine or create a vaccine using their tool. It would be quite possible to teach mathematics up to the highest pinnacle we achieved (without computers). @Gamma Field, the Arabs certainly not completely invent Algebra, far from it. They did expand upon the works of their predecessors to a good extent. @Walker, well, It's not impossible for a Gaussian shaped curve to be seen on a logarithmic scale. I prefare to take it as it is. Gunpowder might not be the best yardstick here. It seems like culturally ranged weapons are not much in use perhaps gunpowder was deemed unsatisfactory before its weapons had a chance to evolve? Could gunpowder ingredients be rare on Roshar? I am not sure how viable this option is, but couldn't there be a planet on which Sulfur is a rare commodity?