Why should your character know these things?
Why would they reference Earthly scientists?
My character is old and eccentric, so when they say this it's simply because it makes them sound crazier.
You'd jerked your entire people up to modern technology.
That's hardly fair. Where are we supposed to go after that?
I was going to to have Zaya ask Crav to make her something, in exchange for knowledge of engineering. But, you already have that so why should I bother?
“She'd become a governess. It was one of the few jobs a known lady could do. And she'd taken to it well. She'd sworn that if she did indeed ever find herself dancing on rooftops with chimney sweeps she'd beat herself to death with her own umbrella.”
― Hogfather