A Moment in Time
May 11, 2009 5:53 PM Subscribe
AronRa has done some really nice YouTube vids on science (previously).
In this latest vlog An Archaeological Moment in Time, he take(s) a look at how different societies are advancing at different rates on the same date in the distant past.
Favorite line: "There too, the last of the great beasts are all gone. The last of these being the killer Goanna, giant, man-eating lizards even bigger than crocodiles. Most of these were eliminated by cunning men who would not be consumed."
It's kind of a Lovecraft/Nietzsche vibe. I would love to see a history that's presented like that. Sure, it would be biased in an absolute sense, and those who adore dry facts and immaculate information would scoff, but damn, you could turn on a lot of young minds to how fascinating history really can be if presented in a unique tone like that.
Like the fat man said, "These are facts, historical facts, not schoolbook history, not Mr. Wells's history, but history nevertheless."
Granted, what we see in these links are not exactly like what I am suggesting, but I got inspired by that line, and needed to share it.
posted by chambers at 6:40 PM on May 11, 2009
It's kind of a Lovecraft/Nietzsche vibe. I would love to see a history that's presented like that. Sure, it would be biased in an absolute sense, and those who adore dry facts and immaculate information would scoff, but damn, you could turn on a lot of young minds to how fascinating history really can be if presented in a unique tone like that.
Like the fat man said, "These are facts, historical facts, not schoolbook history, not Mr. Wells's history, but history nevertheless."
Granted, what we see in these links are not exactly like what I am suggesting, but I got inspired by that line, and needed to share it.
posted by chambers at 6:40 PM on May 11, 2009
Needed more Ringo Starr. [Beware of a nasty (and gratuitous) bull-goring at 9:40, too.]
But I liked this, despite feeling flooded at times by facts -- the pacing of this could have been better. But i felt like I had just revisirted a quarter of my 9th grade World History class. I'll check out what else he's vlogged (oh how I bristle at that word). Thanks for this!
posted by not_on_display at 7:20 PM on May 11, 2009
But I liked this, despite feeling flooded at times by facts -- the pacing of this could have been better. But i felt like I had just revisirted a quarter of my 9th grade World History class. I'll check out what else he's vlogged (oh how I bristle at that word). Thanks for this!
posted by not_on_display at 7:20 PM on May 11, 2009
Basil Poledouris makes anything all tingly-exciting with his choral-orchestral guile.
posted by Bokononist at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2009
posted by Bokononist at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2009
I feel like I just got Anthropology 101 in pill form, thanks.
Also, the sheer scope of human history and the length of the various periods is always something I have trouble grasping. There was a comment that got to me, that when Anthony and Cleopatra went sight-seeing, they visited the ancient stepped pyramids. The time between from them to us is less than the time from them and the builders of the wonder.
The overwhelming feeling is that people have been out and about for longer than we can imagine and are really, really good at destroying their history (or are really really bad at recording it or we're really bad at understanding it0>
posted by The Whelk at 9:27 PM on May 11, 2009
Also, the sheer scope of human history and the length of the various periods is always something I have trouble grasping. There was a comment that got to me, that when Anthony and Cleopatra went sight-seeing, they visited the ancient stepped pyramids. The time between from them to us is less than the time from them and the builders of the wonder.
The overwhelming feeling is that people have been out and about for longer than we can imagine and are really, really good at destroying their history (or are really really bad at recording it or we're really bad at understanding it0>
posted by The Whelk at 9:27 PM on May 11, 2009
It's all about the punchline, people...be sure you watch to the end.
posted by bonefish at 11:35 PM on May 11, 2009
posted by bonefish at 11:35 PM on May 11, 2009
Great post, love the commentary and the images. This post may be of interest to anyone who finds it hard to link particular histories to the world as a whole.
It's strange to think, but a lot of this is very familiar to me after playing Civilization: things like pottery, agriculture, etc, are the very first things you discover playing that game. And like in the real world, if you are cut off from other cultures as the native americans and maoris were, you run the risk of being left behind by history.
posted by Acey at 2:10 AM on May 12, 2009
It's strange to think, but a lot of this is very familiar to me after playing Civilization: things like pottery, agriculture, etc, are the very first things you discover playing that game. And like in the real world, if you are cut off from other cultures as the native americans and maoris were, you run the risk of being left behind by history.
posted by Acey at 2:10 AM on May 12, 2009
Also, the sheer scope of human history and the length of the various periods is always something I have trouble grasping. There was a comment that got to me, that when Anthony and Cleopatra went sight-seeing, they visited the ancient stepped pyramids. The time between from them to us is less than the time from them and the builders of the wonder.
Herodotus, the guy who invented history, is more recent than the pyramids. By a couple thousand years! And that entire span from pyramids to us is only about half of what the Long Now Foundation wants to create a clock to cross.
posted by DU at 5:11 AM on May 12, 2009
Herodotus, the guy who invented history, is more recent than the pyramids. By a couple thousand years! And that entire span from pyramids to us is only about half of what the Long Now Foundation wants to create a clock to cross.
posted by DU at 5:11 AM on May 12, 2009
DU, exactly.
The scope of the ancient world and the time frames are so big that they're completely abstract to me.
posted by The Whelk at 7:00 AM on May 12, 2009
The scope of the ancient world and the time frames are so big that they're completely abstract to me.
posted by The Whelk at 7:00 AM on May 12, 2009
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posted by nola at 5:55 PM on May 11, 2009