Posted on 10/10/2014 12:14:30 AM PDT by Windflier
This original and fascinating book sets out to discover which of the ten centuries from 1000 to 2000 saw the most change in the human condition.
Surely, most of us would say, it can only be the 20th century? Flying, mass motoring, space travel, advanced weapons, atomic power, telephones, radio and television, computers and iPads — what more change do you want?
Ah, says the historian Ian Mortimer, history is not just a matter of inventions. More important are changes in the conditions under which we live and, above all, in the ideas that are ruling at any one time.
Many crucial inventions are ones we take for granted. People can get by without laptops but not without buttons, introduced in the 1330s, which transformed the way people looked, from loose hanging garments to tight-fitting ones.
Think of how life indoors was transformed in the 1500s with the coming of efficient chimneys to take the smoke out and glass windows to let the light in (but not the cold). Or the coming of gas light in the streets in the 1820s and soon afterwards in the home with the boon of a gas cooker instead of the coal-fired range from 1834.
Electric light bulbs (1870) led to all kind of electrically powered appliances — kettles, toasters, fans and sewing machines by the end of the 19th century. And the Great Exhibition of 1851 unveiled the flushing lavatory which soon led to dedicated bathrooms for the well-to-do.
Columbus discovered the New World in 1492 but America’s existence made little difference to life for the average European except for the novelty of potatoes, tomatoes and tobacco.
Tea, coffee and chocolate did not appear till the 17th century, along with Dutch gin, French brandy, champagne and humble lemonade.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Too true.
There's also the simple urge to survive by one's own wits, skills, and competence. I think that natural instinct kicks in when most men find themselves lost.
To rely on GPS, or directions from a stranger, is to admit to yourself that you've failed a basic survival test. I think most guys are loathe to do that.
People can figure ways to communicate over distances, and go back to old methods of food preservation, but nothing's more essential to life than clean water.
I suppose folks could figure out how to make it themselves, provided they had a water source, filtration devices, and electrical energy to run them.
All hypothetical, I guess, until the SHTF.
I always wanted a guitar amp that went to 11. Heh...
Sounds like an episode of “Connections.”
He never got a dinner.
Just curious... What's 'bs' about this article?
Er....I'm pretty sure the Amish have taken full advantage of that bit of 'high tech'.
Fixed it for ya.
Old Order Amish do not use buttons. They use ties and pins.
Same here. On any normal evening, my kids are all holed up in their respective lairs, ogling blinking electronic screens of one sort or another. When the occasional power outage hits, it's amazing to watch them all gather together to play board games and such.
We had a widespread power outage in the Dallas area last week. About 200,000 people had their electrical service interrupted. Our power was restored in about five hours, but some folks were without power for days. That had to be tough, and you know they found a new appreciation for the miracle of that technology.
That's a very logical choice, Sod. I'll take it.
Our ancestors' mastery of plant cultivation and animal husbandry allowed people to begin building settled cultures, which were impossible for hunter/gatherers. Nearly every advancement that has improved the lot of humans, would never have been possible, but for those first basic steps in controlling the natural world for our benefit.
Agreed. I read all the way to the end of the article before posting it, and saw the author's obligatory paean to libtard orthodoxy, but decided to post it anyway because the rest of it was so thought provoking.
Thanks!
My wife had to run out yesterday and grab some additional parts for a job we were on. Our supplier is clear across town, and we were working in an area that she's completely unfamiliar with.
She used the GPS app in her phone to guide her to the job site, and wouldn't you know it - the darn thing tried to route her in the most circuitous path imaginable. Even being unfamiliar with the area we were in, she managed to bypass most of the crazy directions from her GPS, and found us.
Excellent point!
Geeez......that's taking one's dislike of newfangled technology just a bit far, don't ya think? Buttons were invented in the 1330s.
I’m in the middle of moving ... Bought a new house. I ate out for all meals until I got sick of it after a month.
I went out and bought a brand new refrigerator. Now I have two.
Wanna buy a Kitchaid refrigerator?
> People can get by without laptops but not without buttons...
I can’t wait to see the author’s new show on PBS’ “Create” channel. /s
Pullover shirt, snap and zipper on pants, ta-dah! No buttons. Buttons fall off, I hate that.
You might like to read the Victorian Internet. It agrees with your premise, but starts with the telegraph.
Fresh clean water in our homes...
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