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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Michael83 on December 11, 2006, at 23:36:43
NOTE: Moderately unnerving imagery in this post. Avoid if triggered.
Last night I started and couldn't stop reading Wikipedia articles on medieval times (mostly British heptarchy). I probably read about them for 2 hours.
I've said before that I love reading non-fiction, especially about history, and even moreso about the Middle Ages, but getting caught up reading about a bunch of people who lived over a thousand years ago, and see all the unnerving images (paintings/tapestries) really freaks me out. And the thought that someone had lived over a thousand years ago just puts a strain on my imagination.
And then I started looking at pictures of their burial sites and monuments, strange statues of people with frail looking bodies.
After I pulled myself away the room just felt quiet and empty. Just really disturbing. UGH Reading about extremely old things and people that lived long ago just really freaks me out.
Posted by Phillipa on December 12, 2006, at 13:23:20
In reply to I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by Michael83 on December 11, 2006, at 23:36:43
Could you pick another topic? That doesn't sound pleasant to me either. Love Phillipa
Posted by TexasChic on December 13, 2006, at 7:51:00
In reply to I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by Michael83 on December 11, 2006, at 23:36:43
I find myself facinated by that kind of stuff too. My brain can't comprehend people living 1000 years ago either, so I don't try to. I just try to accept that its one of the many mysteries of life. No one really understands the passage of time, its just a bit over our heads. Just read about the 'string theory' and you'll see its best left to the scientists (its so confusing I'm not completely sure it has anything to do with time!)
-T
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 13, 2006, at 12:02:16
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by TexasChic on December 13, 2006, at 7:51:00
If you think 1000 years ago is a long time.....well I'm a geologist, 1000 years is *nothing*. Seriously. Its like a nanosecond of the Earth's overall timescale. Even the last 10,000 years (the Holocene) is a nanosecond. I forget precisely what the analogy is, but its like if you have a strip of paper 3m/10feet long, and this represents how long the earth has been in existance, then guess what proportion of that piece of paper represents how long humans have existed on this planet??
Its a mere pencil line. Thats nothing. At all. So you see, 1000 years isn't very long in the grand scheme of things..... my boyfriend works with rocks which are 450 million years old, thats 450,000,000 years ago.
The Earth is supposed to be around 4,600,000,000 years old approximately.
Thats scary.
Anyway ahhh, I just realised something. Most of your history taught in schools is like American history right? Well, I've had the Romans and the Vikings etc etc drilled into me since I ever started school. The Romans were certainly in existance 2000 years ago (they killed JC after all) and we have lots of roman stuff where I grew up, in fact the main road I lived off when I was a child was a roman road. Meaning the Romans started it and its still used today as a road. So I suppose 'history' doesn't seem very scary.
Strange old world huh?
Thats my lecture other with for today, class!
Posted by TexasChic on December 13, 2006, at 19:46:53
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 13, 2006, at 12:02:16
> The Earth is supposed to be around 4,600,000,000 years old approximately.
> Thats scary.I don't think its scary, just impossible to comprehend. Wow, to think there's things around that were here so long ago. It just fills me with awe.
>... have lots of roman stuff where I grew up, in fact the main road I lived off when I was a child was a roman road. Meaning the Romans started it and its still used today as a road. So I suppose 'history' doesn't seem very scary.I would love to see some of the ancient Roman ruins! And the pyramids! That would be such an unbelievable, awe inspiring experience. I'd also like to see one of those really old forest with the humungous tree trunks. I would just stand there and try to imagine all that they had witnessed.
-T
Posted by Michael83 on December 13, 2006, at 22:14:13
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 13, 2006, at 12:02:16
Thoughts like that are the ones that used to really scare me.
But what makes the 1000 year seem more thought-provoking than the 4 billion, is that I cannot really relate to the 4 billion, but these people who lived 1000 years ago seemed like they lived not that long ago. They may have ate with forks and lived in houses shaped the same as the ones we live in today, yet it was still over a 1000 years ago. That's sort of what hits the "wow" hotspot. I can relate to them.
But yeah I've spent my time reading about space and the "billions of years" and "lightyear" business and reading about the incredibly large starts and galaxies far away. Nothing will quite disconnect you from reality that reading that stuff. Scary. I really really really tend to avoid reading anything to do with outerspace, or anything pre-homosapien. It's just too frightening for me.
But the Middle Ages I've always been fascinated with. It's "safe" enough for me that I can read it (for the most part) without totally freaking out every time. =)
Posted by TexasChic on December 14, 2006, at 13:02:57
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia... » Meri-Tuuli, posted by Michael83 on December 13, 2006, at 22:14:13
This reminds me of one of my all time favorite books, "Timeline" by Michael Crichton. I listed a quote from it on one of the ideas I found very enlightening.
Michael Crichton writes in his latest book, Timeline,
"Our understanding of the medieval period has changed dramatically in the last fifty years. Although one occasionally still hears a self-important scientist speak of the Dark Ages, modern views have long since overthrown such simplicities. An age that was once thought to be static, brutal and benighted is now understood as dynamic and swiftly changing: an age where knowledge was sought and valued; where great universities were born, and learning fostered; where technology was enthusiastically advanced; where social relations were in flux; where trade was international; where the general level of violence was often less deadly than it is today. As for the old reputation of medieval times as a dark time of parochialism, religious prejudice and mass slaughter, the record of the twentieth century must lead any thoughtful observer to conclude that we are in no way superior.
"In fact, the conception of a brutal medieval period was an invention of the Renaissance, whose proponents were at pains to emphasize a new spirit, even at the expense of the facts. If a benighted medieval world has proven a durable misconception, it may be because it confirms a cherished contemporary belief - that our species always moves forward to ever better and more enlightened ways of life. This belief is utter fantasy, but it dies hard. It is especially difficult for modern people to conceive that our modern, scientific age might not be an improvement over the prescientific period." - Acknowledgments, Timeline
-T
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 14, 2006, at 14:25:16
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia... » Michael83, posted by TexasChic on December 14, 2006, at 13:02:57
Hey!
Its an interesting thread this.
Hm, the those times were a tad brutal, I have to say. In York there is a local museum with all kinds of instruments.... and there is even a street which is named after the place where husbands could bring their wives to whip if they were being 'bad'. Its called 'Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate'. I kid you not. The plague and things like that......eek.
But on the plus side, my almer mater university was founded in 1412. So I guess some advances where happening! Although I have to confess, my history is pretty bad. I don't know the difference between the middle ages, the dark ages, mediveal period.... renaissance, um......?? Well I know what the renaissance was but well.
Meri
Posted by TexasChic on December 14, 2006, at 18:57:39
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by Meri-Tuuli on December 14, 2006, at 14:25:16
>'Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate'
He, he, he! That's funny.The idea I find intriging is how everyone believes present day is more enlightened and progressive then the past. But it's not neccessarily true. Think about how advanced the Romans were supposed to be. Maybe they had ideas that would make something like electricity unnecessary. Maybe an ancient civilization reached or went beyond our knowledge, but went in a totally different direction. The possibilities would be endless. It might explain modern day mysteries like the pyramids or stonehenge!
I'm a total nerd aren't I.
-T
Posted by Michael83 on December 15, 2006, at 2:27:30
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia..., posted by TexasChic on December 14, 2006, at 18:57:39
>>>It might explain modern day mysteries like the pyramids or stonehenge!
Those are two of my pet peeves. :p
Both of them have been explained/given likely explanations.
In fact, one guy is building a replica of Stonehenge in his backyard (in Michigan) using no technology, only sticks and tools he made from absolute scratch (from trees he chopped down). The only thing he didn't do is build the stone. He just put it upright and planted it.
But for ancient advantage civilizations, I completely understand what you mean. Interesting to see what COULD have happened if things had progressed differently.
Posted by TexasChic on December 15, 2006, at 8:00:17
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia... » TexasChic, posted by Michael83 on December 15, 2006, at 2:27:30
Looks like that would have made national news. If it ever does, I give you full permission to say, "Ah ha! I told you!"
;-)
-T
Posted by TexasChic on December 15, 2006, at 8:06:56
In reply to Re: I need to stop reading Wikipedia... » Michael83, posted by TexasChic on December 15, 2006, at 8:00:17
What I really meant was that a civilization grown under different circumstances, who's technology has gone in other directions, might find it easy to explain those things. You know, its like the butterfly effect. One small difference could change the outcome completely, and what makes no sense to us would make perfect sense to them.
-T
Posted by Michael83 on December 18, 2006, at 1:02:21
In reply to P.S., posted by TexasChic on December 15, 2006, at 8:06:56
>>>Looks like that would have made national news. If it ever does, I give you full permission to say, "Ah ha! I told you!"
He made local news, he only set one block so far.
I found the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRDzFROMx0
Really cool.
>>>>What I really meant was that a civilization grown under different circumstances, who's technology has gone in other directions, might find it easy to explain those things. You know, its like the butterfly effect. One small difference could change the outcome completely, and what makes no sense to us would make perfect sense to them.
I know what ya mean. I agree. It would be interesting to see what life in another situation.
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