What’s the cornerstone of civilization?

[OddBeMe]

[abc3643]

The plow.

James Burke explains it.

In 1978, James Burke presented his 8-part landmark TV series "Connections" about the history of technological change and the reasons for it.

Episode 1 is titled "The Trigger Effect". He begins by making you think about everything in the modern world. Then he uses the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965 to illustrate how it all falls apart but then proposes that the power never comes back on. How do you survive? He takes us a bit on a survival quest ultimately leading to a farm with a plow pulled by animals. That's how you can make a stable food supply without technology.

At around the 25:17 mark, he begins to assert this about the plow as we arrive at the farm.

He then shows that civilization start about 12,000 years ago because of the plow.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4sVDG_stUTA

[OddBeMe]

Well shit my holiday weekend just filled up with binging. Thanks ahole!

No I see that. I would think the printing press, but the plow is probably what made Neanderthals starve to death. That or sapiens caved in their enormous heads.

[abc3643]

It's an excellent series. I bought the book in 1979 or 1980.

[DryGermanGuy]

„The cornerstone of civilization is human sacrifice. A hundred die so that a thousand may live.“
- Gen. Thomas Timms, Mulholland Falls

[OddBeMe]

can't lie, that’s true. But thankfully we live in a liberal civilization. (Repubs wanting child labor back) for now…
https://youtu.be/wbA9_Ea8Hdo

[purplepoppy]

Empathy. The ability to see others need help and be willing to do so rather than take advantage or eat them.

[OddBeMe]

That can be taught in school.

I had a debate teacher who made us switch sides and argue against what we ageeed.

[dustybiker2]

This no?

[OddBeMe]

Hey hey. We don’t need smart asses here.

But yes housing could be argued as the cornerstone of civilization.

[dustybiker2]

.😇.

[andreasderjuengere]

Owning an i-phone, I assume?

[OddBeMe]

Are iPhones even half the market? Last I checked it was 15%, which is still humongous, given the many competitors. But it does seem like now it’s Samsung vs Apple.

But having a cellphone and internet access is a cornerstone. I’ll give that one. Those with less opportunities also have less access to phone and internet. Just saying.

[andreasderjuengere]

.. and saying it well :)
Trouble being: how MANY cornerstones (and corners) are there, meanwhile?

[MrGSpotHer]

Engineering most definitely best describes us I think.. but the ability to get anything delivered to the door is also quite interesting 🤔

[Juxtapose]

Language. You can't have a society if you can't talk to each other.

[msc545]

The Printing Press.

[OddBeMe]

https://youtu.be/fcIwhM26vEA

[NathanDavis]

Cheetos...

[Sevenpointfive]

i'd say invention and freethought

[Avicenna]

The family and free markets

[normalice]

Impartial justice.

[Anonymous]

Co operation

[OddBeMe]

What’s the other operation?

[Opinion Owner]

One of the major theories as to why neanderthals disappeared in Europe and Northern Asia despite being better evolved to the climate was that neanderthals communities did not cooperate with each other that much compared to homosapians and were largely isolated from each other. Homosapians cooperated in war, trade, technology, breeding, farming etc.

[OddBeMe]

Oh that’s interesting.

I agreed originally. I was just making fun of “co” operation