Mars

[jamesstew]

UFOs don't real!!!!

[Roo]

So sgreger are you implying that the invention of writing in the case if the Sumerians might as well be attributed to alien intervention? Like other writing systems, Cuneiform had very long and humble beginnings as a record-keeping tool. As in," my neighbor owes me 3 goats and said he'll pay me back before the Winter Solstice, I'd better write that shit down". Not sure where you got the info that their writing was unusually descriptive or "advanced" from the beginning. As for other cultural advancements, like we've talked about before and I know you know, they thrived in an area with some of the highest numbers of domesticated plants and animals which afforded them the surpluses necessary for the smartest and most innovative minds to cease looking for or producing sustenance and focus on things like their vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, art, mathematics, philosophy, and societal/cultural cultivation in general. They were also conveniently located at the center of an east-west axis across which useful cultural and religious ideas could easily spread via trade routes


Going back to the language aspect, only a handful of linguists disagree on the idea that written language was independently invented at various times in far flung regions, usually for the purpose of record keeping; the Chinese, Mayans, Celts... Other cultures indeed borrowed the idea from Mesopotamia. But to suggest that the Mesopotamians borrowed the idea from aliens is not only absurd, but more importantly denies the human being the credit we deserve for the innovation to preserve something unique and intrinsic to us as a species: the spoken word. Attributing the wonders, achievements, and intrinsic nature of humankind to the "help" of superior alien beings is retarded, and I'm
disappointed with how quickly some are apt to do so. There's a first time for everything, and we've had a long-ass time to get where we are today, all on our own. Let's give credit where credit is due and appreciate the human mind, not entertain the idea that this was all cultivated by goddamn aliens. Good grief.

[sgreger1]

So sgreger are you implying that the invention of writing in the case if the Sumerians might as well be attributed to alien intervention? Like other writing systems, Cuneiform had very long and humble beginnings as a record-keeping tool. As in," my neighbor owes me 3 goats and said he'll pay me back before the Winter Solstice, I'd better write that shit down". Not sure where you got the info that their writing was unusually descriptive or "advanced" from the beginning. As for other cultural advancements, like we've talked about before and I know you know, they thrived in an area with some of the highest numbers of domesticated plants and animals which afforded them the surpluses necessary for the smartest and most innovative minds to cease looking for or producing sustenance and focus on things like their vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, art, mathematics, philosophy, and societal/cultural cultivation in general. They were also conveniently located at the center of an east-west axis across which useful cultural and religious ideas could easily spread via trade routes


Going back to the language aspect, only a handful of linguists disagree on the idea that written language was independently invented at various times in far flung regions, usually for the purpose of record keeping; the Chinese, Mayans, Celts... Other cultures indeed borrowed the idea from Mesopotamia. But to suggest that the Mesopotamians borrowed the idea from aliens is not only absurd, but more importantly denies the human being the credit we deserve for the innovation to preserve something unique and intrinsic to us as a species: the spoken word. Attributing the wonders, achievements, and intrinsic nature of humankind to the "help" of superior alien beings is retarded, and I'm
disappointed with how quickly some are apt to do so. There's a first time for everything, and we've had a long-ass time to get where we are today, all on our own. Let's give credit where credit is due and appreciate the human mind, not entertain the idea that this was all cultivated by goddamn aliens. Good grief.

Lol, i'll have to go re-read my post, as I did not mean to imply that aliens gave them their language. I was implying that they were significantly advanced for the time period if you think about it, but as you mentioned this could be due to other factors.

I am just curious how they knew certain things in Astronomy or how they knew such complex math at a point where civilization was kind of still getting started.


Anyways, I am reading an interesting book right now called Guns, Germs, and Steel, which covers the topic of how humans came to being human. One idea is that the voicebox becoming fully formed in a way that could facilitate a wide enough range of sounds to constitute a language was the main reason why we outpaced the cro-magnon's who were for a long time much more culturally advanced and had larger brains.


It's really all foggy because we only know as much as the fossil and DNA record can tell us. We will know more each year as new things are found.



Again, I do not mean to imply that writing was given by aliens. Writing, as far as I am aware, was developed independantly in different regions all across humanity at roughly the same time. What is odd though, is a culture discovering "advanced" astonomy and mathematics at the time period in which they did. Could certainly be a natural occurence, or could be something else. I don't know since they didn't care to write it down. Oh, except for the stuff they did write down which alleges that angels/being came down on flying disks and gave them this knowledge.


And yes, early writing was mainly for accounting purposes more than anything.

[jamesstew]

If the Sumerians had this advanced technology where are the archaeological remnants of this other than Cuneiform scribblings?

[Roo]

Guns, Germs, and Steel is the shit dude. It should be required reading as far as I'm concerned. This East-West axis I referred to above was straight out of that book, and as it turns out, geography was the deciding factor historically in which civilizations came out on top and why others didn't. That book also has the information, should one accept the truth in what he speaks, to make a racist feel like the ignorant **** that he is. When you're done with that book, check out the grand master of Cultural Materialism Anthropology, Marvin Harris. "Our Kind" is the best bathroom book ever, because he answers very intriguing question in 2-page chapters. There's also one called something like "the sacred cow and the abominable pig" that explains bovine worship in India and pig abhorrence in the middle east from a very practical and economic standpoint. "Cannibals and Kings" is also pretty great. Go with "Our Kind" first though -- if I still had my copy I'd send it right away. It was written like 30 years ago but is still extremely relevant and insightful. Harris died recently, but he is one of my favorite thinkers. Jared Diamond who wrote the book you're reading now owes a LOT to Marvin Harris.

[sgreger1]

If the Sumerians had this advanced technology where are the archaeological remnants of this other than Cuneiform scribblings?

I think the theory doesn't imply that the summerians had anything advanced as far as technology. Their writings say that some beings came down and used man for slaves and also taught them certain things necessary for their work, like math and science. Or somethign along those lines. I don't think they had any advanced technology, what I meant was that they were advanced as far as knowing calculus and the exact distance of each planet from the sun etc.

[sgreger1]

Guns, Germs, and Steel is the shit dude. It should be required reading as far as I'm concerned. This East-West axis I referred to above was straight out of that book, and as it turns out, geography was the deciding factor historically in which civilizations came out on top and why others didn't. That book also has the information, should one accept the truth in what he speaks, to make a racist feel like the ignorant **** that he is. When you're done with that book, check out the grand master of Cultural Relativism Anthropology, Marvin Harris. "Our Kind" is the best bathroom book ever, because he answers very intriguing question in 2-page chapters. There's also one called something like "the sacred cow and the abominable pig" that explains bovine worship in India and pig abhorrence in the middle east from a very practical and economic standpoint. "Cannibals and Kings" is also pretty great. Go with "Our Kind" first though -- if I still had my copy I'd send it right away. It was written like 30 years ago but is still extremely relevant and insightful. Harris died recently, but he is one of my favorite thinkers. Jared Diamond who wrote the book you're reading now owes a LOT to Marvin Harris.

Yah it's an awesome book. In case you were wondering, I am not a whacko, nor do I necessarily "believe" half of the crazy ramblings I post on this forum. But it makes for interesting discussion and may or may not have some truth in it.

The study of how things came to be is one of my favorite topics, which is why I am currently reading this treasure trove of relevant information which is Guns, Germs, & Steele. What he details in his book is (& was already), the theory i subscribe to as far as humans becoming what they were. It was a lot of little things that gave us an edge, like being located in the right place for agriculture & trade, having a voicebox capable of speaking language, and possibly some changes in the brain which made us self aware somehow, though I am not sure what change would make that occur.

But I mean once we had agriculture and a surplus of food, it made room for mankind to get above the level of just surviving and actually sit down and think about some shit and develope a rich culture.

But yah, I will have to check out those other authors, as this is a subject matter that interests me greatly.

[devilock76]

Yah it's an awesome book. In case you were wondering, I am not a whacko, nor do I necessarily "believe" half of the crazy ramblings I post on this forum. But it makes for interesting discussion and may or may not have some truth in it.

The study of how things came to be is one of my favorite topics, which is why I am currently reading this treasure trove of relevant information which is Guns, Germs, & Steele. What he details in his book is (& was already), the theory i subscribe to as far as humans becoming what they were. It was a lot of little things that gave us an edge, like being located in the right place for agriculture & trade, having a voicebox capable of speaking language, and possibly some changes in the brain which made us self aware somehow, though I am not sure what change would make that occur.

But I mean once we had agriculture and a surplus of food, it made room for mankind to get above the level of just surviving and actually sit down and think about some shit and develope a rich culture.

But yah, I will have to check out those other authors, as this is a subject matter that interests me greatly.

I subscribe to the theory that we were probably the most aggressive and warlike hominid of the time. When another more aggressive and warlike hominid comes along that is at least in the same ball park technology wise, well we are cooked, and probably eaten. Hopefully with garlic, or maybe a part of a good gumbo. I do like gumbo, mmmmm.

Ken

[sgreger1]

Old and busted: Life on Earth came from Mars. New hotness: Life on Mars came from Earth

[justintempler]

We've got to keep this thread alive:

[devilock76]

I somehow got reminded of this video VIDEO not VIDIO by your vidio, I mean video, damnit.

Ken

[SmilingSound]

Lol, i'll have to go re-read my post, as I did not mean to imply that aliens gave them their language. I was implying that they were significantly advanced for the time period if you think about it, but as you mentioned this could be due to other factors.

I am just curious how they knew certain things in Astronomy or how they knew such complex math at a point where civilization was kind of still getting started.


Anyways, I am reading an interesting book right now called Guns, Germs, and Steel, which covers the topic of how humans came to being human. One idea is that the voicebox becoming fully formed in a way that could facilitate a wide enough range of sounds to constitute a language was the main reason why we outpaced the cro-magnon's who were for a long time much more culturally advanced and had larger brains.


It's really all foggy because we only know as much as the fossil and DNA record can tell us. We will know more each year as new things are found.



Again, I do not mean to imply that writing was given by aliens. Writing, as far as I am aware, was developed independantly in different regions all across humanity at roughly the same time. What is odd though, is a culture discovering "advanced" astonomy and mathematics at the time period in which they did. Could certainly be a natural occurence, or could be something else. I don't know since they didn't care to write it down. Oh, except for the stuff they did write down which alleges that angels/being came down on flying disks and gave them this knowledge.


And yes, early writing was mainly for accounting purposes more than anything.

Or maybe just the Sumerians learned the art of trolling 5000 years before the interewebs

[sgreger1]

Or maybe just the Sumerians learned the art of trolling 5000 years before the interewebs

After years of study and researching countless hours into the subject, i have come to the conclusion that ancient cultures invented writing so they could continuosly troll future generations. Their trollface is set in stone, and will live for a thousand years after their bodies have turned to sand.

[sgreger1]

We've got to keep this thread alive:

Nibiru != global warming trends


Lol, this chick must be a blast at parties. This is how i know there must be no god, or at least a trickster jew of a god: this lady looks like shes five times as rich as me.

[sgreger1]

I somehow got reminded of this video VIDEO not VIDIO by your vidio, I mean video, damnit.

Ken

Lol, that was outstanding.

*golf clap*