Home
Forums
New posts
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Log in
Register
What's new
New posts
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Home
Forums
Other Topics
Off topic discussion
How much technology has been lost throughout history?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="debeguiled" data-source="post: 959599" data-attributes="member: 7867"><p>This is a great point, and it is making me wonder if the important technologies we are losing aren't really the tangible scientific ones, but the big picture ones.</p><p></p><p>Is it too much of a stretch to say that something like a taking the long view, and thinking of generations that will come, counts as a technology, or is it more of a mindset?</p><p></p><p>It seems to me that, rather than asking what medieval Englishmen insulated their houses with and comparing it to the spun glass of today, it is much more important to ask ourselves why do we choose to build houses that (coincidentally) fall apart the minute the 30 year mortgage is paid?</p><p></p><p>Look at the roads and bridges, as you say, that are falling apart, and you are right, we have all the technology in the world, but they were built with the assumption that the economy would continue to expand forever and ever, so why not, along with the politicians, kick the can of rebuilding them further down the road?</p><p></p><p>These are far more intractable problems than comparing the roofing products of today with say, a bit of rope twisted from straw to hold up the thatching from Stuart England. (I saw a bit of this rope from the 1600s in a documentary. Because the thatch had kept it dry, it was still as strong as the day it was made, but that's a side issue.)</p><p></p><p>If family homes get abandoned by the kids at 18 as a matter of course, how are you going to interest people in paying for stairways like this:</p><p></p><p><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/medias.photodeck.com/9189d808-3bb8-11e1-bc7b-df677cdb89e5/13712_02GambleHouse_xlarge.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Why not just slap up something like this:</p><p></p><p><img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d0/00/46/d0004643c5c81e350ae518be0b6a1572.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>I think a return to ideas of craftsmanship, and longevity are not only aesthetic ideals, they are practical ones. And if your kids don't want your carefully built house, you could just dismantle it and sell it to someone, as I am sure in the future, anything that is made to last will be selling at a premium.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="debeguiled, post: 959599, member: 7867"] This is a great point, and it is making me wonder if the important technologies we are losing aren't really the tangible scientific ones, but the big picture ones. Is it too much of a stretch to say that something like a taking the long view, and thinking of generations that will come, counts as a technology, or is it more of a mindset? It seems to me that, rather than asking what medieval Englishmen insulated their houses with and comparing it to the spun glass of today, it is much more important to ask ourselves why do we choose to build houses that (coincidentally) fall apart the minute the 30 year mortgage is paid? Look at the roads and bridges, as you say, that are falling apart, and you are right, we have all the technology in the world, but they were built with the assumption that the economy would continue to expand forever and ever, so why not, along with the politicians, kick the can of rebuilding them further down the road? These are far more intractable problems than comparing the roofing products of today with say, a bit of rope twisted from straw to hold up the thatching from Stuart England. (I saw a bit of this rope from the 1600s in a documentary. Because the thatch had kept it dry, it was still as strong as the day it was made, but that's a side issue.) If family homes get abandoned by the kids at 18 as a matter of course, how are you going to interest people in paying for stairways like this: [img]http://s3.amazonaws.com/medias.photodeck.com/9189d808-3bb8-11e1-bc7b-df677cdb89e5/13712_02GambleHouse_xlarge.jpg[/img] Why not just slap up something like this: [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d0/00/46/d0004643c5c81e350ae518be0b6a1572.jpg[/img] I think a return to ideas of craftsmanship, and longevity are not only aesthetic ideals, they are practical ones. And if your kids don't want your carefully built house, you could just dismantle it and sell it to someone, as I am sure in the future, anything that is made to last will be selling at a premium. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
Other Topics
Off topic discussion
How much technology has been lost throughout history?
Top
