Originally posted by Thequ1ck "The Human Genome Project determined that 99.9% of the human genetic complement is the same in everyone, regardless of race. This means that the DNA of any two people will differ in one out of every thousand nucleotides, the building blocks of individual genes.
With more than 3 billion nucleotides in the human genome, about 3 million nucleotides will dif ...[text shortened]... ation. "
Originally posted by Thequ1ck A very good point. But where did the original Egyptians come from?
Why was Egypt such a success and why didn't we see other, similar
cultures popping up regularly in Africa?
edit. A lot of Egyptian knowledge was reputed to have been brought
by Toth the Atlantean. Was Atlantis a real civilisation based in or
around Africa?
I think Egyptians come from both Africa and the Middle east.
I suspect that the early successes of Egypt and other parts of the Middle east has to do with suitable land for large scale agriculture. I think that world wide most early civilizations depended largely on the development of large scale agricultural techniques - and many fell because of failures in those techniques such as drought or soil degradation. The Nile avoids soil degradation by bringing new nutrients every year. Modern farming relies on fertilizer without which much of the worlds land would become unarrable.
Much of the rest of Africa does not have suitable land for irrigation. Also the impact of Malaria and other tropical diseases must not be under estimated. Large rivers suitable for irrigation are usually also where the tropical diseases thrive. When Europeans came to Central Africa, they soon found that settling near rivers was unwise, and malaria in part slowed the colonization process. In Zimbabwe the settled on the high ground which was fertile land with few diseases but required modern technology to exploit.
Originally posted by twhitehead I think Egyptians come from both Africa and the Middle east.
I suspect that the early successes of Egypt and other parts of the Middle east has to do with suitable land for large scale agriculture. I think that world wide most early civilizations depended largely on the development of large scale agricultural techniques - and many fell because of failu ...[text shortened]... high ground which was fertile land with few diseases but required modern technology to exploit.
I'd have to agree that access to clean water, agriculture and the
absence of disease are the key components that allow technological
achievements to be cultivated. It's the only real difference between
Africa and Europe. But surely Africa had plenty of places like this,
what other sufficiently advanced cultures arose?
Originally posted by Thequ1ck Why didn't Africans thrive? What forces disallowed their development
as compared to Europe and Asia?
Why has Africa failed to reveal any technological achievements
(comparitively speaking)?
Why is there such a disparity??? I mean we're talking grass huts
in the face of space shuttles and highrisers yet this is the oldest culture
on earth!
Is it simply a case of grow up and get the fek out of Dodge?
Africa is doing better now than Europeans or Americans in 1850. 160 Years is an incredibly short time compared to the time humans have been around. So it's mostly just coincidence.
Originally posted by twhitehead I think Egyptians come from both Africa and the Middle east.
I suspect that the early successes of Egypt and other parts of the Middle east has to do with suitable land for large scale agriculture. I think that world wide most early civilizations depended largely on the development of large scale agricultural techniques - and many fell because of failu ...[text shortened]... high ground which was fertile land with few diseases but required modern technology to exploit.
You're a programmer aren't you you Twitehead?
Would you categorise a program based on the degree of similarity
of code or the actually functionality of the program?
Originally posted by Bosse de Nage Empires came and went.
The paradigm shift from agrarian to industrial economy was unprecedented.
So even the Empires of today will change. The next empire will perhaps be in Asia, next in turn perhaps Africa.
The conclusion is that empires, leaders of the world, etc, change continously through time. Once Africa was, later the Middle East, China, and so on like links in a chain.
The rest of our future lies ahead.
Originally posted by KazetNagorra Africa is doing better now than Europeans or Americans in 1850. 160 Years is an incredibly short time compared to the time humans have been around. So it's mostly just coincidence.
The amount of Ghanaians living in poverty fell from 52% to 29% in the period from 1991 to 2006.
Ghana's just had a successful transitional election (with the opposition coming in by a slender margin for the second time: a first for modern Africa); with strong grasp of constitutionalism and oil discovered offshore last year to add to the gold and cocoa, it's predicted to join the ranks of middle income countries fairly soon.
Ghana includes the area covered by the Ashanti civilisation.
Originally posted by FabianFnas So even the Empires of today will change. The next empire will perhaps be in Asia, next in turn perhaps Africa.
The conclusion is that empires, leaders of the world, etc, change continously through time. Once Africa was, later the Middle East, China, and so on like links in a chain.
The rest of our future lies ahead.
Which begs the question what's the real agenda behind this thread.
Originally posted by Thequ1ck But surely Africa had plenty of places like this,
what other sufficiently advanced cultures arose?
Sure, all of Africa's the same as Egypt.
The Ethiopian Empire, the Ashanti Empire, the Songhai Empire all attained a high degree of cultural sophistication. They didn't invent the printing press or the steam engine though -- Europeans did, and nobody else. So the real question is why the Europeans got there first. And the answer seems to be: coincidence.
Originally posted by adam warlock I think it has to do with how people relate to nature, how people see nature, and what they feel their needs are.
China was the most advanced scientifical for quite some time. Putting to shame a lot that was being done in Europe for centuries and yet the Scientific Revolution (the quick starter of society as we know it) happened in European co ...[text shortened]... //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_in_China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mathematics
Interesting post, shame that so many seem to have read it diagonally. I'm not yet convinced, but if you have time I'd love to read more.
To some other comments: The rise of Europe began much sooner than the industrial revolution.
What happened to Africa?
06 Feb '09 08:47
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