quote:
Which scientists?
Further, we have longer lifespans than ever before. Better medicin than ever before. Higher standards of living than ever before. We get to keep our teeth longer than ever before. More people are fed than ever before. The population is larger than ever before.
If you look back only 100 years ago, you are correct in thinking that life has gotten better in industrialized societies. However, people in pre-agricultural societies were on averege healthier than they are today and lived fairly long lives. Check out the Neolithic Paradox to see what might give you some insight about this.
quote:
I agree that there is alot of suffering and crappyness in the world. And I agree that human stupidity combined with great power is a recipie for destruction.
But your idea that people before were "just as" smart as people today is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Open your eyes and look around you. See what mankind has accomplished and be greatfull.
Your average person can't even repair a computer once it breaks down and the numerous jokes about programing VCRs is evidence that your average person is in fact quite stupid.
We tend to specialize in modern societies, so much so that your average person is far more dependent on "sub-humans" to cook, clean and repair our cars.
I would contend that a stone age person had to be far smarter in order to just get by on a daily basis. They had to do it all, because if they didn't, they were probably dead on short order.
quote:
Not too long ago your lifespan would have been estimated at 30.
In many places today, the life expectancy is much shorter than that. And the infant mortality rate in the United States is deplorable given the accumulated wealth that is here.
BTW, lots of stupid people that have never had an original thought in their lives live to ripe old ages. Case in point...Richard Butler of the Aryan Nations lived far longer than many people that were far smarter than him.
One other thing about what you said: it is very likely that plumbers and garbage men have had more to do with increased life span than mordern medicine. The improvement in sanitation is probably the one thing that sets modern industrial societies apart from the earlier ones.
™ Version 4.2
