An Ascii-Art History of Humanity
by Jorn Barger v 1.01
jorn@mcs.com 3 May 1997
This is meant to be read slowly, each screen an object of contemplation.
My intent was to simplify without losing perspective, while maintaining
depth and avoiding cliches. Lots of the ideas should be new and
challenging.
For more detail, see
Maybe the universe originated 10-20 billion years ago, in a Big Bang.
A one-line scale model of the Solar System:
(1 character-width = 12 million miles)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
. . .
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
S M V E Mars asteroids Jupiter Saturn
[ SMVE = Sun - Mercury - Venus - Earth ]
At this scale, the sun is 1/12th of a character wide, while
Jupiter and Saturn are really invisible, at 1/100th of a char.
The Moon's orbit around Earth is about 1/20th of a character in diameter.
A closer view:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
( ) o
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth Moon
1 char = 5000 km
Evolution began several billion years ago, probably with delicate C------W
chains of RNA units that occasionally managed to reproduce C--------W
themselves. Adding DNA as well as RNA made this process less C--------W
delicate and more accurate. C-------W
C----W
Every DNA sequence embodies a long history of 'squeaking thru' W
nature's perils. This is not _memory_, but rather useful W--C
'hallucinations'. Mutations are genetic 'hallucinations', and W-----C
only the useful ones survive. W--------C
W---------C
By one billion years ago, the value of sharing DNA via sexuality W--------C
was well-established, but biologists acknowledge that we've W-----C
hardly begun to understand the rules of this evolutionary 'game'. C
Apparently the main purpose of sexual reproduction is to outrun C--W
the parasites, who keep managing to adapt to every *specific* C------W
genetic makeup. C--------W
C--------W
Around 600 million years ago, the Cambrian Explosion generated C-------W
a profusion of new biological forms, surely with the help of C----W
sexual reproduction. W
Evolution began several billion years ago, probably with delicate C------W
chai
ns of RNA units that occasionally managed to reproduce C--------W
themselves. Adding DNA as well as RNA made this process less C--------W
delicate and more accurate. C-------W
C----W
Every DNA sequence embodies a long history of 'squeaking thru' W
nature's perils. This is not _memory_, but rather useful W--C
'hallucinations'. Mutations are genetic 'halucinatons', and W-----C
only the useful ones survive. W--------C
W---------C
By one billion years ago, the value of sharing DNA via sexuality W--------C
was well-established, but biologists acknowledge that we've W-----C
hardly begun to understand the rules of this evolutionary 'game'. C
Apparently the main purpose of sexual reproduction is to outrun C--W
the parasites, who keep managing to adapt to every *specific* C------W
genetic makeup. C--------W
C--------W
Around 600 million years ago, the Cambrian Explosion generated C-------W
a profusion of new biological forms, surely with the help of C----W
sexual reproduction. W
Evolution began several billion years ago, probably with delicate chains
of RNA units that occasionally managed to reproduce themselves.
Adding DNA as well as RNA made this process less delicate and more accurate.
Every DNA sequence embodies a long history of 'squeaking thru' nature's
perils. This is not _memory_, but rather useful 'hallucinations'.
Mutations are genetic 'hallucinations', and only the useful ones survive.
By one billion years ago, the value of sharing DNA via sexuality was
well-established, but biologists acknowledge that we've hardly begun to
understand the rules of this evolutionary 'game'. Apparently the main
purpose of sexual reproduction is to outrun the parasites, who keep
managing to adapt to every *specific* genetic makeup.
Around 600 million years ago, the Cambrian Explosion generated a profusion
of new biological forms, surely with the help of sexual reproduction.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./', '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~ ,_ . . /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| / . _-~'\_ _~| \ ) /
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ / ~
., '\ |x | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
~ \ '-, \,' /\/ |
,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
65 million years ago / \_ ~ | / India \ ~'; -,_.
dinosaurs died out, | ~\ | | , was an '-_, ,; ~ ~\
the Atlantic was \, / \ / /| island ,-, ,
half its current width, | ,/ | |' |/ then, and ,- ~ \ '.
& our ancestors were ,| ,/ \ ,/ the coastlines \ |
small furry climbers / | ~were all different.-~~-, / _
with good eyes and | ,-' ~ /
grasping fingers. / ,' The 30 million generations since
',| have explored every imaginable social
~' structure hundreds or thousands of times.
This intelligence is encoded in our DNA as social intuition, regarding
territory, dominance, and sexuality.
_ , . ,_ . ._. _. .
;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~- , _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/
/ / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_ /~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-|
, '|,'| 50-100,000 years ago,_/-, /~~ / ,/'-/~ '\./ '
,\ /'~ modern humans spread /_ /~ ~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. '
_\~ ,_ . out over the /| .-~ '| '',\~|\
|_/~\\,-,~' \ planet... ,_,/ | '\ /'~
_-~'\_ _~| \ ) / | / .
./ ~ |\ \_ / ~ \ __-\
|..from a \\_' ~| /~\ \~ , ., '\ |, ~-_ .
\north African, \,' /\/ | ~-_' ;
\_ _, origin/' ' |, /|' '\_,~'\_
~ | / \ ~'; -,_. / and \_
| | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\ |reached~\
\ / /| ,-, , -, \, here /
| |' |/ ,- ~ \ '. | 10 ,/
\ ,/ \ | ,|000 /
~ -~~-, / _ / yrs|
~ / |ago-'
~ / ,'
Their culture worldwide included fire, bow and arrow, ',| ~
fishnets, baskets, tame dogs, burial of dead, and *speech*. ~'
Details like politics and religion had thousands of variations
that their simple vocabulary was incapable of articulating precisely.
Land belonged to the tribe that defended it. Ancestor worship was also
universal. There may have been marco-polo-type individuals who travelled
thousands of miles on foot.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ 10,000 yrs ago the /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~ ,_ . ice age ended, /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ less rain fell, |
| / . _-~'\_ _~|agriculture arose.) /
\ __-\ ./The Nile|\ \_ / ~
., '\ |, ~-_ . | produced \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
~-_' ; \ pharaohs '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ \_ _, 5000 /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ ~ | years/ \ ~'; -,_.
| ~\ | ago, (& the best'-_, ,; ~ ~\
\, / \ / /| sculpture ,-, , -,
| ,/ | |' |/ ever...) ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' while human culture shifted from ~ /
/ ,' reasonable equality to ~
',| ~ *large-scale technology*
~' requiring new ways of thinking, and
new strategies for social _mindcontrol_:
1) Meet resistance with fast-escalating violence.
2) Impose a social mythology that resistance is wrong.
Diverse tribes had to be integrated. Land belonged to the ruling family.
Myths of inequality had to be introduced. Rulers' new inaccessibility
enabled irresponsibility. The citizenry evolved self-consciousness via
self-control: deference to the absent ruler.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\Catholic . . /| Not
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ | even
| / . _-~'\_ _~| Islam Buddhist) / the
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ Hindu / ~ best
., Maya\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ , intentioned
~-_' ; \ '-, \,' /\/ | leaders can
Evolving weaponry '\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|' rule wisely
unleashes an unending \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_. for
series of violent | ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\ long
conquests, one \,Inca / \ / /| ,-, , -,
megalomaniacal | ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
religion against ,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
another, as the first/ | ~ -~~-, / _
attempts are made | ,-' Though Islam and Catholicism both ~ /
to formulate ethics / ,' revere a Jewish revolutionary, executed 2000
in words. ',| years ago for claiming *all* are equally beloved
~of god, and that *only the homeless are blameless*
...still everyone interprets these doctrines differently.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~Catholicism fragments./-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. 'Newton ,\ /'~ / /_ 17th C
.-~ '| B 'F,\Shakespeare_\~ DaVinci. . /|spheres
500 years '\ F /'~ Defoe |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ | of
ago European| F B/ . _-~'\_ _~| \ )influence:
Christians \ S __-\S P./ ~ |\ B\_ B / D~ French
win a huge '\ |, ~-_ . |F \\_'P~|D /~\ \~ , Spanish
advantage when ~-_' S ;BFD \B '-, \,' /\/P |S British
technological '\_,~'\_ \_ B, /' ' |, /|' Portuguese
advances allow / D\_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_. Dutch
their navies to |S ~\ |P P| , '-_,D,; ~ ~\
colonize the world. \, P/ \ / /| ,-, , -,
Their worldview is | ,/ B | |' |/FD ,- ~ \ '.
intensely moralistic, | ,/ \D,/ \D | B
hypocritical, and / S | ~ -~~-, / _
hierarchical. | ,-'The printing press carries the record ~ /
/ ,' of humanity's limited self-insight to~
Individual ownership ',| ~ a mass audience, with Greece and Rome
of land via inheritance. (via Islam) providing the foundation.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./Willam, '|,'Tolstoy and Flaubert ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' Blake ,\ /'achieve new levels of /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ Karl _\~ psychological subtlety /Mendeleev
American colonists /'~ Marx |_/~\\,-,~' in language.,_ inventories
revive democratic / . _-~'\_ _~| \ the chemical
models based on __-\US Civil War/ ~ |\ \_ / elements.
native American\ |, ~-_ raises | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
societies. ~-_' industrialization '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ to a \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
Darwin / \_ new ~ | / Colonies \ ~'; -,_.
undermines | ~\ level. | | , rebel '-_, ,; ~ ~\
religious \, / \ / /| worldwide, ,-, , -,
models. | ,/ | |' aristocracies,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/are overthrown.\ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| The process of scientific discovery is defined.
~'
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| Joyce / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ Ruthless ,/'-/~ '\./ conquers|,'|~ Communism vs ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, greed '-,| 'literature ,\ /'~ Capitalism proves an /_ The
.-~ '|prevails',\~|\ with _\~ ,_ . . unequal /| brain-
'\ /'~ Ulysses, |_/~\\,-,~' \ " battle. ,_,/ computer
| /then throws it_-~'\_ _~| \ ) metaphor
Hollywood \ __-\into disarray/ The ~ |\ \_ / is proposed
takes over '\ |, ~-_ with . | genetic \\_' ~| /~\ \~ , while
popular ~-_' Finnegans\ code is '-, \,' /\/ | behavioral
mythmaking. '\_,~'\_ Wake. \_ _,broken./' ' |, /|' science
/ \_ ~ | / \ ~'; founders.
|Industry\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
\poisons/ \ / /| ,-, , -,
The broadcast nature/ Academia | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
spectra are ,| ,/ substitutes\ ,/ \ |
dominated by the / | status-wars ~ -~~-, / _
corporate agenda. | ,-' for scholarship. ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| ~
~'
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' Elvis ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\Costello_\~ ,_ . . /|
Birth-control /'~adds anger |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
pill creates| / . to the _-~'\_ _~| \ ) / Internet
a sexual \ __-\ rock mix./ ~ |\ \_ / ~challenges
revolution, '\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ , broadcast
challenging ~-_' Cyc project\ '-, \,' /\/ | monopoly.
taboo after taboo.'\_,~'\_tries to\_ _,Bonobo /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ create ~ |'Eden'/ \ ~'; -,_.
Electric guitar and | ~\ mind found! , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
rock'n'roll re-awaken\, / in a \ / /| ,-, , -,
the urge to freedom. | ,/computer by| |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/an inventory\ ,/ \ |
Sociobiology uses / | of human ~ -~~-, / _
Darwin for a new | ,-' experience. ~ /
approach to ethics. / ,' ~
',| ~
~'