[OT] [I mean totally OT] Re: What can you "new"

[Daniel Keep]

Rioshin an'Harthen wrote:
> Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> 
>> Speaking of which (damn ranting and subject changing!) I think the
>> Medieval Ages were a stain on our history. I read somewhere how at the
>> beginning of that dark time there was actual *loss* of technology:
>> they had these aquaducts and pumps and mechanisms and whatnot from the
>> Romans and didn't know how to repair them anymore, so they just let
>> them go decrepit. Very scary.
> 
> I seem to remember reading from science mags that the ancient Greeks
> were close to building, if they hadn't already succeeded to, mechanical
> calculators. I also remember reading about some kind of batteries, but
> can't remember which ancient civilization it was that had discovered
> them. Scientists are only now managing to piece out pre-Dark Ages
> technology and how advanced it really was.
> 
> Now, if only the ancient times had continued to develop
> scientifically... who knows where we'd be now? It's not hard to imagine
> the computer being invented around 500 AD or so, if the current theories
> of ancient times hold up.
> 
> For some reason, the scientific development seems to have halted and
> even taken steps back in areas christianity spread to in ancient times,
> and only in the last about half a millenia has technological progress
> resumed.

It seems the major purpose of religion is to retard the progress of
science [1].  Just look at the "intelligent design" movement.  Or hell,
Scientology.

Every time I can begin to hope that humanity has reached the point where
everyone is free to believe whatever they choose without being set upon
by people who believe differently, some group of insane gits comes along
and just has to spoil it.

Disclaimer: I'm an atheist who believes everyone should be free to
believe whatever they like.

  -- Daniel

[1] Which is a diplomatic way of saying "to keep people stupid and
gullible."  No offence to any religious people on the NG; it's not
individuals I have problems with, it's *institutionalised* belief.