Friday, September 20, 2013
Cause and Effect
Throughout our study of history, one thing always remains constant - Cause and Effect. As we have often discussed in class, history does not happen in a vacuum. Every single event, from the "Big Bang" to more recent events such as 9/11, had a beginning and something caused that event to happen. Not only did something cause the event to happen, the event had an effect. All of you are completely familiar with the concept of.... wait for it.... get ready.... "RIPPLES!!" We discussed the grain of sand effect (almost unnoticeable ripple effect) to the bolder (very large ripple!) within the "pool" of time and history. This week, we are going to look at the "bolder effects" on history.
TOPIC: What event in history do you think has had the greatest impact on mankind? Why?
Remember, each of you are required to post and each of you should comment on others post - you may or may not agree with someone's opinion, but keep in mind that each one of you of you have the right to your own opinion. All post and comments must be done respectfully and written in proper English (sorry, not text message lingo!).
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I think one of the most important events in history was the Holocaust.As most of us know, the most holocaust happened in WWII. About six million Jews were killed by the Nazi forces. The Holocaust was a unique event, unprecedented in human and in Jewish history. But in short, all the Holocaust events influenced not only those survivors but also us. The holocaust teaches us some painful lessons. Racism is really dangerous and dreadful. From then, education of Holocaust was introduced to the students and the people all over the world. The Holocausts teach us that genocide can happen anywhere. The thing we need to do is end racism and xenophobia and also, learn the world's religions, and understand other races' culture. More and more people start focusing on this because after some hostile actions between western countries and the Middle East countries happened during those years. Now it is a civilized world, we definitely don't want to hurt or get hurt. Each year, the United States observes Days of Remembrance. History is always repeated, but we need to prevent those tragedies not to happen again. So I think the Holocausts in history are some good lessons that are very useful to us today and the one of the most important events in history.
ReplyDeleteHi Gemma! I completely agree with your entry. The Holocaust was definitely an event that greatly impacted mankind. It was a tragic event that aided us to realize how cruel and violent racism can be. I agree with you that racism is really dangerous and dreadful, because it can lead to such horrifying situations. Unfortunately, we lost a huge amount of innocent Jews during World War II, but it has helped us to understand that genocide and racism is very, very wrong and horrid, like you mentioned. We now take big steps to prevent events like this to ever happen again, like you said as well. I think you wrote a great entry!
DeleteHey Gemma! I absolutely agree with your entry, i would've done it if you hadn't. hahaha!!! Anyway, being Jewish, the Holocaust is a particularly hard subject for me to elaborate on. It was a very hard time in Jewish history because of the many innocent killings that were going on. Everytime, I think of the Holocaust I feel glad that i didn't have to live during that time period. But, although the Holocaust was a terrible event it teach us a few things about understanding cultures and remembrance, like you said. Well, you did an excellent job on this entry.
DeleteUnfortunately, we (as in humankind) really hasn't learned it's lesson. There are still genocides that take place around the world today, regardless of what they like to call them (i.e., ethnic cleansing, "civil" wars, etc.). Granted, they may not be quite at the scale of the Jewish Holocaust (which actually effected not just Jewish people, for there was a whole different set of people that were exterminated in the concentration camps - blacks, people with physical and mental disabilities, etc.), but they still take place. Sadly the world doesn't seem to take notice unless someone goes full-scale like Hitler did during WW II.
DeleteHi Gemma! I really enjoyed reading your blog as I completely agreed with it. The Holocaust is a very well-known and conversed topic even today. Although it consisted of cruelty to the innocent Jews, it taught us that genocide and racism is very callous and vile. We could learn and prosper from the horrific actions taken place during that time. We should also learn to never take things for granted thinking back to how hard and arduous life was for the Jews.
DeleteHey Gemma :) I agree with your opinion when you stated "The thing we need to do is end racism and xenophobia and also, learn the world's religions, and understand other races' culture." Not only would this broaden our minds, but it would also bring us much closer together and we would have a mutual respect for each other. However, this would be a team effort, and without all the nations' cooperation, it would be impossible. -Your friend, Tom Hindle
DeleteI believe that one of the many important events in history was the discovery of the New World, which was on October 12th, 1492. The discovery of the New World basically created mankind. It has led to the development of the world in the modern day; with government, economy, and way of life. Without the discovery, we may all be still hunting and gathering, making our own clothes, and even using food as a substitute of money and power like explained in the novel "An Edible History of Humanity". Today, mankind has learned how to make the way of life fair by using the system of money and jobs, educating people and making sure that each part of the world has a government in which the people are fairly controlled. In the modern day, our world is so amazingly refined and advanced, that it seems impossible when we hear how it all began. That is why I believe that the discovery of the New World is one of the most significant events that occurred throughout history, because it helped our world reach where it is today; admirably and incredibly advanced and developed.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you provided many good facts on why the Discovery of the New World is the most significant event I disagree. The New World is considered to be the most influential event by many people because not a lot of the negative facts about the event are told. First of all part of the voyage led to disaster. The Santa Maria was wrecked during the voyage, leading to people being left behind. Second, a slave trader and liar, Christopher Columbus, led the voyage. He had lied to the queen about the discovery of the land and telling her that it was filled with gold and rich, fertile grounds. A voyage lead by a person who lied and was a slave trader can’t be considered the most significant event in history. Don’t forget what Christopher Columbus did with the Native Americans that lived there. The Americas belonged to the Native people living there, yet Columbus went in and made them slaves of the fields and mines.
DeleteHey Anshul, I have to say that I agree with your post, because the discovery of the New World was crucial and had a domino effect on the history of mankind itself. I must also say that Abu is right about the concerns he addressed in his comments. HOWEVER, these posts are about how important the selected event is, not whether it had a positive or negative impact. Without the discovery of the New World, the modern world would be drastically different from how it is today. This is because the New World (now America) played a major part in the development of what we know as the modern world. For example, without the New World people wouldn't have escaped England for religious freedom, meaning people would have still been oppressed. There would have been no cold war, no fight for slavery, and (worst of all)no American support during WW2! I could drone on and on about how not discovering the New World could have changed everything. This was a very good choice for an important event in history and the post was well written. Good Job!
DeleteExcellent point Sai!! An event in history can have a very negative impact, but at the same time have a positive spin. Example, Hitler exterminated 6 million Jews - very negative! Yet, prior to WW II, the world had a very negative viewpoint about Jews and they weren't well like - not to mention they did not have a place to call "home." Due to the outcome of WW II, there grew a somewhat compassion for the Jewish people and what they had endured and in 1948 the United Nations created the Nation of Israel for the Jewish people. Now there does exist plenty of counter arguments about the land they were given and if it really should have been their land, but that is a different point, all together. So yes, as you pointed out Sai, history can be cruel but that doesn't erase it's potential to be listed as a major impact.
DeleteI think that one of the most important events to occur in mankind’s history was The Renaissance. This is because as the name suggests it was a period of rebirth for culture and leaning. It followed the Dark Ages, a time when Europe went through a period of regression. Thanks to the Renaissance however, people started taking interests in refined parts of culture, such as Greek & Roman literature and life. Without it, humanity would’ve been in the Dark Ages for who knows how much longer. Thanks to The Renaissance the world received many spectacular works of poetry, art, and accounts of history. In a sense, throughout our history we’ve had many Renaissances. The most recent being the “rebirth” of technology (Ex: the recent invention of the iPhone). However the particular one I am referencing was the very first and perhaps the most crucial for mankind. This is because (in a metaphorical sense), the first Renaissance broke humanity out of its Dark Age shell. Without it, we may’ve been trapped in the shell for much too long to ever recover.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you are saying about the renaissance. The renaissance led to new inventions, such as the printing press. Also, Galileo used the scientific methods for the sun and planets. Galileo had also made the telescope to prove his hypothesis. Not only were their inventors at this time but artists and writers emerged. Some famous artists from this time periods are Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The famous writer emerging in this time period was William Shakespeare. He was known to be able to express the human emotion of his characters with great skills. People are still awed by the things that came about during the Renaissance.
DeleteHi Sai! I really liked the way that you wrote your entry and I agree with you 100%! The Renaissance definitely helped cultures merge and interact because of the different artists, writers, and their ways of life. I like how you compared the rebirth of life and learning to the rebirth of technology and ties the iPhone. Artists, writers, and scientists really helped the development of new studies that helped people break out of the "Dark Age shell". Like you said, without the resurfacing of a new way of life, we could have been in the Dark Ages for a while. You had a great post!!
DeleteI absolutely agree with your post on the greatest influence on mankind! The Renaissance was definitely one boulder effect in history that led to many other things. As we also learned about the Renaissance in our recent lesson in class, I realized how much of an impression it has made. William Shakespeare who emerged in the Renaissance had escalated highly, especially with his written play of Romeo and Juliet. I liked how you included an example of a modern form of the Renaissance being the invention of the recent IPhone. Without the Renaissance, even life today would be different without the prospering of that time period.
DeleteHi Sai! Upon looking at this article you immediately caught my attention with the Renaissance. Your article was very intriguing, and I agree with you. The Renaissance was a truly great time period. Imagine if the Renaissance never happened, all of the contributions in math science and art would've never happened. The theories we used today could be greatly changed and people would wonder who the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were named after. Overall, there would be no rich European history. I also liked how you incorporated the term "rebirth" with technology because there are so many things The Renaissance gave us that led to technology. Good job on the blog Sai!
DeleteHi Sai! I completely agree about how the Renaissance has a tremendous influence on mankind. The Renaissance definitely was a great period of rebirth for culture and learning. Also, as you mentioned we would not have the great poetry, literature, and art. I also like how you compared technology to the Renaissance. You definitely proved your point about why the Renaissance was important for mankind. Good job!
DeleteI 100% agree with you Sai. It was the Renaissance that kick started the arts and the interest in learning. I like what you said about if the Renaissance never happened. I like to think about those things from time to time. Anyway, you also made me think about the Renaissance of today, the rebirth of "technology", which was very clever might I add. New technologies are being unveiled every month now and can be compared to that of the Renaissance back in the 1300s, when people were creating new ways of learning and such. An overall great job on this post.
DeleteExcellent job Sai ! The discovery of New world is undoubtedly one of the most important leaf of human history. Same with Anshul, I really like the way you wrote your entry. As what you already have mentioned, Renaissance was the rebirth of culture and learning. Although this period seems too far to us, but it still really does impact our world day. Our inventions and progress today can't do without the spirit of Renaissance. In someway, you concluded all the origins of the inventions which comes in later human history.
DeleteI consider one of the most important events in the history to be the invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press. Before the printing press people had to copy writings and illustrations by hand. The printing press was invented in the mid 1400s and it had first been used to spread the message of God. The Church’s could finally make bibles and have them become a household thing for the people who could afford them. People now could gain more education, and information would spread rapidly and accurately. The printing press’s impacts on the improvement of study, science, and technology were significant. The printing press was the first step to computers today.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the printing press brought along a lot of good things it also had a negative effect on the society. Book making had now come out of the control of the Church so they couldn’t sensor the things that people shouldn’t be reading. While some people had used the pleasure of print making in a bad way, people could now afford education. Since books weren’t as rare as before the price became less expensive. The Gutenberg printing press helped us to develop as a society and spreading education.
I agree with you that the invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press was an important event. It certainly did help education rise and helped society develop, like you mentioned. However, the discovery of the New World is what led to the invention of such a thing, so I do not see why you disagree with my opinion. If no one had discovered the New World and developed such a society, the invention of the Printing Press may never have occurred. The New World involved the findings and inventions of the materials that were used to create the Printing Press. I agree with your entry on how the Printing Press has allowed society to become advanced and efficient, yet I believe that you should take into consideration that the discovery of the New World, even if it may have been a slight disaster, has definitely been the main key to the invention of the Printing Press. You had a great entry, however, and good facts. Good job Abu!
DeleteGood afternoon Abu. It is a really good thought that the invention of printing press is one of the most important events in the history. The sharing of expertise and information has grown hand in hand with the printing press. It is no exaggeration to say that the invention of the printing press has altered the way people read, think, and work quite so extensively. Worldwide, there are over a billion newspaper are printed daily. As you say, if there is no printing press, there will be no computers today. The invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press was definitely a milestone in human history. I think this is an excellent entry.
DeleteThank you Anshul, but I would like to say that the printing press was invented before the discovery of the New World. The New World was discovered in 1492 while the printing press was invented around 1450.
DeleteYou're welcome Abu, but I would just like to say that the discovery of the New World helped to advance the original Printing Press and make it even more efficient to use in the modern day because of the materials and knowledge that was found during that time.
DeleteYes I agree, but in your first comment you said, “However, the discovery of the New World is what led to the invention of such a thing.” I would additionally like to say that I won’t agree with you saying that the printing press was improved in the Americas because the first proof of it being there came when there first book was published in 1536. In the 1500s most people lived on farms hoping to get a profit from Tabaco. There was not a lot of information available at the time like you are presuming, so I don’t agree with you. I need facts that there was information at the time and that the printing press was innovated.
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DeleteHey Abu, I have to say that I too agree that the invention of the Gutenberg printing press was a major event in history. It was important, because one of it's effects was that it made the wide spreading of information MUCH easier. I really liked how you compared the printing press to the first step of computer development. It was very nice to see that you also revealed the drawbacks to the printing press being invented. These negative comments about it made what you wrote seem real and not a perfect event without its tarnishes. I feel I could go as far as to say that without the printing press, the modern world would be drastically different than as we know it today. Overall, this post was very well written Abu. Keep up the good work!
DeleteOk, we need some "points of clarification" (as we like to say in JSA).... I'm not going to comment on rather or not the printing press was a major or event or not, for that, as you know, is opinion. What I am going to clarify is some historical errors that have been made in this post.
Delete1. We often accredit Gutenberg with developing the first printing press (correctly pointed out by "Dallar" around 1450...the exact date isn't agreed upon by historians), but in fact the world's very first "moveable print" was actually developed in the country of China by a man named Bi Sheng and that technology was developed around 1041 (some historians feel that it was closer to 1050, but the point is that it still happened nearly 400 years prior to Gutenberg's press). There was also a moveable printing press developed in Korea in the early 1200s (13th century) - again, the exact date isn't known. Therefore, Johannes Gutenberg's printing press is actually the FIRST EUROPEAN printing press. The reason that so many people associate with Gutenberg's press is because it was the use of his printing press of which was paramount with the Protestant Reformation and Luther's desire to print the Bible in languages besides Latin so that the common man could read God's Word on his own and not depend on the Catholic Church's priest to "tell people" what was in it.
2. "Dallar" you made a mistake when you stated that the first book that was published in North America was done so in 1536. That's incorrect. The "Bay Psalm Book" was the first book that was actually printed in North America (in the British colonies). The book was a Psalter, published in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts (there is only one copy known in existence today - found in the Library of Congress). Now that isn't to say that the printing press wasn't being used prior to that in North America, for it was - it was used to print newspapers and broadsides.
Just wanted to clear this up.......
Abu, great job on the post. I strongly agree with your statement. Without the printing press, the world we live in today would be much different, no doubt about that. I like how you mentioned that as book making increased, it became difficult to sensor what people should and should not be reading. That is an excellent point, and I actually would never have thought of that.
DeleteHey Abu! Awesome post, I totally agree with you. The invention of the printing press was definitely an important event that has impacted mankind greatly. I really like that you talked about how it eventually became difficult to sensor what people were reading. Despite that issue, the printing press really did make spreading information much easier.
DeleteI completely agree with you on the invention of the printing press being an important event in history. The printing press revolutionized the world in many ways. Information could be easily mass produced in a cheap manner. The invention of the printing press caused the spread of ideas, philosophies, and politics. With the spread of ideas came the spread of knowledge. The invention of the printing press spread the flow of information through the eastern world, but also impacted western civilizations in a good way. Nice job!
DeleteHey Abu! I fully agree with you! Not only did printing press have benefits, it also had had a negative impact. The thought would honestly never had crossed my mind. Imagine a world without printing press! I couldn't. It has shaped the world. Your post has some very interesting points. Good job! -Kate
DeleteAbu! I had a feeling that you would have a blog but this caught me by surprise. When I was thinking of topics for my blog this idea never came to mind, but it is a very good topic to consider. I do agree with you, and your blog sort of goes along with my blog, because the printing press was first used for religious purposes. I found it very intriguing how you also listed the bad things that came with the printing press, but you were still able to make a good blog. I never really thought about the fact that the printing press brought so much information. It's like the internets great grandfather because at the time it brought so much valuable information. This invention is probably over looked by most people including me until I read this. Great Article!
DeleteHey Dolla! I totally agree with you that the invention of the printing press was one of the most important events in history. Without it, who knows when books would have started to be made. The advent of the printing press allowed people to make newspapers which helped get the word out about different subjects and couldn't have done beforehand. I agree, it kind of did have a negative affect on society. People could write whatever they pleased. This kind of writing helped Nazis promote discrimination against Jews back during the Holocaust. Well great job on this entry, and I'll see you on Monday.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the most important events in human history was the founding of the Americas by Christopher Colombus. This happened in the year of 1492, as most of us know. It was Christopher Colomubs, funded by the king and queen of Spain, who thought it was easier to reach the Indies going westward rather than around the tip of Africa. But what Colombus didn't know was that there was a huge land mass in between the Indies and Europe, The Americas. It was then, that life in the America's began to flourish.
ReplyDeleteBut it was the founding of the Americas that provided proof there was more land beyond Europe and Asia. Without Colombus, who knows when the Americas would have been discovered? It may have been centuries later. But this event wasn't all good. When Colombus and his fellow sailors came to the Americas they brought diseases and started terrible things that would not have been resolved for another 300 years or so, like slavery. To sum it all up, the founding of the Americas was one the most important events in history because it started new beginnings in the Western Hemisphere.
It's a good thing Columbus made that mistake all those many years ago! Who knows how our lives would be if he hadn't? However, I agree when you stated "But this event wasn't all good." Diseases and slavery was an unfair punishment for the Natives that lived there before the settlers moved in. Still, if this hadn't happened, we would probably be living in England or Germany. -Tom Hindle
DeleteI believe one of the most important events in history was the establishment of the Roman Empire because they contributed so much to the world. They were the ones that created democracy, which is the government the USA has today. Without the invention of democracy our world would be very different. They also created the Latin language, which is important because many languages today are based off of it. Architecture, math, military theories, currency and banking would not be the same if the Romans had not existed. The Roman Empire has greatly changed mankind and without it we may not live in the same society we do today.
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DeleteHey Akshay, I have to say you picked an excellent topic for this post. I fully agree with what you're saying. Many people tend to forget that democracy was first introduced during the era of the Roman Empire. Not only democracy, but as you said many other important things such as mathematics, strategic military formations, and architecture. Their contributions to these fields were immense. The Roman Empire's existence greatly impacted not only our culture, but others as well. Once again great topic selection, this was a good, informative post.
DeleteGood points Akshay! I strongly agree with you that the establishment of the Roman Empire had a boulder effect on modern society. Like you said, with the emergence of the Roman empire introduced the world to democracy, architecture, and the advent of new technology. However, what major effect did this event have on the Eastern world as we know it?
DeleteAkshay, I agreed with your statement that the Roman Empire has contributed very much to the world. You included various examples in your post as well such as the Latin language, architecture, math, etc. Without all these contributions during this time period, the modern world would definitely be much less advanced and different. Although I agree with your post, I feel you should elaborate more on the Roman Empire. Many more things took place during this time as well. Other than that, great post!
DeleteAkshay! I agree with your entry, although, I have something to add. Yes, the Romans impacted today's society, but the Mayans did also. They invented the calender, which we still use on a daily basis. The Mayans knew how to predict solar eclipses. They had a lot of knowledge in astronomy and used that to their advantage with farming and harvesting. Great post! I agree with you, but just wanted to add that! -Kate
DeleteSorry ladies and gentlemen, but I have to put a stop to this "love fest" that is going on!! :-) I need to make another "point-of-clarification" - this time about the miss information on "democracy." Akshay, you stated that the Romans "...were the ones that created democracy, which is the government the USA has today." Unfortunately, that isn't true.
DeleteDemocracy in the first recorded historical form, originated in Athens (the famous Greek Polis). Forty times a year male citizens of Athens would meet to debate and vote on state issues and make their own laws. The assembly was allowed complete freedom of speech
and was entitled to a chance to become a public official (instead of a vote, selection for public office was done through a lottery system). Those public officials numbered approximately 700 men (there is some disagreement amongst historians about that exact amount) and together with a Council of 500, they formed the Athens Executive which ruled Athen's everyday life.
As a matter of fact, many historians argue that the roots of democracy can even be traced back to the Sumerian civilization, which allowed its citizens the right to vote for their king in the event of a war.
Therefore, my point is this... The Romans are not the creator of democracy, but they are given credit for forming the first Republic (elected officials that represented the masses). Keep in mind too that the United States isn't a pure democracy, it is more like the Romans (which I believe is where the confusion has come from). You say this each time you state the pledge to the flag every day - "I pledge my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands..."
I feel that one of the many events in history that caused great impact on mankind was the Industrial Revolution. It occurred in 1760 to some time between 1820 and 1840. It was when the transition from agricultural to industrialization nation took place. Let’s just say it caused many ripples in the time line of history.
ReplyDeleteThe Industrial Revolution was said to have a profound influence on society. It affected the world in positivity and negativity. It led to the massive rise of the corporation. It increased trade between nations. The wonders of modern science and the horrors of modern war are a result of the Industrial Revolution. Although there was a great leap in technology, there was an overall downfall in the cultural situation of the people. Growth of cities was one of the major concerns of the Industrial Revolution. Mass populace moved to the cities to look for work and resulted in loss of support. The finish of feudalism and the upsurge of capitalism, socialism, and communism were also in effect from the Industrial Revolution. Overall, the Industrial Revolution stood a “boulder in the pool of time and history.”
Shivani!!!!! You used my "Ripple Theory"!!!! :-))) Sweet!!!! I agree with you on this one. The IR had a MAJOR impact on the world, beginning in Europe and eventually spreading throughout the world. In the United States, it really doesn't take place until nearly 100 years later, but considering that we were just developing into a new nation, that is understandable. Great arguments as to why you felt it had such a "boulder" effect!!!
DeleteShivani, I really do agree with your opinion here. It's amazing that the Industrial Revolution has had such an impact on mankind. Ultimately, it has changed the world forever. Needless to say, the world would surely be so much more different without the Industrial Revolution. I also liked that you included the boulder effect into your argument.
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DeleteHey Shivani,
DeleteYou pointed out some very great points that I didn't think of before. I used to only think about, mainly, the positive effects of the Industrial Revolution and many other historical events, but you brought in the negative part which interested me. Not only did it increase growth in population in certain cities, but you can also bring into perspective that the many factories caused and still do cause boatloads of pollution that is a harm to every organism out there.
The invention of farming had the greatest impact on mankind. Farming is the basis of the development of the modern world today. It has reshaped the world entirely. Farming started off as a new and unknown process many years ago. As farming intensified, excess food and social intricacy aided in the development of the pyramids in Egypt and the stepped temples of Mexico. The discovery of spices was also made as an effect of the invention of farming. The demand for new spices grew, which led Christopher Columbus to travel west in search of various spices,which unfortunately he did not find. Vasco Da gama, however, travelled eastward after Columbus' expedition and found an abundance of spices. Spices today are stocked in supermarkets all throughout different parts of the world and are used everyday. Sugar also derived from the discovery of farming. Great machinery was produced in order to manufacture great amounts of sugar. The machinery created in order to develop sugar was the most industrialized equipment of the time. This technology was later used to predict how the machinery in textiles and factories would look and function. This all started with agriculture and the development of farming. As farming became more and more widespread, it caused the world to change entirely. New discoveries were made, trading increased, and the population of the world expanded. Without farming, this ginormous ripple in history would not have occurred and the modern world we live in today would be extremely different.
ReplyDeleteHey Kushali! I strongly agree with you on this topic. The invention of farming has definitely had such a huge impact on mankind, considering the process was made thousands of years ago and is still used today. Also, the facts that you used to support your opinion were spot on. I liked that you incorporated Columbus' expedition to the New World into this.
DeleteI agree with you on all your points. The invention of farming was definitely one of the most important events in history because it caused the development of social stratification and the emergence of major civilizations. The invention of farming ultimately led to industrialization and the Green Revolution (two major revolutions that shaped humanity as we know it). I agree with your point on sugar causing the start of industrialization too. In entirety, your points on farming were spot on and its invention definitely had a lasting mark on history.
DeleteHi Kushali, I really like your blog, it is very interesting and informational. It reminds me of the book we had to read for our summer assignment " An Edible History Of Humanity". I agree with you 100 percent, agriculture shaped the world we know today. Without it, not only would we have no food, but culture. I like how you incorporated the spices that brought culture from around the world like sugar. Every time I look down at my plate and I just think where my food came from and how it got on my plate. It is very interesting how food can have so much history. Anyways great article Kushali!
DeleteHi Kush! The invention of farming is extremely important to today's daily life. Without farming, we'd have no food and we wouldn't be here today. Even though, WE don't farm everyday and there are no farmlands around us, the farms still exist in other places. After reading 'An Edible History of Humanity" by Tom Standage, my view on farming has definately changed. Great entry Kushali! -Kate
DeleteHi Kushali, I must say I agree with some of your points in your argument. Farming and agriculture did have a colossal effect on mankind due to the fact, that it is because of it that the human race has been able to thrive and sustain an ever growing population. Your points are valid but I don't agree that it was the most significant impact on mankind because early humans were hunter-gathers, not farmers, so I wouldn't go as far as saying it was the biggest impact but it certainly did impact humanity in a big way. Congrats on a job well done though.
DeleteHi Kushali. I really enjoyed reading your entry and seeing how well you were able to defend your point. Its great to see how you were able to take something we just recently learned and show its importance in our life. I agree with the point you made about how farming has reshaped the entire world. But, I wouldn't say farming was the most important impact the world has seen. But anyways, I have to hand it to you, you did a good job defending your opinion.
DeleteDavid, thank you very much. You are certainly correct when you say that early humans were hunter-gatherers. Even though the first humans were hunter-gatherers, don't forget that according to our summer reading book, "An Edible History of Humanity," that farming became widespread and overcame hunting and gathering. Therefore, I believe that farming has made the biggest impact on the world since it is still used today.
DeleteThe dropping of the atomic bombs used to end World War II on August 6th, 1945, have arguably had the greatest impact on mankind, considering the incredible power these weapons have. The aftermath of an atomic bomb was something that was extremely serious at the time of the Second World War, and it also solidified the United States' place as a superpower. However, with the great advance in technology that has been taking place over the years, it is easier than ever to fire nuclear weapons. Now, it has affected the world in such a way that has brought fear upon us, and has changed the way that people view weapons and warfare. The devastating power of a nuclear warhead proves that mankind could potentially destroy the planet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you opinion on nuclear power. If other countries began to develop nuclear power, they could potentially use it against us. This makes the world a more dangerous place, with constant threats. -Tom Hindle
DeleteHello Paige. I have to be honest and say I strongly agree with your opinion. The atomic bomb being dropped made us see the negative side of war weapons. I am really happy you brought this up because people do need to realize how important this impact was. Well done Paige.
DeleteHi Paige! I strongly agree about your post. Atomic bombs are definitely a weapon of mass destruction and could destroy our planet. Nuclear power make a country a threat to others. Since a lot of countries have access to the technology future wars could be very disastrous. I really like this post because it shows how weapon technology has evolved and can negatively effect the world.
Delete-Thomas Hindle I feel the most important event in history was the creation of the Atomic Bomb. Before the atomic bomb was created, the only weapons that were available were things such as swords, guns, and poison gas. These were enough to cause a Depression, a World War, and many casualties. But, what could be more terrifying than all this catastrophe? How about something that can wipe out a whole country in less than a minute, and leave devastating post-war effects? Even if you are lucky enough to survive the atomic bomb, you will suffer from ionizing radiation exposure.
ReplyDeleteOn the morning of December 7, 1941, there was a surprise military attack carried out by the Japanese at Pearl harbor, Hawaii. I feel, if the Japanese had never attacked us, and tensions in Germany were low, we most likely would never have created the Atomic Bomb. However, the Emperor of Japan did not back down and decided to keep sending out military forces. America was forced to retaliate using NEW technology that had not been tested yet. The United States, United Kingdom, and China tried to negotiate, but Japan was not persuaded. America threatened to bring an end to the Empire with "prompt and utter destruction". This is exactly what they did on August 6, 1945. The first nuclear warfare weapon was unleashed on Hiroshima Japan. The 2nd being just 3 days later in Nagasaki. Within just 2 months of the nuclear attack, the effects killed approximately 166,000 people in Hiroshima, and 80,000 in Nagasaki. During the following months,many people died from the effects of severe burns, and/or radiation sickness. Sadako Sasaki is an example of post-war trauma.
Sadako Sasaki was just 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. However, the post-war effects did not begin to show until she reached the age of 12. She began to get dizzy-spells, and purple rashes. She was diagnosed with leukemia. At that time, many other children also suffered from leukemia do to the effects of war.
This was the first, and only time in history, that nuclear weapons were used on an opposing force. The post-war effects of the atomic bomb left Japan in shambles. Slowly, we helped them rebuild their society.
If America was ever attacked with nuclear warfare like Japan, it would be a long and difficult road to rebuild. There would be many casualties like in 1945, and billions of dollars lost. Ultimately, I feel the atomic bomb has changed the way our society feels, and acts towards war. In ways it keeps us safer, but in other ways it also makes it a dangerous world to live in.
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DeleteWhen there is an action, there comes the effect. However, some of the actions' starting point is good, but the effects are precisely the opposite result. Same like Nobel, he invented gelignite and dynamite, but he never wondered it will be use in the slaughters. I was very agree with the idea that the creation of atomic bomb is one of the most important event in history. Also, I think that America decide to throw atomic bomb to Japan seems heart-wrenching but they really have no choices. If America did not fight back, the war wouldn't ended that quick. In general, you did a really nice job~
DeleteThe event in history that had the greatest impact on history was the invention of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was invented by two refugee scientists which designed the idea of making the atomic bomb. The invention of the atomic bomb has effected the world negatively. The bad side of this invention would be the fact that it led to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.The magnitude of this destruction cannot be put in words.It caused hundreds of thousands of people to perish, but also caused damage to the flora and fauna of Japan. The invention of the atomic bomb clearly shaped the world in extreme ways.It led to the development of hydrogen and nuclear bomb (arguably the most destructive weapons ever made). As one can see, atomic bombs are too destructive to the environment and atmosphere. However, the invention of the atomic bomb also had a positive effect on the world. The atomic bomb can ensure peace between major world powers in some cases. This is because the use of atomic bombs causes fear. The major world powers wouldn't like to start a war because of the use of atomic bombs, and in some cases, the nuclear bomb. Therefore the invention of the atomic bomb is arguably the event in history that had the greatest impact.
ReplyDeleteHey Nader I agree with you partially. I agree that the invention and use of the atomic bomb did have a pretty big effect on mankind; however it did not absolutely change history or affect everyone. This topic was about mankind and I believe your event only effect an area (Japan) directly and other countries indirectly but it did not affect all the countries or the civilizations of the past. It only affects the people in the countries that were involved at that time and perhaps to some extent the future. But it was not the event that most impacted mankind. However I respect your perspective and believe you presented your case very well.
DeleteOk, I'm not going to agree or disagree with Nader's point about the development of an atomic bomb having the greatest impact on mankind - for you have the right to your opinion, but I am going to disagree with you, David.
DeleteNader wrote: " ...the invention of the atomic bomb also had a positive effect on the world. The atomic bomb can ensure peace between major world powers in some cases. This is because the use of atomic bombs causes fear." I'm not sure if that was actually a "positive" effect, but the point is that David, you responded that the development of the atomic bomb really, "... did not absolutely change history or affect everyone." This is where you're wrong.
When the two bombs were dropped on Japan, war of itself became redefined. No longer were wars going to be able to be fought for "total victory." Have you ever heard the story of Pandora's Box? (if not, let me know and I'll explain it to you) Once that power had been released on the world, it could not be stopped and immediately after that event the world was plunged into a "Cold War" - a war on countries rushing to obtain that very power and constantly developing bigger and better nuclear bombs. Even though with the fall of Communist Russia, people proclaim that the Cold War has come to an end, all you have to do is listen to the news today to realize that it hasn't truly gone away. We are currently faced with the dilemma of wondering what we should do about North Korean developing Nuclear power (which can easily be converted for the use of Nuclear missiles) and the same goes for Iran...
Therefore, it really has effected us ALL and unless some great and wonderful miracle takes place which erases all nuclear weapons from the earth.... I'm afraid the "effect" will remain with us....
I believe that the birth of Jesus Christ had the biggest impact on mankind. Although some people are not Christian the birth, life, and death of Jesus marked a big time in history. To begin, when you look at the date what does it represent? It marked the birth of Christ that is why dates are separated from BC and AD. BC means Before Christ and AD means "anno Domini," which in latin means "in the year of our lord." Without even knowing, christianity and Christ is all around us, including the famous holidays like Christmas and Easter. Another reason why this event is significant is because of the popularity of the religion. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, it set off an atomic religious bomb. Many great empires such as the Romans spread the religion through missionaries and many other religions branched off from Christianity creating the other famous religions today. The final thing I want to point out is that a back during the Reform, religion acted as the government and people consulted religion for everything. Although in the words of Lord Gehm "Priests manipulated people for their own personal benefit" Christianity in general was a big part of society. This is what I consider to be the most crucial and important moment in history.
ReplyDeleteElijah, I agree with you. Your argument is most valid and the points you have made are very convincing. The birth of Christ was a very influential event that has impacted mankind in many different ways. It has influenced civilizations in the past present and probably future. I found your article to be impressive and complete congrats on a job well done.
DeleteThank you David means a lot.
DeleteThe event that has had the biggest impact in history was the creation of the universe and the solar system. Although, my colleagues make excellent points about events throughout human history that have had a big impact on mankind and history, not a single one can compare to the creation of the universe. Without this one event all these things mentioned above are meaningless due to the fact that they would not exist. The creation of the universe started about 14 billion years ago. The most common theory that explains how the universe began was the Big Bang Theory, which states that a massive explosion that was caused by anti-matter and matter coming in contact with one and another. This triggered the Big Bang which caused the creation of the elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and many more. This intense heat and energy caused planetary bodies to form with the help of hyper-gravity. The formations of planets and stars happened very slowly, but intensely releasing tremendous amounts of energy. Solar systems formed first, then galaxies, and then the Universe we know today. Earth was formed 4 billion years ago and it took organisms over 1 billion years to start inhabiting Earth (single cell Prokaryotes). From which, multi-cellular life formed, and little by little have evolved to the modern day humans and other life we know today. So in conclusion, without this event the earth and the universe would not exist and neither would the events that occurred as a result of humans inhabiting the earth. Putting this event on the top of the list.
ReplyDeleteThere is one major flaw with your argument David (sorry, I'm not picking on your written points here, just pointing things out from a different perspective).
DeleteThe topic was what event did you feel had the greatest impact on humankind. Humankind was not around at the time of the creation of the universe (if you subscribe to the THEORY of Evolution).
Hey David, I really like how you came from a scientific point of view. You gave many interesting theories/thoughts that I truly did not know before. However, this would be the greatest impact throughout the history of our universe and organisms' behavior in my opinion, but it is not an event that compares to something as the occurrence of World War I and how many people were killed. It was a great thought!
DeleteThe biggest impact the world has witnessed was The Cold War. This war was supposed to dominate international affairs, but instead major crises aroused. During just this one war, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the construction of the Berlin Wall were just some of the issues many countries worried about. Yet for the whole world weapons of mass destruction was the most worrying issue. The whole reason for the war was to stop the spread of communism and America was a world "super power" leading the war. This war was started for the better, but no war is ever good. The Cold War had people worrying every day whether they'd finally be free, get bombed by other countries, or get killed in a war they were forced into. his war made people nervous wrecks and left the world worried about what the next day had to bring, and if they would be safe or not. Like all wars you could only expect the worst. Though at the end of this war most of communism died off people were still traumatized. Everyone was thankful the war ended, but wouldn't be surprised if anything like this ever happened again.
ReplyDeleteHava, great post! I really found your post to be quite interesting because you did not only talk about beneficial impacts that affected the world. You pointed out some negativity that still made a great ripple in history. I definitely agree on what you said about expecting the worst when it comes to wars. I really enjoyed reading your post.
DeleteThe Mayans, in my opinion, had a major impact on mankind. The Mayans, located in mainly Mexico, along the Yucatan, invented many things that we still use today. For instance, they created the calender, that is still in use today. They made many predictions on astronomical issues. They used their knowledge to help them to succeed in harvesting and farming. The Mayans also created Hieroglyphics, which is their writing symbols. Although, we don't use that today, Mayans still have impacted us today.
ReplyDelete-Kate
Hey Kate! Great job on the post. I liked how you mentioned that we still use the calanders created by the Mayans. That makes a great impact on our lives. I just wanted to say that your post would've been even better if you elaborated on the astronomical predictions they made because I would love to know about that. Also, even though we don't use hieroglyphics today, their creation tells us a lot about the Mayans. Once again, nice job! :)
DeleteHey Kaitlyn,
DeleteI do agree that the Mayans have impacted us today, but I just want to point something out. The Mayans made predictions on astronomical issues that actually did harm us. For example, since the Mayans predicted "2012", it caused many people to panic and worry and prepare for an event that didn't happen. Although it helped many actors and producers as they made lots of money off of the film "2012", it scared the world and made false predictions which leads to much confusion dealing with science and history. Also, the Mayans did not technically predict the world was going to end in 2012, it is believed that their calendar just stopped, they didn't continue to make the calendar and they had no materials left to make it. But, whether their prediction was right or not, they still made a great impact on mankind, good job.
Well, I think it is worth to think about how Mayans affect our world. However, while talking about Mayans, it is really hard to ignore how their doomsday prediction impact to us last year. Beside the Mayan calendar which truly scared a lot of people last year, the Maya civilization is also very interesting. The ancient Mayan people had remarkable insight into mathamatics and astronomy, and other sciences such as medicine. It's likely that the Mayan civilization influences many peoples of Central Mexico, and eventually the world.
DeleteI pledge on my honor that I haven't given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.
ReplyDeleteThe most influential event throughout history is clear to me. The event in history that had the greatest impact on mankind is the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Even if you do not follow Christianity, this clearly had a huge impact on our world today and throughout the years. So as we all know, we are in the year of 2013 today. However, we rarely ever come to think what our years are based around, and that is Jesus Christ. For example, BC, "Before Christ", and AD being based around the birth of Jesus Christ, with the years starting when Jesus first came about, or when he was born. Just by knowing this, you know that Jesus Christ had an exponentially big impact on mankind. People did not know of the intelligence and importance of Jesus until after he died a horrible death. His thoughts and guidance spread, and it spread quickly. It spread beyond his homeland of Israel, and additionally spread to the leading force of that time, Rome. After the time of which Roman rulers would torture Christians, Christianity was finally accepted by the Romans and spread in even greater proportions. There are more than 2 billion believers in Christianity in today's world and for many people it is the basis of their life and they feel comfortable and safe in the hands of Jesus (which is a belief, not trying to start any debates). It is hard to imagine the world without churches, the Pope, Christmas time, and many other things we get from Christianity. Christianity has the most believer in the world and it has many sects and branches including Protestants, Lutherans, Catholics, and so on. I'm not going to go into detail about the religion because not everyone believes in Christianity, but as you can see, Jesus had a humongous impact on mankind and you could go on forever about his impact.