The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, article on "The United States"

[Bucky]

from The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, article on The United States

The aboriginal occupants of the greater part of North America were comparatively few in number, and except in Mexico were not advanced beyond the savage state. The geological processes that placed a much narrower ocean between North America and western Europe than between North America and eastern Asia secured to the New World the good fortune of being colonized by the leading peoples of the occidental Old World, instead of by the less developed races of the Orient. The transoceanic invasion progressed slowly through the 17th and 18th centuries, delayed by the head winds of a rough ocean which was crossed only in slow sailing vessels, and by the rough "backwoods" of the Appalachians, which retarded the penetration of wagon roads and canals into the interior.

[mainegreen]

1. I bet the article on spaceships is even funnier.

[Bucky]

3. The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition article on SPACE AND TIME

Quirkier and quirkier

The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition article on SPACE AND TIME

The metaphysical problems connected with Space and Time are so similar and have been so closely conjoined in the history of thought that they may well be treated together. They are clearly distinguishable from the psychological, which relate to the modes whereby our spatial and temporal conceptions have been formed and to the analysis of the materials of which they are composed (see "psychology"). In an exhaustive treatment of Space and Time by far the largest share of the work rests with the psychologist. The business of the metaphysician is to determine what reality outside our minds corresponds to our temporal and spatial conceptions. The first tendency of thought is to treat Space and Time as having objective existence in the same way as the ordinary things that compose our world, and this we may call the objective method.

Simple as it appears to be, it discloses formidable difficulties, which may be illustrated by a consideration of Newton's famous account of "absolute, true and mathematical time" as something which "in itself and from its own nature flows equally" and with no liability to change. Now, if mathematical time as thus described is merely an abstraction used to facilitate mathematical calculations, no objection can be taken to it. But if Newton meant to assert that Time is a flowing stream no less actual than the Thames, his assertion is open to fatal objections. All admittedly real streams, such as the Thames, have a definite beginning and an ending. But where is the source of Time and where is its outlet? Every real stream has boundaries at its sides.

[mainegreen]

4. Wow, it sure seems ... naive, with our post-Einstein views.

Those wily psychologists, master of space and time!

:rofl:

[DS1]

2. "retarded the penetration" isn't funny

Appalachians, which exposed the backwoods filth to such inventions as The Wheel and fire and the usage of wagon roads and canals.


that's funny