ANALYSIS: An Ascii-Art History of Humanity
Jorn Barger
An Ascii-Art History of Humanity
by Jorn Barger
jo...@mcs.com 19 Sept 1996
This is meant to be read slowly, each screen an object of contemplation.
My intent was to simplify without losing perspective, while maintaining
depth. (The last few screens still need to have the text integrated.)
Lots of the ideas should be new and challenging. For more detail, see:
<URL: http://www.mcs.net/~jorn/>
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)
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. . .
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
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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.
A closer view:
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( ) o
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Earth Moon
1 char = 5000 km
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 . . /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| / . _-~'\_ _~| Islam Buddhist) /
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ Hindu / ~
., '\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
Maya~-_' ; \ '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_.
|Inca ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
\, / \ / /| ,-, , -,
| ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| ~
~'
Evolving weaponry unleashed an unending series of violent conquests, one
megalomaniacal religion against another, as the first attempts were made to
formulate ethics in words. Though Islam and Catholicism both revere a
Jewish revolutionary, executed 2000 years ago for claiming that *everyone*
is equally beloved of god, and that *only the homeless are blameless*...
still everyone interprets these doctrines differently. Not even the best-
intentioned leaders can rule wisely for long.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| B 'F,\~|\ _\~ ,_ . . /|
'\ F /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| F B/ . _-~'\_ _~| \ ) /
\ S __-\S P./ ~ |\ B\_ B / D~
., '\ |, ~-_ . |F \\_'P~|D /~\ \~ ,
~-_' S ;BFD \B '-, \,' /\/P |S
'\_,~'\_ \_ B, /' ' |, /|'
17th Century / D\_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_.
spheres of |S ~\ |P P| , '-_,D,; ~ ~\
influence \, P/ \ / /| ,-, , -,
P = Portuguese | ,/ B | |' |/FD ,- ~ \ '.
B = British ,| ,/ \D,/ \D | B
S = Spanish / S | ~ -~~-, / _
D = Dutch | ,-' ~ /
F = French / ,' ~
',| ~
~'
500 years ago the European Christians won a tremendous advantage when
technological advances allowed their navies to colonize the world.
Their worldview was intensely moralistic, hypocritical, and hierarchical.
The printing press simultaneously carried the record of humanity's limited
self-insight to a mass audience, with Greece and Rome (via Islam)
providing the foundation. Catholicism fragmented. The world saw Da Vinci's
inventiveness, Shakespeare's vivid portraits, Defoe's novels, Newton's
mathematics of nature. Individual ownership of land via inheritance.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~ ,_ . . /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| / . _-~'\_ _~| \ ) /
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ / ~
., '\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
~-_' ; \ '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_.
| ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
\, / \ / /| ,-, , -,
| ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| ~
~'
American colonists revived the democratic model based on native American
societies. Colonies rebelled worldwide, aristocracies overthrown. William
Blake, Karl Marx. The process of scientific discovery is defined.
The US Civil War raises industrialization to a new level. Darwin
undermines religious models, Mendeleev inventories the chemical elements.
Tolstoy and Flaubert achieve new levels of psychological subtlety in
language.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~ ,_ . . /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| / . _-~'\_ _~| \ ) /
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ / ~
., '\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
~-_' ; \ '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_.
| ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
\, / \ / /| ,-, , -,
| ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| ~
~'
Joyce conquers literature with Ulysses, then throws it into disarray
with Finnegans Wake. Hollywood takes over popular mythmaking.
Industry devastates nature. Communism-vs-Capitalism proves an uneven
battle. Ruthless greed prevails. In electronic communication, the
broadcast spectra are dominated by the corporate agenda. The
brain/computer metaphor is proposed while behavioral science founders.
The genetic code is broken. Academia substitutes status-wars for
scholarship.
,_ . ._. _. . _ , .
, _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~-
/~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| / / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_
/ ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~
~/-'~\_, '-,| '|. ' ,\ /'~ / /_ /~
.-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~ ,_ . . /|
'\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ |
| / . _-~'\_ _~| \ ) /
\ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ / ~
., '\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\ \~ ,
~-_' ; \ '-, \,' /\/ |
'\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|'
/ \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_.
| ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\
\, / \ / /| ,-, , -,
| ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '.
,| ,/ \ ,/ \ |
/ | ~ -~~-, / _
| ,-' ~ /
/ ,' ~
',| ~
~'
The birth-control pill creates a sexual revolution, challenging taboo
after taboo. The electric guitar and rock and roll re-awaken the urge
to freedom. Elvis Costello adds anger to the rock mix. Sociobiology
integrates Darwin with a new approach to ethics. The Internet
challenges the broadcast monopoly. The Cyc project tries to create an
electronic mind.
j
-==---
... i loved you, so i drew these tides of men into my hands... _+m"m+_"+_
lynx http://www.mcs.net/~jorn/ ! Jp Jp qh qh
best-of news:alt.music.category-freak ! O O O O
ftp://ftp.mcs.com/mcsnet.users/jorn/ Yb Yb dY dY
...and wrote my will across the sky in stars. --R.Graves "Y_ "Y5m2Y" "
tamu.edu
A Concrete Poetry History of Sex
by SubGenius
su...@atheist.tamu.edu 21 Sept 1996
This is meant to be read slowly, each screen an object of contemplation.
My intent was to simplify without losing perspective, while maintaining
depth. (The last few screens still need to have the text integrated.)
Lots of the ideas should be new and challenging.
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK cunt COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK COCK
-Mature Humourist St SubG
Andrew Dinn
Subby forgot the important corollary screen without which the story is
incomplete
B B
B B
B B
BU BU
BU BU
BU BU
BUL BULL BUL
B BULL BULL B
B B
B U U L
B U U L
B B
B B
B B
B B
B U U B
B B
BULLBULL
Andrew Dinn
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And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say: I flow.
To the rushing water speak: I am.