Do you believe that ancient humans once had advanced technology?

by Elsewhere 38 Replies latest jw friends

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  darkuncle29

  This is something that has been tossed around for some time, but something occurred to me: If ancient humans did have advanced technology, such as space travel, we would know about it.

  I don't think so-that we would know; the people who used to preach that the world is flat, are the scientific ancestors of the people today who tell us what is now.

  To assume that our current technology is the pinnacle of human achievement, is arrogant and also human.

  I do believe that humans may have had comparable or better technology. I do wonder--not really--why modern scientists scoff at this idea, and don't even openly entertain the possibility.
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  Simon

  I think people expect too much from technology. After $ billions spent on the space programme we got ... velcro.

  Whoopy do, now you can''t open your coat pocket in the theatre without making a racket !!

  Personally, I think the best chance for the haman race is a return to steam power and the horse and cart era.
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  Quotes

  3rdEye said: "I read a good book called "Chariots of the Gods".
  
  I am familiar with that work, and based on the detailed reviews I have read, it is about as authoritative as is the WTBTS's "Creation" book....in other words, it looks like an impressive, well researched, well referenced work, untill you start to look closely, by anyone with even a small about of knowledge or time to do basic research, at which point the entire house of cards collapses.... in other words, it is BS.
  
  As for ancient humans and advanced technology: NOPE, nada, niet, nein. Sure, they were clever, there were probably geneious minds then just a now; but there is no evidence of the massive infrastructre needed for advanced technology".
  
  Put it another way: Imagine, if you will, a very smart engineer travels back in time 5000 years (or is stranded on a desert island). Great, he can rule the world, right? Problem is: were does he start? Even the most basic machines require metal if you want any kind of precision.... preferabley steel. So... you've got to start mining (without electrical power), you've got to build blast furnaces, etc. Basically, you can't do much, because everything you want to do or make relys on something else that doesn't exist. Even if our engineer took with him a pocket-knife, he would be able to very little other than basic survival -- and besides, such a knife is a remarkabley advanced device and an unfair advantage over what would have been available 5000 years ago.
  
  ~Quotes, of the "Does Toilet Paper Count As Advanced Technology???" class
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  Country_Woman

  there are stories re ancient civilizations that speaks to the fantasy (Atlantis for instance)

  and there are artefacts on earth that we can't explain yet, so it is not a question of "belief" I simply don't know.
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  logical

  I think that humans have had technology like we have now before, and not necessarily on this planet either. It also would have been much more advanced. To say because there is no evidence of advanced ancient technology is proof it did not exist is closed minded. There could be valid reasons, such as it being covered up, or simply destroyed in a disaster such as global warfare (nukes?). I reckon they will / have found some interesting stuff in the asteroid belt. That used to be a planet. Who's to say it wasnt populated, and destroyed either naturally or in warfare? There is plenty of stuff in the bible that suggests that people knew more than we are told they did at the time it was written. How else could anyone have known what the earth looks like from space, if the technology did not exist to view it? While I dont believe the bible to be the divinely inspired book religious crackpots claim it to be, I do think there are elements of truth mingled in amongst the propaganda. You have to keep in mind that in this world, we are only told what "they" want us to know, and given what they want us to have. There are undoubtedly many many truths being witheld, that if let out, would fuck up everyone's beliefs and expose things like religion to be the fraud it is.
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  Kenneson

  Quotes,

  There is another book debunking Chariots of the Gods called Crash go the Chariots.

  I think that the builders of the pyramids were advanced. Fact that these structures still exist is no proof that aliens taught them how to build them. The builders were more advanced than we might wish to give them credit.
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  frankiespeakin

  Let's not rule out intelligence that advances beyond our's that may have done so without the exploitation of earth's resources.

  I know evolution is a very expliotive process,,and some spiecies are recklessly exploitive as the human species but what if a species evolved beyound man's inteligence,,say,,, 100s of millions of years ago but did not have the thoughtless exploitive nature of man? If this happened here on earth I don't see how we would know unless left us some clues on purpose??
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  frankiespeakin

  I guess that raises another question: Does a species have to be as exploitive as man,, to evolve equal or greater intellignece?
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  czarofmischief

  Personally, I think the best chance for the haman race is a return to steam power and the horse and cart era.

  LOL! I'm just imagining Simon's steam-powered JWD server.

  Let's not rule out intelligence that advances beyond our's that may have done so without the exploitation of earth's resources.

  And how would that work, precisely? You can't build a fire without cutting down a tree (dead wood runs out pretty quickly and even that is a "resource") You can't evolve without death. You can't "advance" your intelligence without trial and error. I think I will rule out that any intelligence could possibly advance without the utilization of any resources from any planet. Unless you'd like to refine your statement?

  left us some clues on purpose

  How would they know we were coming? Evolution is random, remember? Unless you are willing to go out on a limb and state that intelligent, self-aware beings are the inevitable result of evolution - which brings the whole God thing into it again.

  CZAR
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  seattleniceguy

  I would certainly think we would have some kind of concrete evidence if there were any ancient cultures that were very advanced. To become very technologically advanced requires a large infrastructure of learning institutions, written records detailing the technologies, strong communication mechanisms, etc. All of these things would leave a footprint.

  For example, if humans were to go extinct right now, future anthropologists would have no trouble determining the extent of our technological advancement. Every household contains evidence of advanced communications technologies, transport technologies, household chore aids, medicines, written records and reference materials, construction techniques, and more. Just finding one house would yield incredible amounts of information about our technological state. Now imagine unearthing a city library!

  As far as I know, the only "evidence" we have that ancient civilizations may have been advanced are stories which are maybe-kinda-sorta corroborated by other stories. That doesn't really cut it for me. Technology leaves traces.

  SNG