Atheist knowledge

[bexrbetter]

I can't agree that the warriors are "are boring on their own". We were very privileged to be invited down into the Pit.

Well I might have been more impressed had I gone down into the pits as well, but this pleb saw standing from up high behind the rails;

 

a/ Nissen hut 1 - An empty nissen hut that contained a pit, literally a hole in the ground (I think I used to live there as a child actually)

 

b/ Nissen hut 2 - Another pit with a couple of Warriors.

 

c/ Nissen hut 3 - Full of Warriors but can't get very close to them, this is what you see, you can see tourist on the walkway around it ...

 

 

In fact what i found the most impressive was the nissen huts themselves, the 3 of them are extraordinarily massive as you can see in the picture!

 

The picture also gives an insight into how large the buried city is, these are just the guards outside one gate!

 

Also impressive in Xi'An is the wall, 14 kms of it that isn't often mentioned. Great to walk on, they even hire bicycles.

 

 

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Enjoyed Xian as a favourite city. The wall was impressive and I loved this sign outside the wall:

 

[ATTACH]48000._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

[dutchroll]

The Ark of the Covenant is another enigma, which as we know Moses took, or was given for his trip out of Egypt. The Egyptians in his time didn't seem to know what it was, or if they did, were not telling, but it burnt half his face off.

Wood chests in the day would've been common. Wood chests adorned with a bit of gold probably existed in every ruling household/palace or residence of the upper classes throughout the whole Middle East and surrounding regions. If the Egyptians in Moses' time didn't know anything about it, and of all the historical writings etc the only references to it are found in the Bible, then could it be possible that, like a number of other biblical stories, the biblical story of the Ark of the Covenant isn't completely accurate or never really happened?

 

Silly me....what on earth am I saying? I'll go and wash my mouth out straight away!

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I loved this sign outside the wall:

Well there's no guns so 1 out of 12 isn't bad ... by Chinese standards.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Wood chests in the day would've been common. Wood chests adorned with a bit of gold probably existed in every ruling household/palace or residence of the upper classes throughout the whole Middle East and surrounding regions. If the Egyptians in Moses' time didn't know anything about it, and of all the historical writings etc the only references to it are found in the Bible, then could it be possible that, like a number of other biblical stories, the biblical story of the Ark of the Covenant isn't completely accurate or never really happened?Silly me....what on earth am I saying? I'll go and wash my mouth out straight away!

Fred Rogers, Dean of Dept Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology: http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1933/03/05/page/12/article/death-miracle-of-ark-explained-as-electricity

 

 

[Bruce]

Modern steel construction is much more accurate than 1%. Gosh you couldn't get the bolts in if there was more than a 3mm error on the whole frame. On a 100 m building, 3mm is 3 in 100,000 or 0.003%. Yes, steel building frames had matched hole technology many years ago.

 

But isn't the matched hole technology of modern kits something impressive? Way better than the pyramids, don't you think?.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Modern steel construction is much more accurate than 1%. Gosh you couldn't get the bolts in if there was more than a 3mm error on the whole frame. On a 100 m building, 3mm is 3 in 100,000 or 0.003%. Yes, steel building frames had matched hole technology many years ago.But isn't the matched hole technology of modern kits something impressive? Way better than the pyramids, don't you think?.

Well we were talking about stone; so stone blocks vs cast concrete wall panels would be a good comparison

 

 

[Bruce]

I like the signs Don, but what do the top right and bottom center mean?

 

Don't cross your legs when sitting and don't put spears through the foundations of buildings I guess

 

 

[turboplanner]

Some more ancient technology and communication:

 

[ATTACH]48001._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

This mural at Dendera in Egypt appears to have an electrical insulator theme and shows winged figures similar to those depicted on the Ark of the Covenant.

 

Based on the age of this mural, these people area unlikely to have been depicted as "angels"

 

[ATTACH]48002._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

This is one of the Dendera "lamps", resting on an "insulator" and with a "cable" coming from the end

 

[ATTACH]48003._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

The egyptians had the skill to craft these eyes with multi-layered lenses.

 

[ATTACH]48004._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

The Osireion, with walls twenty feet thick, which we saw previously is believed to be the oldest stone building in Egypt.

 

It was not orientated to a direct cardinal point, but to the east of due north, just like the Way of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico shown here

 

[turboplanner]

[ATTACH]48005._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

"It was 12 cycles, 18 katuns, 0 uinals and 16 kins since the beginning of the Great Cycle. The day was 12 Cib 14 Uo, and was ruled by the seventh Lord of the Night. The moon was nine days old.

 

Precisely 5,101 of our years and 235 days had passed since the beginning of this universe, and only 23 years and 22 days yet remained until the final cataclysm that would destroy it. So the ancient Maya scribes and astronomers would have calculated, for the day was 14 May 1989." ("Breaking the Maya Code", Michael D. Coe)

 

This 5000 + year calendar was remarkably accurate. Most researchers claim the age of Pisces ended, and the start of the age of Aquarius occurred in the 20th Century, and this confirms that the Mayans joined a number of other civilisations in understanding precession.

 

Most of the discussion on this thread has been restricted to the paradigm boundary of 2000 years ago, and when we were discussing the dead seas scrolls, and corroboration with other ancient texts, one person even suggested that in that time events were carried mouth to mouth and story tellers would get a feed for making up wondrous stories.

 

What we've done is go back thousands of years before this; and we can see that civilisations had accurate methods of communicating in writing, whether on copper, papyrus or clay, or depicted in paintings and highly developed skills as well as complex languages.

 

The Great Pyramid was the tallest building in the world for 3,800 years, which puts the Jesus Christ period 2,000 years ago in perspective

 

[bexrbetter]

I like the signs Don, but what do the top right and bottom center mean?

No St Vinnies brass bands

 

No Kiwi's celebrating rugby wins,

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I like the signs Don, but what do the top right ?

Oops, I didn't scroll up far enough, I only saw the "no horns" symbol.

 

The actual top right symbol is "Don't post in forums without a firm opinion".

 

 

[eightyknots]

Excellent in theory - unfortunately, it doesn't take into account, the ability of politicians to waste taxpayers money wholesale, even when it's not spent on defence items.Japan has spent virtually nothing on defence items since WW2 (apart from a small amount of "self-defence" items) - yet it's the most indebted nation in the world, with a Gross Govt Debt to GDP ratio, of 229%.

 

Japans gross debt makes America's 104% ratio and Australia's 36% ratio, look quite benign by comparison. The Japanese actually owe more than Greece.

 

Country List Government Debt to GDP

There is one essential difference: Japan's government has borrowed almost exclusively from the Japanese people. Greece, the United States and Australia have borrowed much from Big Banks, Chinese and Arab interests who are keen to get their hands on government bonds. Having debts to external entities is far more dangerous and it is likely that Japan will happily carry on with its enormous 230% of GDP debt while Australia's debt will become worrying when it rises from the current (estimated) 37.5% of GDP closer to 50% of GDP.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hey, this is a bit rich, coming from a bloke operating in a country that still worships Chairman Mao as some kind of God!I'm old enough to clearly remember the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution - and the near-destruction of China, in the name and pursuit of socialist idealogy!

BUT....

 

.... do you remember the little red book?

 

[ATTACH]48006._xfImport[/ATTACH]

 

[eightyknots]

Swell patterns, phosphorescence colour changes, specific bird sightings, cloud formations, star patterns and movements, aiming off techniques but these were not general stories but rather as Bex suggests highly specific "trade" knowledge taught to a select few. We The Navigators is a great read as are all of David Lewis's books. He studied navigation techniques across many indigenous cultures around the world and there are quite a few lessons in there for all of us.

....applicable to aeronautical navigation?

 

 

[turboplanner]

....applicable to aeronautical navigation?

At $9.97 from Amazon it's a painless experience.

 

It gave me a better grasp of navigation; made it less theoretical, less chance of me making a mathematical mixup.

 

Most of us will experience at some stage, a successful unexpected forced landing and then experience the "tink" "tink" of a ooling exhaust and the realisation that VHF and mobile phones don't work very far away from the coast; the nearest property could be 15 minutes by air but several hours walking time, IF, you keep walking in the correct direction.

 

The information on navigating by the stars was so clear, that I felt I could just about walk out of a bush situation at night.

 

 

[peter]

....applicable to aeronautical navigation?

Techniques such as aiming off are extremely applicable to aeronautical aviation and are well described by David Lewis. I found aviation navigation extremely simple after a lifetime of nautical navigation. Many of the techniques are interchangeable, many sailors have a very good understanding of compasses and their errors, chart work, drift, cross track errors etc,

 

Cheers Peter

 

 

[bexrbetter]

[DonRamsay]

Hey, this is a bit rich, coming from a bloke operating in a country that still worships Chairman Mao as some kind of God!I'm old enough to clearly remember the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution - and the near-destruction of China, in the name and pursuit of socialist idealogy!

You may have a good memory for the bad old days of the Cultural revolution, and they were terrible days indeed, but it would appear from your comment that you may not be aware of Mao's status (or lack of it) in China these days.

 

Sun Yat Sen is seen as the father of modern China - not Mao. Chou En Lai is more revered and the Cultural Revolution is (quietly) seen for what it was - a disaster. There is even talk (in whispers) of moving Mao's mausoleum away from Tiananmen Square. Perhaps remembered as more Devil than God.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

. . . The information on navigating by the stars was so clear, that I felt I could just about walk out of a bush situation at night.

If you can see the Southern Cross (or Pole Star in Nth Hemisphere), what more do you need?

 

An Almanac and a tide chart ?

 

But, the best advice is to carry a satellite phone and/or a Spot Tracker in remote areas and don't move too far from the crash site. Even a decent mobile phone will give you a GPS (with downloaded maps) that makes a compass look like a stone wheel.

 

 

[turboplanner]

 

Buy the book; I knew where the Southern Cross was too.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Chou En Lai is more revered

I should think so. Brothels that serve food are rare these days. (I've heard)

 

 

[Bruce]

When this Chinese businessman asked the money-changer at the airport why he got less Australian dollars for the same Chinese money, the money-changer shrugged and said " Fluctuations".

 

This enraged the Chinese guy... " Fluck you flucking australians too " he said as he stormed off.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

but it would appear from your comment that you may not be aware of Mao's status (or lack of it) in China these days.

Correct, I get the feeling many are just waiting for the older gen now to naturally pass on so it can all be forgotten once and for all.

 

I was quite surprised to see Tony Blair get a bit of a ticking off on national TV. He was on a tour here and had a Q&A session with a group of Uni students in a live studio promoting his tour and his article "The New Cultural Revolution". In Oz speak he got told flat what a stupid, offensive name and that he knew little about the deeper impact the title had on China.

 

Sun Yat Sen is seen as the father of modern China - not Mao..

Deng Xiao Ping holds that title in these times, the most loved Leader of all time.

 

Deng Xiaoping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

[DonRamsay]

[ATTACH]48018._xfImport[/ATTACH]