A brief moment of time

The evidence suggests that this early group of humans lived at the site for a relatively brief period, of perhaps about 2,000 years after which the site was unoccupied.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60305218

Reading archeology news helps one develop a broader perspective on human time.

(no subject)

Моей тете было 19 лет, когда она родила первого сына. Он женился, когда ему тоже было 19 лет, и она стала бабушкой в 39. Если для упрощения предположить, что время поколения 20 лет, то две "короткие" тысячи лет, о которых пишут археологи, это 100 поколений. Я могу себе представить пять поколений своей семьи. Миллиардер Абрамович может купить документы о португальских предках 20-25 поколений назад. Получается, что цена более глубокого "копания" в семейной археологии, практически, недоступна сегодняшним жителям земли.

С другой стороны, я бесплатно могу читать двухтысячелетние книги и знаки своего народа. Более того, во доминирующих человеческих культурах человек обязан читать и понимать такие книги. С точки зрения археолога, одна книга - одно поколение. Написана ли уже книга (текст), который будет у следующего поколения? Если да, то как бы ee прочитать?

(no subject)

A totally relatable 2,000-year old experience:

Apollonius, we are told, not understanding the Roman language, requested Cicero to declaim in Greek, with which request Cicero readily complied, thinking that in this way his faults could better be corrected. After he had declaimed, his other hearers were astounded and vied with one another in their praises, but Apollonius was not greatly moved while listening to him, and when he had ceased sat for a long time lost in thought; then, since Cicero was distressed at this, he said: "Thee, indeed, O Cicero, I admire and commend; but Greece I pity for her sad fortune, since I see that even the only glories which were left to us, culture and eloquence, are through thee to belong also to the Romans."

--- Plutarch, The Life of Cicero, 4:10.

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Cicero*.html

(no subject)

Лучше быть молодым и здоровым, чем старым и больным.

Sweden's Health Agency said this week that large-scale testing was too expensive in relation to the benefits. Sweden spent around 500 million Swedish crowns (S$70 million) a week on testing for the first five weeks of this year and around 24 billion crowns since the start of the pandemic.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/sweden-declares-covid-19-pandemic-over-despite-warnings-from-scientists

The bet is that people in high-risk groups can individually afford the burden of precaution and it's inefficient to tax the entire society.