• KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    4 hours ago

    i would really appreciate it if a stats/math nerd would put together a short piece on how “statistically it only makes sense if the Egyptians built a pyramid, this is the most logical and likely outcome”

    i feel like you could argue that statistically, shapes that are to be built by humans, will inevitably approach the shape of a pyramid.

  • Hegar@fedia.io
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    8 hours ago

    I love how often “we have no idea how they did it!” and “they couldn’t possibly do something this sophisticated!” turns into “we know how, when, where they got the materials and the name of the project foreman” when you just ask an archeologist.

    • BertramDitore@lemm.ee
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      8 hours ago

      Even when archaeologists don’t have that level of detail, they can still confidently tell you that people don’t really change. If we can imagine something now, they could most likely imagine the same thing a thousand years ago.

      For example, you know what’s an incredibly common thing to find on a dig? Dildos. Phallic stuff is everywhere, and when you find a well-polished, life-sized clay dick, it’s pretty clear what it was used for. The Greeks had devices that were essentially computers that could predict celestial movements. Running water and indoor plumbing was relatively common in the ancient world.

      We’re so egotistical to think that humans in the past were somehow incapable of thinking, planning, or building at our level. And we convince ourselves that we’re better than them because we have all this fancy stuff No, their brains were just as complex and capable, they just didn’t have access to the same kinds of tools that we do.

      • Venator@lemmy.nz
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        2 hours ago

        Tbf a lot of things that people did by hand in the past would be unthinkable for a lot of modern people as to how to achieve it without CAD etc.

      • KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        4 hours ago

        i find it weird that people are latching onto the concept of it being like racist or xenophobic, and there’s definitely room to discuss that about it. But i can’t help but feel like we’re talking about a dumbass with a netflix show, shouldn’t we apply occam’s razor here?

        I feel like the obvious answer here is that bro is a dumbass, made up a conspiracy, and is using it to make money. Granted i also don’t know much about his history, maybe he does a little racism in his spare time idk.

        • Hegar@fedia.io
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          2 hours ago

          Graham Hancock is a racist grifter who definitely knows he’s full of shit, is that what you mean?

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        For example, you know what’s an incredibly common thing to find on a dig? Dildos. Phallic stuff is everywhere, and when you find a well-polished, life-sized clay dick, it’s pretty clear what it was used for

        I’m just going to imagine that they were using it to slap politicians in the face with dildos. Because something about roman senators getting slapped with a clay horsecock makes me laugh.

          • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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            4 hours ago

            You know that they’ve found dicks scrawled on bathroom stalls in pompei, in basically the same style we still scrawl dicks on bathroom stalls.

            Also, the your-mom jokes, yelp-esque reviews, and yelp-esque reviews of your mom.

            Yeah. we’ve grown a lot as species. And also, haven’t grown at all.

            Also, the senator’s name was Gregg Abotticus.

    • marcos@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      People found the pyramid building manual quite recently. At the turn of the century, it was still a mystery.

      Normal people don’t keep up with stuff that recent.

  • Corroded@leminal.space
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    9 hours ago

    I get the same reaction from my fellow Americans when i tell them I walk my groceries home so I’m not surprised

    • TurtleTourParty
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      5 hours ago

      My cousin couldn’t understand how I bought groceries after I sold my car. After telling him I walked three blocks to the store he asked how I bought groceries in winter. I told him I put on a coat and boots and walk three blocks to the store.

      • Mishmash2000@lemmy.nz
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        14 minutes ago

        One of my carless kin! There are dozens of us!! The number of times people have assumed I can’t go somewhere “because it’s raining” and I’m just like, I have a jacket and an umbrella! But what if you’re biking?? Um, I have a jacket, a backpack cover and leggings and sometimes… if I’m just heading home to a hot shower and a change of clothes, I just get soaking wet! Like absolutely sodden! NBD! And if I’m heading somewhere without the option of a change of clothes, I bus there and that leads to a whole other issue of “But that must take ssooo long!?!” Yeah sure, a bit longer, but I can relax, pop on some headphones, set google maps to tell me when I’m near my stop, watch/listen to something and let the driver worry about the driving!

    • Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de
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      8 hours ago

      I live two blocks from my local market, I understand you.

      Also, they don’t understand that giving me a bag for milk is not worth it, milk has a handle.

  • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    The same thing with things like Stonehenge. I liked the theory that said these types of constructions are the result of the prehistoric version of Burning Man, where they built it just because they could as an art installation.

  • ZoomeristLeninist [comrade/them, she/her]@hexbear.net
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    8 hours ago

    i got into an argument on tiktok with someone who insisted that no ancient civilization could build the pyramids. i asked them if they knew what tools were and they clapped back with “what tools did they have back then?” mf never heard of simple machines

    • Belly_Beanis [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      3 hours ago

      There’s some guy on YouTube who was showing how to lift boulders and logs by himself using only simple levers and inclines. It’s been a while since I watched it, but if I remember right he moves a rock the size of a car 100 yards and lifts it a few feet into the air.

      He does this with tree branches, rope, and scrap wood lol

  • Gork@lemm.ee
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    9 hours ago

    They also gain approval from the Royal Society of Putting Things On Top Of Other Things.