2. I was re-reading Ezra Pound lately and reminded that he was very taken with the ideas of the anthropologist Leo Frobenius, a curious figure who played a pivotal role in recovering the cultural history of West Africa but also had some very whacky, racist ideas.
-
-
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Yes, but no one has ever attributed Roman fire to aliens...
-
(I know you said outside the Western tradition, but still...)
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
Frankly, most ancient technology is beyond our skill. We still don't know how to make Roman concrete that lasts for hundreds of years. The best we can do is about 50.
-
That more complicated than that.
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
@threadreaderapp unroll -
Frobenius was a crank, pure and simple. There was no Atlantis. It was a myth concocted by Plato — as he clearly indicates through the sentence structure of his narrative. See W.A. Heidel on the likely source of the story… Sorry!
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Gene Roddenberry complained about this once. He believed in human potential and he thought the idea diminished it.
-
(Come to think of it: the only time I remember the idea used in Trek was when they learned Jack the Ripper was an alien.)
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
This all makes perfect sense. A good reminder that wacky pseudo-scientific "theories" usually are in fact just that - wacky, but with an ulterior cultural or social purpose.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.