The Good Old Days Are Now

[jamesq]

The best thing I've read today. Go read it.

In sixteenth-century Paris, [animal cruelty was a popular form of entertainment] Today, such sadism would be unthinkable in most of the world. This change in sensibilities is just one example of perhaps the most important and most underappreciated trend in the human saga: Violence has been in decline over long stretches of history, and today we are probably living in the most peaceful moment of our species' time on earth.

Comments

[snooness2]

Can I have this time machine you speak of?
:)

The problem with your babies (aside from the obvious time travel technical problem) is that nothing exists in isolation of it's surroundings. Genetics, no matter how hard wired, can change due to environment. I suspect you'd get a bunch of stone age thug babies in one group and a bunch of hannible lector babies in the other group. Babies raised in isolation of other humans are shown to be... broken. really really really broken.

[jamesq]

If I had a time machine, you'd all be addressing me as "God-Emperor Cyr".

Of course, I knew all that. But saying such doesn't bring the funny.

[snooness2]

Please forgive me oh God-Emperor Cyr.
My funny bone is not worthy of your shining radient humor today.

mea culpa, mea culpa
;)

[jamesq]

Such sincere flattery would definitely get you (limited and supervised) access to my time machine, if I had one. Well done.