What happened before history?

It's hard to grasp how fast all of that happened. It's been about 125,000 generations since the emergence of the first human species. About 7,500 generations since the physiologically modern humans saw the light of day. 500 generations ago, what we call civilization began. 20 generations ago, we learned how to do science. And the Internet became available to most people only one generation ago.

Today we live in the most prosperous age humanity has ever experienced. We have transformed this planet, from the composition of its atmosphere to large-scale changes in its landscape and also in terms of the other animals in existence. We light up the night with artificial stars and put people in a metal box in the sky. Some have even walked on our Moon. We put robots on other planets. We've looked deep into the past of the universe with mechanical eyes. Our knowledge and our way of acquiring and storing more of it has exploded.

The average high school student today knows more about the universe than a scholar a few centuries ago. Humans dominate this planet, even if our rule is very fragile. We are still not that different from our ancestors 70,000 years ago. But your lifestyle has existed for less than 0.001% of human history. From here on, there's no saying what the future holds for us. We're building a skyscraper, but we're not sure if it's standing on a solid foundation or if we're building it on quicksand. Let's leave it with that for now.

The next time you miss your train, your burger is not hot enough, or someone cuts in line, remember how special this made-up human world is. Maybe it's not worth being upset about all those little things.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How Long Does Plastic Take to Decompose?

Plastic: the unwelcome house guest at nearly every corner of our lives — from shopping bags to footwear, coffee cups to car parts. And yet, discarded, plastic doesn't just evaporate into thin air. No, it lingers. For decades. Even centuries. According to statistics presented by Visual Capitalist , plastic daily consumer goods can break down between 20 and 600 years, depending on the composition used, how they were created, and natural elements like water and sunlight they are exposed to. Let's go deeper into why plastic takes so long to break down — and what horrid messes it leaves behind in the process. Why Plastic Isn't "Natural" — and Why That's a Problem Plastic does not naturally exist. It's a product made from petroleum and natural gas. Its long, tough carbon bonds differ from anything naturally found in ecosystems, making it extremely resistant to microbial breakdown. When we toss a plastic bottle or bag away, it's not a matter of if it will s...

Fallingwater: Where Architecture Meets the Wild

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania's woods, Fallingwater is not a house, but a powerful conversation between nature and architecture. Completed in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmanns, it's one of the only buildings that truly does seem alive—as if it grew directly out of the rock. What is so revolutionary about Fallingwater isn't its appearance—it's Wright's philosophy of organic architecture: the idea that houses are there to harmonize with nature, not dominate it. The house was actually constructed into the land, resting directly above a waterfall on Bear Run. Instead of looking out over the waterfall, Wright built the waterfall into the house, and the sound of running water is therefore a constant companion. Crafted From the Land, For the Land The materials used to build Fallingwater tell their own story. The stone was quarried on-site. Local craftsmen helped shape every contour. The horizontal lines of the cantilevered terraces echo the layered rock...

Barbie’s Feet Are Getting Flatter—And It Says a Lot About Us

Barbie’s arched feet have long been a part of her image—tiny, pointed, and forever perched for stilettos. But that’s starting to change. A new study reveals that Barbie’s feet are flattening, and that shift isn’t just about doll design—it reflects a broader change in how we think about women’s fashion and comfort. A team of podiatrists at Monash University analyzed 2,750 Barbie dolls produced between 1959 and 2024. They found that while every single doll in the 1960s had permanently arched feet made to fit high heels, only about 40% of Barbies in the 2020s still have that same foot shape. This shift isn’t random. It follows Barbie’s growing list of careers—astronaut, firefighter, doctor—where practical shoes make a lot more sense than stilettos. This change was even acknowledged in the 2023 Barbie movie. In one early scene, Margot Robbie’s Barbie steps out of her heels and her feet stay arched, just like the classic dolls. But later in the film, her feet flatten out, a visual cue ...

Ecoclimax

Search This Blog