From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Heroditus
Date: 28 Jul 92 16:51:17 GMT
Organization: AT&T

gpowell writes:
> 
>   When Herodotus (historical accuracy questionable) asked Egyptian
>  scribes about the age of the civilized human race, he was rebuked
>  and admonished for his "hubris". He was told the Greeks were foolish

Rough crowd.  At least standup comics don't get stoned today.  Until
after work, at least.

>  to think they had such an ancient lineage, and that the ages of
>  'intelligent' man that had already transpired were so numerous that
>  no 'modern' rationality could conceive of them.

But optimistic.

>   He was also told that twice the sun had risen where it now sets, and
>  twice it had set where it now rises. Given this is even possible
>  whether it actually occurred or not, are there scientific theories
>  that would allow an event of this kind on earth to be explained?

Heavy drug use among the populace.  Seriously, when stuff is written
in the Enquirer, or we hear about Hitler living South America, we
laugh it off.  But clearly there are people that believe this.
Nevermind that every weird thing that happens in the Enquirer is
in some godforsaken place no one's ever heard of.  But somehow when
someone talks of "ancient writings", they're somehow lent some credence.
But the people that wrote stuff on cave walls and chiseled stuff in
stone were just people.  Some were drunks, some were stupid, some
were insane, some were lazy, some were just ignorant or misinformed.
If anything, they had less abilty to cross-check things, and even
less chance of being contradicted.  Just a thought.

>  Would anyone be left to record such an event, or would we fly off
>  the planet as it jerked to a halt to reverse, or would a gradual
>  slowing to a halt be required? Would the drifting of a landmass in
>  the proper direction give the appearance of the sun standing still
>  or the rotation of a landmass give the appearance of retrograde
>  movement of the sun?

Actually, if any power existed to perform such a feat, why assume
it could not take care of all these effects?  Why assume it could
affect the inertia of an entire planet without being able to hold
the people and stuff down?

>   To a dumb hick from the blessed south the small movement of the sun
>  in arctic regions would appear over the course of the modern diel cycle
>  ( or day as variously described from generous contributors to this
>  newsgroup) to be small, and I might get away with telling cohorts
>  that 'it ain't moved at all since last I looked'.
>   We didn't even get into changes in spinrate of earth that might allow
>  vast sums for human ages, or constant knee problems for volleyball
>  players, since slowing down has increased gravity? And I did not
>  attempt to address other issues of vast importance frequently ment-
>  ioned in this realm. Alas, if not too singed by rhetorical whimsey or
>  bludgeoned by chance, I welcome a forum to inspire criticism or dis-

I guess I don't see that there's anything I see to question.  Anything's
possible, but I don't see this as a high enough probability to
consider.  Unless there's more involved that I'm not aware of, of
course.

>  course on issues lofty and worthy of this group.

There's a lesson here.  There is no post too unsavory that it cannot
be saved with a bit of sucking up.  And I, for one, really appreciate
a good sucking up!  :-)

>   BTW, GMS, weird is one of the exceptions to the i before e rule.
>  That's wierd, isn't it!

Did I fat-finger my keyboard again?  Or are you just sharing?  If so,
yeah, English is a weiieird language.  Who invented "silent letters"?
What were they thinking?

GMS