Random Thought

Illustration by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution When it comes to history and especially archaeology one of the biggest questions is "When did it happen?" In 1940 Martin Kamen introduced the world to Carbon14. Carbon14 (C14) is an isotope of Carbon. If you are not sure why it is Carbon14 as opposed to just Carbon or a different isotope, such as Carbon12 (C12), it has to do with the number of protons and neutrons that each contain. All carbon atoms have 6 protons, but the isotopes C14 and C12 have different numbers of neutrons and thus have differing levels of radioactivity, a C12 isotope has 6 neutrons therefore C14 has 8 neutrons, this difference in numbers of neutrons also changes the mass(weight) of the atoms as well. Willard F. Libby via ACS Seven years later Willard F. Libby presented the world with a method using C14 for radiocarbon dating. The theory of radiocarbon dating is based on the belief that the atmosphere contains a constant amoun...

If you look at things around the world....especially when it comes to the time before radio, television, and, of course, the internet...it seems that there are a whole lot of cultures that supposedly had no contact with far flung others that seem to have independently created the same images. One of the most iconic images, that is world-wide, is the pyramid. From Giza to Mexico to India and many places in between. In addition to the existing true pyramids there are also mounds and raised platforms , that some consider to be forms of pyramids in many other places as well. Let's take a look at some of the most famous of the amazing structures. While Giza pyramids are probably the most famous, they are considered by some to be younger than the Mesopotamia Ziggurats, which were the living places of the Gods. Yet, they resemble those of Mesoamerica that are considered thousands of years younger. The ones from India seem to have more in common visually with the ziggurats, yet th...

probably by Domenico Zampieri, c. 1602 (Palazzo Farnese, Rome) Throughout known history man has told fantastic stories of wonderful creatures and terrifying monsters. There are even depictions of creatures at ancient sites that some argue are representation of dinosaurs or other extinct creatures that supposedly the artisans would have no knowledge of. Of these mythical creatures, one of the most beloved is the unicorn. In modern romanticize versions this majestic creature has all the characters of a horse with a spiral shaped horned. But what is the actual basis for the unicorn? In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are up to 5 verses that use the word unicorn to describe a beast , either metaphorically or realistically. It is believed that these references refer to an animal more like an oxen, bull or bison with large horns. This would make sense since the bull was a very important animal to most cultures of the time. An animal listed as an unicorn can also be found listed i...

Mark Kauzlarich/Reuters I am the first one to want to hear, new and interesting ideas about things. And I have said more than once that I do not believe that the Pyramids were ever tombs. However, I have had heard an interesting and plausible theory that after they fell out of disuse of their original purpose that it is possible that they were used for tombs. This may or may not be true. I would still argue that there was no grave goods or the debris of grave goods found in any of the chambers of the Great Pyramid when they were opened in the 19th century. But, one could counter that the grave robbers were the neatest and most through grave robbers in history. But, I digress.  The new theory that I have recently heard is from a Republican candidate for US President, Dr. Ben Carson. It is Dr. Carson's belief that the Pyramids were built by Jacob during his time as Administrator in Egypt, to store grain for the 7 years of famine after the 7 years of abundance. His opinion was ...

El Tatio Chile via vivaboo.com credit twiga_269 Where did we come from? How did life start? What is the origin of man? These are questions that have been pondered by man since the beginning. One answer, the workings of evolution, was proposed by Charles Darwin in his On The Origins Of Species . There are an unknown number of different life forms currently sharing this planet. And there have been an even larger number of unknown species that have roamed the lands and seas in the epochs of the past. To date there have been 1.5 million species cataloged and a best guess estimate of up to another 8 million that have not been cataloged. These numbers only look at current species and not at previous inhabitants of the planet. And everyday, scientists predict that species that have not even been 'discovered' are going extinct at the hands of man. Evolution project by NTamura  While the actions of man are a whole ugly 50 gallon barrel of worms, we will leave it for ano...

In recent history, the last few decades, all the rage to prove the written history has been centered on the new love affair with the absoluteness of DNA. I know what ALL you PRO DNAers are thinking, it is DNA. And DNA doesn't lie. It is accurate,it is pure, and it is ALL fact. For what it does, yes, I allow that DNA does not in and of itself lie. That being said DNA can only tell a few details in an enormous story! The proof of the detail is only as good as the supporting facts, which as we know, can be incomplete, biased or limited in scope and or depth. vitstudiostock via imgarcade.com A good example is that of most ethnic DNA studies, to show that all of this group or that group have this gene or that marker in common are incredibly handicapped. The problem is several fold; first, the studies are conducted with a very, very, small number of believed members of the whole group, when I say that I mean like in some cases less than 1% of the population of the group as a whol...

via YouTube.com Quest For Lost Civilizations (5of14) So on 22 April 2015, there was supposed to have been a debate between, Graham Hancock and Dr. Zahi Hawass, in Egypt. The topic was about their differing views of the history of Egypt and human kind. This could have been an amazing discourse. It is always a very good thing when ideas are shared, exchanged, and questioned. The best thing about this debate would have been that while Mr. Hancock is still searching for answers and the WHOLE truth, Dr. Hawass thinks that we know EVERYTHING, that there is nothing else to know, and that HE knows all there is to know concerning Egypt and the beginnings of history. Dr. Hawass was the primary reason that I did not pursue study in Egyptology. He is a tyrant in the field. He was "God" in that he had the power to deny access to any research into any site any where in Egypt and also could refuse a researcher access to any artifact in Egyptian possession. Thus, making it almost imp...