History defines the present with a clarity that is unavailable by any other measure. This became particularly obvious in “The Economics of Superintelligence” and “Eureka All Day Long”, two articles in the July 26th edition of The Economist, in which the digital pundits of Silicon Valley are trying to prepare us for the possible economic impact of artificial intelligence on our modern world. But, to do this, the author or authors of the articles (unidentified) have provided us with some pertinent economic history of the West to provide an illuminating context.
Continue reading Economic History – The Quadra ProjectCategory Archives: History
Gumboots in the Straits Comes To Gorge Hall
Book #4 of the Gumboot series, ‘Gumboots in the Straits’ is coming to Gorge Hall on Cortes Island on Saturday, September 20.
From 1:00 to 3:00 pm, six Cortes Island authors featured in this volume will give free public readings from their contributions.
Later in the day, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, food and drinks will be available for purchase, followed by an evening of dancing to Cortes Island’s own He Said; She Said. Tickets for the dance are $25 and can be purchased at Marnie’s Bookstore and the Cortes Island Museum.
In this morning’s interview, we’ll be joined by Jane Wilde, the originator of the Gumboots series. She’ll also share short readings from some of the Cortes writers featured in Gumboots in the Straits.
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Earthrise: An Obituary – The Quadra Project
The last page of The Economist magazine traditionally contains an obituary. The June 15, 2024 edition was for William (Bill) Anders, a former Apollo 8 astronaut who died on June 7th, 2024, at age 90 (“Obituary, William Anders”).
On December 21, 1968, Anders, along with Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, blasted off from Cape Kennedy in Florida on a reconnaissance trip to the Moon. Their mission was to orbit it several times and take photos of its surface for a future landing site. The chances were one in three that they would not make it back.
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Why War? – The Quadra Project
“Why war?” is a question that haunts everyone, including both Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. For Einstein, it was a question that had no rational answer. For Freud, war was an expression of the “death drive” for violence and destruction that was inherent in every human. If Einstein was hoping for optimism, Freud was drawing from his theoretical insights into the human character, a conclusion confirmed by the unequivocal message of history.
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How did settlers get to British Columbia?
Europeans knew about North America for over a century before they began settling here. Basque, Portuguese, French, and English fishermen regularly sailed to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the 1500s and 1600s for the rich offshore cod harvest. They often camped on the beaches but rarely stayed through the harsh winters. At the time, most Europeans lived in smoky, windowless huts heated by an open fire on the floor—hardly an incentive to brave even colder conditions overseas.
Archaeologist William Gilbert, working at Cupids in Newfoundland, suggests a few changes in homes construction changed everything.
“Recently it has been suggested that the late 16th century innovations such as fireplaces, wooden floors, glazed windows and woolen and felt clothing may have made it easier for Europeans to adapt to and survive during our cold northeastern winters. The first successful colony was established at Port Royal in Nova Scotia in 1605, followed by Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, Quebec City in 1608, and Cupids in 1610.”
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