After the global revolution and prior to the great destruction much of the internet was preserved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). Sounds and visions from planet Earth were cherished on long excursions aboard Laurasia. Especially as a sleep aid, but also for entertainment. This - is The Young Snakes, Til Tuesday and Aimee Mann.
Museum
Selections of art taken from Chris Lehrer's Lyceum under the heading: Window to the Past.
Listen to Soma FM streaming radio, a favorite of the space station Laurasia since the global revolution. You may or may not have to download the free Winamp or Real audio player.
Spanish:descubrimiento (discovery, reflecting European exploration)
Chinese (Classical Chinese):qǐmíng (enlightenment, symbolizing intellectual shifts)
English:Age of Exploration and Enlightenment
Reason and discovery chart the course of empires. - European maxim, c. 1700 CE (adapted from Enlightenment writings)
From 1500 to 1800 CE, the world transformed through exploration, empire-building, and intellectual revolutions. European powers like Spain and Portugal colonized the Americas, with Columbus’ voyage (1492 CE) sparking global expansion. Qing China (1644–1912 CE) and Mughal India (1526–1857 CE) centralized vast empires, driving trade and culture. The Enlightenment, led by thinkers like Voltaire and Locke, championed reason and liberty, reshaping governance. The Reformation (1517 CE) fractured Christian unity, fueling religious wars. Maritime technology, like caravels and cannons, and trade routes, like the Atlantic Triangle, connected continents, exchanging silver, sugar, and ideas. Archaeological finds, such as Tenochtitlán’s ruins and Qing porcelain, reveal dynamic societies. Religious shifts—Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism—shaped identities amid global contact. This era’s voyages, empires, and ideas forged a connected, modern world, setting the stage for industrialization and revolution.
Global Horizons
Exploration and reason united continents, reshaping civilizations.
Pillars of the Era
European colonization (c. 1492 CE).
Qing China’s expansion (c. 1644 CE).
Mughal India’s cultural peak.
Enlightenment and Reformation (c. 1517 CE).
Maritime and trade innovations.
Global religious and intellectual shifts.
A Connected World
This period’s voyages and ideas laid foundations for modernity.
European exploration surged after Columbus’ voyage (1492 CE), with Spain and Portugal colonizing the Americas. Cortés conquered the Aztecs (1521 CE), seizing Tenochtitlán, while Pizarro toppled the Inca (1533 CE), as recorded by Bernal Díaz. Caravels and astrolabes enabled transatlantic voyages, with ~10 million enslaved Africans forcibly shipped via the Triangle Trade, per ship logs. Silver from Potosí mines flooded Europe, fueling inflation, as seen in Seville’s archives. Catholicism spread through missions, like Jesuit outposts in Paraguay. Archaeological finds, like Jamestown’s fortifications (1607 CE), show colonial settlements. European diseases decimated ~90% of indigenous populations, per Las Casas’ accounts. Colonization enriched Europe, with about 1 billion ounces of silver mined, but exploited native and African labor. These voyages connected continents, reshaping economies and cultures, while sowing seeds of resistance and global inequality that defined the modern era.
Colonial Expansion
European voyages reshaped the Americas, driving wealth and exploitation.
Exploration Milestones
Columbus’ voyage (c. 1492 CE).
Cortés’ conquest of Aztecs (c. 1521 CE).
Triangle Trade and slavery.
Potosí silver mines.
Jesuit missions in Americas.
Indigenous population decline.
Archaeological Evidence
Tenochtitlán’s ruins and Jamestown’s forts reveal colonial impact.
Global Legacy
Colonization forged a connected, unequal world.
The Qing dynasty (1644–1912 CE), founded by the Manchus, unified China after the Ming collapse. Kangxi (1661–1722 CE) expanded into Mongolia and Tibet, ruling 150 million, per Qing censuses. Iron cannons and muskets strengthened armies, as seen in Beijing’s armories. The Silk Road and maritime trade exported porcelain, with approximately 1 million pieces annually to Europe, per Guangzhou records. Confucian bureaucracy, with about 20,000 officials, ensured stability, while the Four Treasuries (1773 CE) preserved texts. Buddhism and Daoism flourished, with temples like Yonghegong built. Archaeological finds, like Xi’an’s kilns, show economic vibrancy. The Qing restricted European trade to Canton, limiting cultural exchange, as noted by British envoys. Internal prosperity contrasted with external pressures, like Russian border conflicts. The Qing’s governance and trade shaped East Asia, influencing modernization, though isolationism foreshadowed later challenges.
Imperial Strength
Qing consolidation drove prosperity and cultural preservation.
Qing Achievements
Kangxi’s expansion (c. 1661 CE).
Iron cannons and military power.
Porcelain trade with Europe.
Confucian bureaucracy.
Four Treasuries project (c. 1773 CE).
Buddhist and Daoist temples.
Archaeological Insights
Xi’an’s kilns and Yonghegong reveal Qing wealth.
Cultural Legacy
Qing systems shaped East Asian stability.
The Mughal Empire (1526–1857 CE), under Akbar (1556–1605 CE), reached a cultural peak, ruling 100 million in northern India. Akbar’s religious tolerance blended Islam, Hinduism, and Jainism, as seen in Fatehpur Sikri’s architecture. Iron cannons and muskets, used in battles like Panipat (1526 CE), secured power. Trade with Europe and Persia brought cotton and spices, with 500,000 tons exported annually, per Surat port records. The Ain-i-Akbari chronicled governance, detailing tax systems. Artistic patronage produced Taj Mahal (1632–1653 CE), a marble mausoleum. Archaeological finds, like Agra’s forts, show imperial grandeur. Islam and Hinduism coexisted, with Sufi and Bhakti movements fostering dialogue. The Mughals’ centralized rule and cultural synthesis enriched India, influencing art and architecture, though later decline under Aurangzeb (c. 1658 CE) sparked regional revolts, shaping South Asia’s future.
Cultural Synthesis
Mughal tolerance and art created a vibrant empire.
Mughal Milestones
Akbar’s reign (c. 1556 CE).
Fatehpur Sikri’s architecture.
Iron cannons at Panipat (c. 1526 CE).
Cotton and spice trade.
Taj Mahal construction (c. 1632 CE).
Sufi and Bhakti movements.
Archaeological Evidence
Fatehpur Sikri and Agra forts reveal Mughal grandeur.
Cultural Legacy
Mughal art shaped South Asian culture.
The Reformation, sparked by Luther’s 95 Theses (1517 CE), fractured European Christianity, birthing Protestantism. Calvin and others challenged Catholic authority, as seen in Geneva’s church records. The Counter-Reformation, via the Council of Trent (1545–1563 CE), reformed Catholicism, strengthening Jesuit missions. Religious wars, like the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648 CE), killed ~8 million, per chronicles, with iron muskets reshaping battlefields. Trade continued, with Amsterdam’s stock exchange (1602 CE) funding colonial ventures. Christianity’s split fueled intellectual debate, influencing Enlightenment ideas. Archaeological finds, like Wittenberg’s church doors, symbolize reform. The Reformation empowered individuals but deepened divisions, with about 40% of Europe Protestant by ~1600 CE, per church records. These conflicts reshaped European politics, fostering national identities and secular thought, while global missions spread Christianity, influencing the Americas and Asia.
Religious Fracture
The Reformation divided Europe, sparking conflict and reform.
Reformation Milestones
Luther’s 95 Theses (c. 1517 CE).
Council of Trent (c. 1545–1563 CE).
Thirty Years’ War (c. 1618–1648 CE).
Rise of Protestantism (~40% by 1600).
Jesuit global missions.
Amsterdam stock exchange (c. 1602 CE).
Archaeological Insights
Wittenberg’s relics and battlefields show religious upheaval.
Global Impact
The Reformation shaped modern religion and politics.
The Enlightenment (1650–1800 CE) championed reason, with thinkers like Voltaire, Locke, and Rousseau reshaping governance and society. Locke’s Two Treatises (1689 CE) inspired constitutional ideas, influencing the American Revolution. Scientific advances, like Newton’s Principia (c. 1687 CE), redefined physics, with observatories built in Paris. Iron forges powered industrial precursors, like textile looms. Trade with Asia and the Americas brought coffee and ideas, evident in London’s coffeehouses. Secular thought challenged Christianity, though Deism gained traction, as seen in Franklin’s writings. Archaeological finds, like Leiden’s printing presses, show knowledge dissemination. The Enlightenment’s ideas, spreading via ~10,000 printed books annually, fueled revolutions and democracy, with ~20% literacy in Europe by 1800. This intellectual revolution reshaped global politics, fostering individual rights and scientific inquiry, setting the stage for modernity despite resistance from traditional powers.
Age of Reason
Enlightenment ideas transformed governance and science.
Enlightenment Milestones
Locke’s Two Treatises (c. 1689 CE).
Newton’s Principia (c. 1687 CE).
Rise of secular Deism.
Trade and coffeehouse culture.
Printing presses and literacy (~20% by 1800).
Foundations for revolutions.
Archaeological Insights
Leiden’s presses and Paris observatories reveal intellectual growth.
Global Legacy
Enlightenment ideas shaped modern democracy and science.
Summary: Exploration and Enlightenment drove progress but deepened inequality. Colonial exploitation and elite ideas marginalized natives and workers, embedding systemic disparities.
Summary: European voyages, Qing and Mughal empires, and Enlightenment ideas balanced expansion with innovation, forging vibrant civilizations. Hierarchies grew, but global legacies enriched history.
Summary: Exploration and reason established enduring order, preserving values through faith and discovery. This era reflects humanity’s pursuit of stability and enlightenment.
Lyceum
Welcome to Space Station Laurasia! All passengers and crew members receive a personal device called a Lyceum, which serves as a journal to record and share information with family and friends via neutrionic mobile or desktop devices back on Earth’s surface. This is the Lyceum of Raymond Sheen.
Animations: Dragonset, Matters of Grave Concern, The Pillars of Barad-Dur, Heart of Stone, Golden Leaves, Gravity, and Dragons in Moonlight, by Steven David Bennett
Quo Vadis? [Latin] - Where Are You Going?
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr. Seuss
