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 Mel Tillis.
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.
English:progress (reflecting industrial and ideological shifts)
French:révolution (symbolizing political and technological change)
English:Industrial and Modern Era
Through iron and ideas, humanity reshapes its destiny. - Industrial-era maxim, c. 1850 CE (adapted from contemporary writings)
From 1800 to 2000 CE, the modern era transformed humanity through industrialization, revolutions, and global connectivity. The Industrial Revolution (1760–1840 CE) mechanized production, with steam engines driving factories. Political revolutions, like the American (1776 CE) and French (c. 1789 CE), birthed modern democracies, while 20th-century world wars reshaped geopolitics. Decolonization after about 1945 CE freed nations like India and Algeria, redefining global power. Technologies, from electricity to computers, connected billions, with approximately 6 billion people by 2000. Trade networks, like transatlantic shipping, exchanged goods and ideas. Archaeological finds, such as Manchester’s factories and Hiroshima’s ruins, reveal rapid change. Ideologies—capitalism, socialism, and nationalism—clashed, while secularism and religions like Christianity and Islam shaped identities. This era’s technological, political, and cultural shifts forged a globalized world, navigating progress and conflict toward an interconnected future.
A Global Transformation
Industrialization and ideologies reshaped societies, connecting the world.
Pillars of the Era
Industrial Revolution (c. 1760–1840 CE).
American and French Revolutions (c. 1776–1789 CE).
World Wars I and II (c. 1914–1945 CE).
Decolonization (c. 1945 CE).
Technological leaps (electricity, computers).
Ideological and religious clashes.
Modern Foundations
This period’s innovations and conflicts shaped the contemporary world.
The Industrial Revolution (1760–1840 CE) transformed economies, starting in Britain with steam engines, like Watt’s (1775 CE), powering factories. Textile production surged, with 1 million looms by 1850, per British records. Coal and iron production, reaching nearly 10 million tons annually, built railways, like the Liverpool-Manchester line (1830 CE). Urbanization swelled cities, with London at 2 million by 1850. Trade with colonies supplied cotton and tea, evident in Liverpool’s docks. Secular ideologies, like capitalism, drove growth, though socialism emerged, as in Marx’s Communist Manifesto (1848 CE). Archaeological finds, like Manchester’s mill ruins, show industrial scale. Child labor and pollution, with about 40% of workers under 18, sparked reforms, per Factory Acts. The revolution spread to Europe and America, boosting global GDP about 50% by 1900. It reshaped economies and societies, laying foundations for modernity while deepening inequalities.
Mechanized Progress
Steam and iron revolutionized production, reshaping economies.
Industrial Milestones
Watt’s steam engine (c. 1775 CE).
Railway expansion (c. 1830 CE).
Urbanization (London 2 million).
Colonial trade (cotton, tea).
Marx’s Communist Manifesto (c. 1848 CE).
Factory Acts and labor reforms.
Archaeological Evidence
Manchester’s mills and Liverpool’s docks reveal industrial scale.
Global Impact
Industrialization transformed economies and urban life.
The American (1776–1783 CE) and French (1789–1799 CE) Revolutions birthed modern nation-states. The U.S. Constitution (1787 CE) established democracy, inspiring global movements, as seen in Jefferson’s writings. France’s revolution overthrew monarchy, with about 40,000 executions during the Terror, per Robespierre’s records. Nationalism spread, unifying Germany (1871 CE) and Italy (1861 CE). Industrial iron forges produced muskets, fueling revolutionary armies. Trade with colonies brought wealth, evident in Philadelphia’s ports. Secular Enlightenment ideas, like Rousseau’s Social Contract (1762 CE), challenged divine rule, though Christianity persisted in civic life. Archaeological finds, like Paris’ Bastille remnants, symbolize upheaval. Revolutions empowered citizens but sparked conflicts, with 1 million deaths in Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815 CE). These movements reshaped governance, fostering democracies and national identities, influencing global politics despite conservative resistance.
Birth of Nations
Revolutions established democratic and national frameworks.
Revolutionary Milestones
American Revolution (c. 1776 CE).
French Revolution (c. 1789 CE).
German and Italian unification (c. 1861–1871 CE).
Social Contract (c. 1762 CE).
Napoleonic Wars (c. 1803–1815 CE).
Rise of democratic ideals.
Archaeological Insights
Bastille remnants and colonial ports reveal revolutionary change.
Global Legacy
Revolutions shaped modern governance and nationalism.
World Wars I (1914–1918 CE) and II (1939–1945 CE) reshaped geopolitics, killing 70 million combined, per historical estimates. Industrial technology, like tanks and aircraft, with about 100,000 planes built in WWII, drove mass destruction, as seen in Verdun’s battlefields. The Treaty of Versailles (1919 CE) redrew maps, creating new nations but fueling resentment. Atomic bombs in Hiroshima (1945 CE) marked technological escalation, with over 140,000 deaths. Trade collapsed during wars but surged post-WWII, with $1 trillion in global exports by 1950. Secular ideologies, like fascism and communism, clashed with democracy. Archaeological finds, like Auschwitz’s remains, reveal atrocities. The wars spurred technological advances, like radar, and global organizations, like the UN (1945 CE). They ended empires, accelerated decolonization, and shaped the Cold War, redefining global power dynamics.
Global Upheaval
World wars transformed technology, politics, and society.
War Milestones
World War I (c. 1914–1918 CE).
Treaty of Versailles (c. 1919 CE).
World War II (c. 1939–1945 CE).
Atomic bombs (c. 1945 CE).
UN formation (c. 1945 CE).
Rise of Cold War tensions.
Archaeological Evidence
Verdun and Auschwitz reveal war’s devastation.
Global Impact
Wars reshaped geopolitics and technology.
Decolonization (1945–1975 CE) freed nations from European empires, with India (1947 CE) and Algeria (1962 CE) leading movements. Gandhi’s non-violence and Fanon’s writings inspired independence, affecting approximately 1.5 billion people. Industrial technology, like radio, spread nationalist messages, as seen in Nairobi’s archives. Trade shifted, with former colonies exporting $500 billion in goods by 1970, per UN data. Religions, like Hinduism and Islam, shaped national identities, with 400 million Muslims in new states by 1960. Archaeological finds, like Delhi’s independence-era buildings, reflect nation-building. Decolonization empowered the Global South but sparked conflicts, like India-Pakistan partition (1947 CE), with 1 million deaths. New nations joined global institutions, like the Non-Aligned Movement (1961 CE). This era redefined global power, fostering self-determination while navigating economic and political challenges in a bipolar world.
Rise of Nations
Decolonization empowered the Global South, reshaping geopolitics.
Decolonization Milestones
India’s independence (c. 1947 CE).
Algeria’s independence (c. 1962 CE).
Non-Aligned Movement (c. 1961 CE).
Partition conflicts (c. 1947 CE).
Rise of nationalist media.
Global South trade growth.
Archaeological Insights
Delhi and Nairobi archives show independence efforts.
Global Legacy
Decolonization shaped modern global politics.
The technological revolution (1800–2000 CE) transformed society, with electricity (1880 CE) powering cities and computers (1940s CE) enabling digitalization. The internet, public by about 1991 CE, connected 2 billion users by 2000. Industrial advances, like assembly lines, produced 50 million cars annually by 1980, per industry data. Trade globalized, with $10 trillion in exports by 2000, per WTO. Secularism grew, with 15% of the world non-religious by 2000, though Christianity and Islam expanded, with 2 billion and 1.2 billion adherents. Archaeological finds, like Silicon Valley’s early computers, show rapid innovation. The digital age empowered communication but widened inequalities, with 60% of people offline in 2000. Technologies like penicillin (1928 CE) and satellites (c. 1957 CE) reshaped health and connectivity. This revolution drove progress, shaping a digital, globalized world while posing new social challenges.
Digital Age
Technology and connectivity redefined modern life.
Technological Milestones
Electricity adoption (c. 1880 CE).
Computer development (c. 1940s CE).
Internet launch (c. 1991 CE).
Global trade ($10 trillion by 2000).
Penicillin (c. 1928 CE).
Satellites (c. 1957 CE).
Archaeological Insights
Silicon Valley relics show digital innovation.
Global Impact
Technology shaped a connected, modern world.
Summary: Industrialization and ideologies drove progress but deepened inequality. Colonial legacies and technological divides marginalized billions, embedding systemic disparities.
Summary: Revolutions, wars, and technology balanced progress with conflict, forging a globalized world. Inequalities grew, but cultural and scientific legacies enriched history.
Summary: Industrial and ideological advances established order, preserving values through innovation and governance. This era reflects humanity’s pursuit of progress and stability.
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
