If you could prevent one thing from happening in history....?

Question

regardless of what it might change in the future, what would it be and why?

Answer 1

Oh I know this one loud and clear!  The burning of the library of Alexander!!

One, because can you IMAGINE the wealth of knowledge that was in the library?  Thousands and thousands of books from all over the world.... some of our histories greatest mysteries could be solved or, if not solved, more created.  Or we could have more literature or more of an understanding of the ancient mind and culture.  It actually HURTS to think of how much was lost in that fire and what we could know today.

Two, knowing this, I think, would not have a DRASTIC change on life today.  That way I wouldn't feel like I was turning the world upside down by stopping it.

EDIT@Blah--Oooh, good one, I didn't think of that.  Perhaps I would change the nationalizing of Christianity which may (one theory at least) have saved the Empire for a bit longer.  Plus how cool would it be if we were still mostly polytheistic?  No holy wars, for one.

Answer 2

the easiest thing is to prevent my birth so i can't think in any thing to prevent from occurring

Answer 3

The Catholic Church. They have done more heinous acts in the name of God than anyone.

Answer 4

john lennon's assassination.

Answer 5

So many things build upon one another, it's hard to find the origin:  if I hate the car, would I prevent the invention of the wheel, mass production, the birth of Ford?  Certain figures-- Hitler, Amin--are easy to peg, but such figures do not exist in isolation and are only possible in a world of sheep driven by power and money.  Since this is all fantasy and not at all a discussion of creationism versus evolution, as some might presume--I'd prevent the invention of any form of currency and all ideas of ownership.

Answer 6

I would prevent the rise of all religions.  Sorry, but they've done more harm than good.  

I would also prevent humans from moving around so much and colonizing places.  Trading with one another and visiting far away places is fine, but when humans who belong in one area move to another area and conquer the native population...well, that's always resulted in tragedy and death.  If everyone had just stayed where they belonged after the various parts of the world was populated by humans, there would have been a lot less suffering and death throughout history, as well as a less destruction of vibrant civilizations and ways of life.

Answer 7

The birth of Micheal Foucault.

I have much more, but you did say one thing.

You deserve those TD's Rebel. Why bring up something that never happened to stop from happening?

Young lady, thinking is not you long suit. Evolutionary theory has nothing to do with religious nonsense.

You do not understand theory either. Evolution, the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms, is fact. The theory of evolution by natural selection explains this fact and is supported by many converging lines of evidence; evidence I am sure you are not capable of understanding. Even so.

http://www.talkorigins.org

http://www.actionbioscience.org ( click on evolution )

http://www.aboutdarwin.com

A small selection.

Religious nonsense, regardless of origin, has NOT ONE SCINTILLA OF EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF IT!!!

Now, you can live a lie, if you chose, and stay in the dark, but life is much better in the light of reason.

We can say, " we do not know ", Rebel. We are not so arrogant as to think we have all the answers, but we sure as h**l have the evidence! Why don't you try accessing some of those sites? Unless the truth scares you!

And I would think someone like you, A good christain, would not lie about the theory of evoution by natural selection, Or, are you that ignorant of one of the best supported and tested theories in all of science. Better supported than the theory of gravity.

I am a scientist, Rebel, a zoologist. I know the evidence that is right in front of you on those web sites.

Macro and micro are terms used by creationist ( and some paleontologists ) We use the terms evolution and speciation and we have evidence for both. Right in front of you face. Click on if you are truly interested in the truth.

There is your well deserved TD. You have joined the rest of these morons in my mind. What a disgusting display of ideology gone mad.

" Woe Is Me." Reported again liar. Do you and you sick friends ( Devil's Advocate, for one ) make this stuff up out of this air, or do you get it from one of you " peer reviewed sources?

Calvary Academy, Rebel? You are as truly pitiful as those hilarious sources you bring up. Get your stuff from the same place as " Woe Is Me?

No, Rebel, you sites are not biased, they are too vapid even to be wrong!

Answer 8

I don't think I have the knowledge to handle all of the variables involved in this kind of experiment.

If I did, I might try saving the Roman Empire so that we might be 400 years more technologically advanced.

Answer 9

i would change my husband getting sick. (not that i'd have any power to, i'm not god)

because it would take such a load off of my shoulders if he was well.

Answer 10

The rise of feminism.

Answer 11

Only one?  There have been so many things that could be changed though.

I'd keep Adam and Eve from eating that fruit.  That would change everything for the better, assuming they wouldn't just eat it some other time.

*waits for the thumbs down to come from mentioning anything positive about Christianity*

Jon- So what did happen?

Hmmm, nobody's hit it yet.  The best way to keep people from doing it is to call it out.

The theory of evolution has enough holes to build cities in.  Most of the "evidence" used to create it was fabricated in one way or another.  I'd think someone like you would know better than that.

If you mean evolution as in animals changing some over time, of course that's true (microevolution).  I figure you mean macroevolution, which says we all come from the same cell millions or billions of years ago.

It wasn't my intention of making this a religious debate.

Natural selection is true.  That's microevolution.  There isn't any real evidence supporting macroevolution.

http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/i...

http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/top.ht...

http://www.newgeology.us/presentation32....

http://answersingenesis.org/

That last one is the best one.  Yes, it's a Christian website, but it uses real, actual science to disprove evolution.

Jon, no matter what I put up, you're going to say the same thing, so I really don't know why I'm posting this.  You can't deny your websites are biased.

Answer 12

World War I.

EDIT: Well, creation isn't a fact, either. I'd say evolution has a much better chance of being proven as a fact than any other theory.

Answer 13

Wow, that is pretty big.  Well I guess the obvious in recent history is WW2, Hitler falling into power and all....but history is a long time.  I am really not sure.

Answer 14

i think i would prevent the holocaust, and taking slaves from africa and treating them so bad!!

Answer 15

I agree with Fereste's answer...the burning of the library at Alexandria.

It would be amazing to know what that library contained.

Answer 16

The Holocaust, for obvious reasons.