Re: Pyramidiocy (was Re: Strange Maths)

meron@cars3.uchicago.edu
Tue, 18 Jul 1995 18:50:58 GMT

>Well, the pyramids are neater, and more people stand around the pyramids
>thinking "wow, great people must have done this, and so creative too!"
>than stand around big tablets and go "ooh, we can't read this".
>
>All in all, I think they did pretty good, in imparting their "superior"
>knowledge in a, uh, unique (yeah, that's it) way.

Sorry, but I fail to be much impressed by pyramids. While I can appreciate the
logistical abilities of the people that built them, I don't see them as
examples of creativity or great engineering. Stones piled in heap of
diminishing cross section create an inherently stable structure, but so what.
To me an example of great engineering (done without the benefit of computers or
even a slide rule) are the great Gothic cathedrals.

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
meron@cars3.uchicago.edu | chances are he is doing just the same"