If you could erase an event, invention or institution from history / the world, what would it be?

[Junglistmass]

I’m still pondering, but probably for me it would be to rid us of social media.

I’d also love for there to be no ‘beauty industry’ and corporations making money out of our perceived (invented!) imperfections.

The nuclear bomb

male violence (I’d say just violence, but it’s probably too broad…not that this narrows it much)! If it needs narrowed more I’d say sexual violence.

racism
religion
consumerism
smart phones
porn
the current education system.
social media.
the changes that have been made to cadburys chocolate.

I know you said one, but I’m feeling greedy.

It would be interesting to think of the outcomes of any of these if erased from history. I don't think the concepts such as violence, aggression or racism can be really considered as single concepts as they are sadly fundamental parts of human nature. I'm not sure if the 'if Hitler wasn't born' ones hold true either as one of his cronies would have led the regime. Same with Trump or Putin or Netanyahu etc. Powerful men without morality have always existed.

I'm genuinely pondering this one.. if I could go back in time what would I change first....

I've often wondered what would have happen if Jesus hasn't been born. It's not just Christianity as a religion but it shaped so much of our history.

Porn - yep! Didn’t think of that one!

Although, if properly managed we could have proper ethical porn,

@Hillrunning - male violence against women is sanctified by religion. Scaffolded; given strength and power and purpose …

Oh definitely religion. Didn't think of that.

Definitely the internet

Stonewall and Mermaids

I can’t speak for @Branleusebut I picked fixed agriculture because you can erase the majority of the fallout from male violence if you erase the first agricultural revolution.

Male strength evolutionarily is for hunting, Women gathered. Typically (ignore Inuits!) gathering provides more consistent and a greater amount of calories. So if you were a dickish man, and pissed off the women, they’d come back from gathering fatter, empty handed and ‘oops no food for you’ shrugging. Hunter gatherers have more egalitarian and less patriarchal societies in general. Women lived longer, knew where the water and food was, tended the fire, looked after the kids. The hand that rocks the cradle and all that.

Once fixed agriculture happened, you could farm, your greater strength and power meant you could guard resources, and store resources, and ultimately use your strength to control women (and weaker men). Then castles, war, violence etc. End of animism, rise of Abrahamic religions, men getting stronger and stronger and shitter and shitter.

I can’t remember the full Terry Pratchett quote. But it goes something like, you go back in time and kill baby Hitler. But the conditions for war and genocide still exist. So another ‘Hitler’ rises, you kill him. And again and agin until fuck it, you might as well kill everyone and invade Poland.

History tends to snap back to the way things would be. But butterfly effect so maybe not. But maybe the next bloke would be a little less psychotic and actually win the war.

Have you ever read Stephen Fry's book Making History? In it Hitler is killed, but another Nazi rises up and is even worse and more successful. Sometimes it pays to be careful what you wish for!

Certainly in recent years I'd choose for Brexit not to have happened.

I'm wondering about plastic. There is so much plastic tat and it's so bad for the Earth.

But on the other hand there are a lot of medical and other devices that rely on it. It's hard.

Yes, indeed - I can't for the life of me understand why, on threads like this, so many people will actively and voluntarily choose to come on to the internet and say that they wish the internet didn't exist!

I wonder if they're the same people who complain about TV programmes that they find rubbish every single week, and yet still choose to faithfully watch every episode?!

Another one for the atomic bomb.

Tempting to say cures for heart disease and cancer that just let you get dementia.

This was the first thing that came to mind for me

Im going with AI too.
I might be wrong, it night be amazing but at the moment im only seeing a total hollowing out of typical middle class jobs and we cant all be a plumber and if we are all a plumber they won't get paid much.

Religion
The monarchy
Greenhouse effect
Covid

I think I am going to change my response to fixed agriculture as well.

Without it I think the modern world would be more sustainable, people would be healthier, societies would be more egalitarian and lives would be happier.

The global population would be far smaller. Cities, states, and industrialization would never develop. Energy use would be minimal, relying on fire, wind, and simple water power. The environment would be largely intact.

Although the technological comforts of modern society would be lacking people would be much healthier without all the modern chronic diseases to contend with.

Interestingly, Phillipa Gregory claims that the regime of William the Conquerer put a stop to the fragile equality women had in England before 1066. So maybe the Norman Conquest might be a good thing to have stopped!

Cancer

Another vote for religion

Yes I wonder how England's history would have been different if Harald had been king.

And the histories of Scotland and Ireland, too.

Yes if people lost loved ones they are clearly going to wish it never happened!