In Which An Eminent Historian Fudges Numbers Whilst Talking About Sticks.

A truly fascinating presentation on sticks in Africa which is let down by numerous generalizations and sweeping statements. The scientific paper used for the original is provided as a link also:
www.nature.com/articles/s4158...

[@bobwilkins204]

I think at this stage we can all agree that he is not a serious human being. He just can't be. He must be reading scripts written by some very very sloppy people.

[@david1964.]

The "sticks" video is truly depressing (although I think it's a rehash of old content from last year). Mr Webb is so blinded by his racism that he misses the significance of the discovery entirely, even though it's clearly spelled out in the abstract of the paper in 'Nature' that he links to, namely what it might tell us about the historical development of human cognition. The fact that the discovery was made in Africa is not central to this and is not foregrounded by the authors, but Webb feels compelled to put this aspect centre stage and consequently (because he's a racist) minimise its significance. As a result, even a relatively intelligent follower of his output has said to me in a reply "these interlocking planks, may be a basic hut, not the discovery of an ancient civilization." Who said anything about an ancient civilisation? I think it's terrible that he misrepresents historical research in this way and abuses the status he has acquired with his followers to peddle such simplistic and divisive narratives. I'm sure this is a passing mood, but I feel genuinely sick to death of the relentless c(excuse my language)untishness that gets spewed out daily by him and his tribe of gurning goblins. OK, that's out of my system now.

[@jharekcarnelian]

I'm going to make a guess and say that was likely Clive of England who made that comment to you. Clive seems to spend a lot of time rationalizing why as an intelligent man he listens to such drivel as Webb comes out with. He tries to justify it as 'Letting of social pressures' or 'flawed but necessary responses to Cultural Marxism.' The mood you feel is what comes from spending a long time in his comments section. I tend to just watch his videos now and read some of the comments. It's always the same old stuff in them, talk about 'Leroys' and 'Little Hats' and 'Kangs' and so forth. At this point there are a handful of people on that channel capable of making intelligent or informed comments. Webb himself is plainly sock-puppetting on there and doesn't care if people notice it much anymore. It's an ugly channel and there are a whole host of them that look similar. Ethan Winstanley makes Webb's channel look civilized if you want to see a true horror show.

[@david1964.]

@@jharekcarnelian It was actually Mr Angry. Clive is upset about the clone account purporting to be him ("I am an elderly effeminate homosexual") and thinks it's me because I have "an obsession with gayness". I've seen some of Ethan Winstanley's videos and I'm aware that there are worse things out there than Mr Webb, but I think the problem with HD is precisely that it "looks civilised" when it's anything but.

[@jharekcarnelian]

@@david1964. Yes, I think that is actually an issue with it as well. The host tries to use that apparently avuncular personality of his to put people off their guard whilst selling 'sh*t on a shovel.' Poor little Cleave Fondling. One hopes he is not scarred for life by this whole business.

[@jharekcarnelian]

@@david1964. Clive has now reincarnated as Clive697. He is obviously bringing sci-fi to life via this process. May he go on to enjoy many more reincarnations.

[@ianrix2857]

Pretty much sums up my feelings David, and why i only occasionally venture to that place now.

[@NanakiRowan]

Not to mention fudging history itself. He said that Europeans invented calculus, which of course, is not true. I'm waiting for him to post a video that doesn't contain one inaccuracy or overt lie.

[@jharekcarnelian]

A Classic from China: The Nine Chapters - Introduction and History ‹ A Classic from China: The Nine Chaptersup A Classic from China: The Nine Chapters - Numbers and Units › Author(s): Randy K. Schwartz (Schoolcraft College) Introduction This article is about the most important mathematical work in China’s long history, the Jiuzhang Suanshu (“Nine Chapters on the Art of Calculation”). The book was used throughout China for centuries, and it also circulated in Korea and Japan, influencing mathematics there. The author(s) and date(s) of the original work are no longer known, but clues in the text-including the units used in story problems-indicate that it was probably written shortly after 200 BCE. The original version of the Nine Chapters presented rules and algorithms but without formal proof or derivation. Later, in the year 263 CE, the mathematician Liu Hui provided a written commentary that included justification for the techniques used. China, a large region with an immensely long history, has played a big role in many spheres of culture. In mathematics and other sciences, China has also played an advanced world role. This is not a new development. In fact, the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge, England, has been working for decades to summarize the rich history of China’s contributions to science and technology. So far, the summary occupies over 20 large published volumes; volume 3 is on mathematics. (Editor's note: As of 2018, the series consists of 27 volumes, the most recent one published in 2015.) Looking over portions of the Nine Chapters, and solving some of the story problems in it, is a good way to see how the development of mathematics in Asia was shaped by how life and society were organized there. Life in the West and in the East have had similarities and differences, so we can expect that the mathematics of these two cultures will also have some similarities and some differences. In subsequent sections of this article, I’ll provide some background about the book and then present 10 story problems from it. I challenge you, the reader, to solve as many of the problems as you can. All 10 problems are drawn from the edited translation by Shen Kangshen, et al. (1999). From The Mathematical Association of America.

[@NanakiRowan]

@@jharekcarnelian But-but--they were all Chinese Europeans!! I swear!

[@NanakiRowan]

@@jharekcarnelian Sidenote, the title of this video had me in stitches 😂 Well played.

[@jharekcarnelian]

@@NanakiRowan Webb has done this whole sharpened stick stuff again and again and again. I shall leave him alone to stew for a bit now I think. Although he never watches this channel anyway. 👋

[@bobwilkins204]

​@@NanakiRowanYou will be waiting a very long time! He is a complete and utter joke.