The Undeniable Pain of Getting Drunk

[@RareEarthSeries]

Much like PBS, this episode was made possible thanks to viewers like you: www.patreon.com/rareearth/

[@Celrador]

Unfortunately I can't afford being a Patreon right now, but I want to thank you guys for your great work anyways. Your channel has enormously high quality of production, showcases interesting topics from differentiated viewpoints and is thought-provoking. Rare Earth is the kind of channel that is rare on earth. (And that last line will be the reason for my todays self-flagellation. :-p)

[@childofivy]

I can hear the "Thank You"

[@andvgeo2253]

I love your channel so much, a video like this but on psychedelics would be incredibly interesting.

[@John77Doe]

Rare Earth Interesting conjecture.

[@Manish_Kumar_Singh]

Rare Earth i never had a sip of alcohol or consumed tobacco just like my father. Nothing religious, i just taught we were better than others. This video has changed my perspective.

[@Lukands]

"I think the reason humans started farming was so that we could get drunk" well it's certainly why I started working

[@OurDailyMeme]

Lukands 😂😂

[@gabriel300010]

no dude you gotta stop you need to draw the line I mean, geting drunk is fine but working?! thats way too far dude.

[@Valrax]

@first last Nah, trick question! Answer is both obviously lol

[@JJ-me4yu]

Lmao😂😂💯

[@Aresftfun]

I believe it's much more accurate to say farming was developed because it was exploitable by landlords/leaders.

[@josephedmond3723]

Imagine having such a bad addiction that you create civilization just to get a fix.

[@matthewhuckin9178]

Yeah im not convinced by this video!!! Sounds a bit like bs

[@Tager253]

Lmfaoooo

[@Shitbird3249]

matthew huckin It’s what came from the process, not what exactly they aimed for. Nigga

[@73gmiller]

The problem is you would put it off till tomorrow.

[@Cernumospete]

I desperately want to refute this claim, but I know that this basically is what happened.

[@snakesocks]

This video implies that Jager-bombs are the pinnacle of human agricultural efforts.

[@gabriel300010]

I can plant your wheat for Jager-bombs...

[@colina1330]

Well......aren't they?

[@tharedpotatowwhale]

*laughs in alcoholic*

[@cameo64]

Well... if you were a person from 6000 years ago... yea

[@greasyt9400]

And whom’st the fuck are you to say they aren’t?

[@tHustr4]

Rare Earth episodes this month: -The plight of an unrecognized country -The will to fight for one's homeland -Caves, how do they work? - *GETTING F*CKED UP IN THE NEOLITHIC YO!*

[@GuntherRommel]

I thank you for the succinct reprise of our kind host's efforts.

[@oliwiabieniek]

- Cows - friends or foes?

[@ts-wo6pp]

Oliwia Bieniek keep asking questions

[@Ak-xq6gb]

Thus spoke the Zarathustra

[@ts-wo6pp]

Christina Penner yes

[@SuperCrisco]

I've been sober for a little over 15 months. If anyone has a drinking problem, know that it's never too late to quit and take control of your life. It won't be easy, but it's worth it, and so are you.

[@fuckyshityfuckshit]

Crisco - congratulations , opiates are my poison

[@lindalangart]

Allen Carr's 'Easy Way To Stop Drinking' helped me to stop. I can't recommend it enough

[@SuperCrisco]

fuckyshityfuckshit - Shit dude, that's rough. I hope you can get the help you need. If you ever feel like you need moral support from an internet stranger, I'm here. Wonky Shades - Good stuff man, congrats! My friend quit smoking after reading one of his books.

[@danskroko3537]

3 yrs and Quit Smoking. Im eating better and Exercising again. Other than Factory Defects I have never felt better!

[@danskroko3537]

My buddy quit but traded one Sugar addiction for Another. He will kill for a Twinkie!

[@jrhoadley]

Nitpick: chewing grains like rice doesn't "ferment" them. The enzymes in saliva break down the complex carbohydrates to make them available for yeast to digest and turn into alcohol and carbon dioxide. That second process is fermentation. The first is just preparing the raw material for fermentation. Grapes are just about the only natural crop consumed by humans that doesn't require preparation before fermentation.

[@RareEarthSeries]

Thanks Jim!

[@Fallibleandflawed]

Cool

[@Jesse__H]

"It fermented in their mouths as they chewed." That's what he said. Based on your explanation, that quote seems perfectly correct, to me at least. Nice of you to add some detail to the topic, but it needn't have been phrased as a correction, I don't think.

[@Joe_JesusWins_Lewis]

That's incorrect, the human body harbors several types of the bacteria known as candida, fermentation, in this case, starts in the mouth.

[@jrhoadley]

Try getting drunk off of something you "fermented" using the bacteria in your mouth.

[@MrRedeyedJedi]

I love how everyone in the comments is suddenly an expert on history and toxicology

[@BibleStorm]

Better than the usual "history and politics experts" who blame everything on the jews.

[@hengineer]

Despite some logical flaws on the video the comment section is interesting reading and I prefer the discussion anyway. We really don't know exactly what life was like nor do we really know exactly what the process was like when nomadic transitioned to settled.

[@deepserket4390]

Selection bias

[@mr.knowitall5019]

@@BibleStorm kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2WzdGuCqtacrdU

[@marc-ericleblanc-seguin4514]

Partying to forget our meaningless and repetitive lives full of hardships is just such a human thing to do !

[@TheAlison1456]

Well. Sounds like you should find some meaning.

[@part-timepartytime9621]

"man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve." -Erich Fromm Every other animal on this planet is fine existing just for the sake of existing, why aren't you? Btw the good times make enduring the hard times, worth it. We don't party to forget, at least no one healthy does, we party to celebrate. To embrace the joys of living.

[@Gandalf-The-Green]

But so is kicking back and having a cold one after a splendid day of self fulfillment and doing what you do best and most like to, like fishing or gardening or whatever floats your boat. When we have had a bad day, or a great day, we all love our booze. I think we best learn to grow pristine livers and pancreases soon ;-)

[@jeffsartadventure3634]

Or we could put the effort into making our lives meaningful and rewarding,save ourselves the post euphoria pounding head and vomiting.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

I am literally drinking as I type. My life was not meaningless today. It was full of problem-solving and creativity. I'm remodeling my porch in a design-as-you-go fashion.

[@BeezerWashingbeard]

"If the people of Kentucky could grow Percoset" They can. Poppies. I'd imagine the climate is quite alright for it too.

[@73gmiller]

Its not just Kentucky

[@rallokkcaz]

As a high functional alcoholic like most adults my age, this speaks volumes. Humans have always been complicated and have always wanted to turn off the nervous mind.

[@benjaminbass2607]

“I don’t have a drinking problem, I have a drinking career.” -STEVE-O

[@kelvinmiller9601]

he quit U kno

[@michaelhouse585]

Yeah... Dude!

[@warrcoww6717]

STEVE-O saw demons off of whippets, you know how many whippets you gotta do to see demons?

[@vilstef6988]

Work is the curse of the drinking class.

[@since4everrr]

My best friend is an alcoholic, it really sucks because i’ve told him he should get help.. but in the end it’s his choice. What i’ve learned about addiction is you have to want to get clean and fight hard for it. Addicts can’t be saved by anyone but themselves.

[@BobbyIronsights]

Well that sorta kills the whole message of AA doesn't it.

[@calichef1962]

@Robert Tinsley-- Not at all. People don't go to AA to get other people to "save" them, they go to AA to learn how to save themselves. The alcoholic part of each person has to choose not to drink and take responsibility for their behavior when they were actively drinking. That's what making amends are all about.

[@BobbyIronsights]

@@calichef1962 Umm. No. AA isn't a self help program, Step one teaches powerlessness. AA is a "Higher power, help me" program.

[@Mr_Makina]

Does he take any other drugs than alcohol ?, I'm asking this for a reason don't worry it's nothing pompous.

[@dogan6070]

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41 | NIV

[@yancarloreinoso1560]

Love the Percocet bit... Virginia tried that with Meth... Blew their minds and their Winnebagoes

[@Seamus322]

I was under the impression that magic mushrooms were around long before alcohol

[@88aghves]

Mushrooms exist 2,4 billion years, so yes you were right

[@k3kboi665]

Yea and adding more scary shit into a world full of sabertooths is what humans needed.

[@Seamus322]

@@k3kboi665 But when they started seeing three-eyed mammoths...

[@cupcakefllower]

I’ve actually heard this theory before, I had a professor discuss it in one of my intro level ag classes. Pretty cool to see it explored more in depth.

[@amcghie7]

Evan: "In China they found a 7000 year old type of beer...." Me: "Sweet, I wonder if they have like a modern equivalent that I could try!" Evan: "That combined rice with the community's spit" Me: "Uhuh... then again..."

[@vilstef6988]

Agreed! Hard pass!

[@thedudegrowsfood284]

sounds like Budweiser tastes.

[@sirrivet9557]

So the whole “working a job I hate to pay for alcohol so I can cope with the job I hate” has been happening since ancient times

[@mizutoryu242]

It was safe and reliable source of drinking water. Agriculture was worth because beer and bread are fermented. those tiny organisms convert carbs in a more complete food.

[@MirekHeikkila]

Mizuto Ryu ♡

[@sailingluana3037]

I like how you break down humanity into the fact that we are human and flawed... Its nice to hear an educated and structured material in this day when people think humanity is above human traits like addiction, control, self-centeredness, war and more... Even the best humans are still just human and make decisions for our selves first. Personally I feel independent growth and thought with limited influence by society is the only honest humanity. The rest is their alcohol buying your willingness to be controlled.

[@elijahragland8498]

very reductionist. alot of assumptions made about pharmacology, psychology, and anthropology. early alcohol was so weak it would take a food-supply-endangering amount of indulgence to become drunken. pursuing addictive habits might not have been something partially nomadic/partially agrarian humans could have afforded the time/resources to do. they might not have had anesthesia and would have died younger but that doesn’t necessarily say they were a bunch of depressed alcoholics like us. the fullness of their live might well have provided them with some contentment and purpose. also, the short interjections about addicts feel kinda judgy…or is that just me?

[@aaronketten]

Elijah Ragland 🤔 Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Besides, on an empty stomach, it doesn’t take much alcohol to have a disoriented state of being.

[@elijahragland8498]

Aaron Ketten my arguement that there is no will to pursue the despressant intoxication of alcohol. there were numerous advantages to agrarian society and accrediting the whole neolithic era to alcoholism is just flat silly. the most populated areas of the neolithic period showed evidence of periods of relative peace as long as 500 years and nomadic raiders did not start disrupting communities untill the end of the era. what pain to quelch? there are remains that even show women to have lived into their 80s. in the ancient pharmacopeia, there were more ideal, more potent substances to partake in and their effects fit into their societal values more aptly than the ethanol intoxication.

[@elijahragland8498]

Neil Wiggs ahhh, my friend it appears we have been smoking the same grass. totally agree, the bottle and the ideologies that endorse it have killed enough havent they?

[@tranzco1173]

Luckily, we have books that have stories about the past, called history. They were MUCH drunker than us. They would drink a ton on specific days, holidays, when harvest was done. Whole villages/tribes just completely wrecked. Greek history is full of stories of people getting absolutely and insanely s-faced on wine. Kegs of it. People hallucinating, orgies, arson, rape, and so on. Sailors were worse, much worse. Look at historical inventory logs of ships. Thousands of gallons of beer for relatively short journeys. More primitive people would just ferment it until it provided the strongest effect. They were storing it. They also drank while very very small children. Africans had some weird yam or oil type booze that was 40 percent ABV, and they would drink until seeing spirits and gods. They were also high on speed depending where they were, chewing whatever they could get to get high. Cave people were a bunch of cracked out junkies.

[@tranzco1173]

@@personalinformation8678 Why would a human, with scarce resources and short life span, WANT weaker beer. Also, the stronger it is, the "cleaner" it is. They were plowing fields, not performing surgery. It was used for medicinal purposes too, very strong.

[@happysmile6095]

"Nothing more human than addiction" is a solid statement.

[@airekvinlandslayerofthesev5234]

I love this channel. To me it's like.. backpacking across Europe or Southeast Asia, and though I've never done either of those things, this channel really takes a look at the spiritual side of humanity. To me this channel represents the art of wanderlust and imagination. Thinking differently than your traditional "Travel Show". It's so neat. Learning stuff that schools don't teach. I love it.

[@sjattemptstodraw7937]

"What's so bad about being drunk?" "You ask a glass of water" Hitchhiker's guide to tue Galaxy

[@justsomeguy5074]

I love it, but IMO you are missing the second half of what caused farming to catch on. It's the first time we had a system where slavery actually made sense. It's extremely hard to keep useful slaves in a hunter-gatherer society, as in order for them to produce for you they have to be left alone in the woods for long periods of time. This means that at best you can have 2 slaves per 1 captor effectively. With the introduction of farming, forcing people to work for you became a lot easier because all the work was contained in a small area and a few strong, organized men could force others to produce food for them.

[@RareEarthSeries]

I had never thought of it that way. Interesting. Presumably not the reason we started, but definitely a change that would have made sense once underway.

[@HxH2011DRA]

If I learned anything it is to never underestimate humans capacity for malice

[@EmperorNaval]

I think you are putting the carriage before the horse here... As in I find it more plausible that farming made having slaves a "good idea" rather than the other way around... I don't think humans had a "surplus of slaves" just lying around so had to invent farming to keep them busy, most probably they started to think about having slaves -or at least having much, much more slaves- after they found out they could be useful in farming

[@Joe_JesusWins_Lewis]

I think you're all wrong. IMO: Cain & Abel.

[@raffriff42]

But _if you give your slaves alcohol_ ... they won't think of themselves as slaves.

[@DarkonXBL]

"If you were a hunter gatherer your life was devoid of any entertainment" Well I dunno, that's a pretty bold statement. It's hard to say but people are are social animals and once they get together they tend to celebrate together, normally by dancing, feasting and drinking/getting high. I'm sure our hunter gatherer ancestors knew how to keep themselves entertained. Thoughts?

[@onlythinkdifferent]

Boy I'm binge watching your videos like a Netflix series

[@richarddeese1991]

Thanks! I think one of the things most people don't realize is that chances are very good we learned to make beer before bread. After all, if we were experimenting with what we could do with grains, fermentation would've been much, much easier to start - even accidentally - than learning how to winnow wheat (or whatever they did with it), mix it with just the right ingredients, then bake it. Beer might well have been the first batch that went wrong, like discovering penicillin. Once we had the fermentation process down, we could do it to other things, like grapes. Then, learning to control fermentation would have led directly to the leavening of bread. We could then bake it into cakes and such, not just tortillas. The birth of serious cooking! Expanding the idea of fermentation, we would have experimented with other things, too (again, probably as much by accident as anything else), which would've led to cheese. Let's see: beer, wine, cheese and grapes. Sounds like a party platter to me! And alcoholic drinks were a great substitute for any lack of potable water, which was vital. Alcohol kills germs, of course. In the middle ages, people in Europe drank something called small beer, which was rather like our non-alcoholic beer - except that it did have a small amount of alcohol, making it safe to drink, and giving it a long shelf life. In a way, all this relates to the habit of people who live in hot climes, of making their food very spicy. Capsaicin - the main ingredient in spicy peppers - also kills germs, like those in slightly spoiled meat. It also hides the bad taste. And it survives well in the human gut, thereby helping to kill off - or at least help control - human pathogens. Given all this, I wonder why it took us so long to invent spicy chicken wings! And finally, a minor susceptibility to alcohol over-indulgence might actually have had some survival advantage. Just think - people might have actually partied to kill off bugs in their systems, dull pain, tighten vital social bonds in a small community, have the courage to go chasing bison, and discovered leavened bread & cheese into the bargain! :D tavi.

[@ashleyelizabeth6094]

It's my 21st birthday today is this a sign?

[@IamJeremyCharles]

Yes

[@beskamir5977]

Happy birthday! As it happens mine's today too but I'm now 22 and I rather dislike using drugs unless I have to. Like needing a bit of caffeine to make it through a day every quarter or so.

[@stadtbekanntertunichtgut]

Take it easy girl. I'm 30 now and I drink like a mad man in my twentys. Withdrawal isn't exactly fun but there is nothing wrong with a few drinks here and thereif you can handle it enjoy your birthday but be moderate it's the better way to go! Happy Birthday =)

[@evanulven8249]

If you end up able to remember your 21st, you did it wrong.

[@fabio04081998]

Im 20 today

[@goneutt]

Wine was a relatively recent addition to the ways people got buzzed. It shows up later in Greek history, and required the introduction of the sulfur candle to fume the pots to keep the wine from turning to vinegar almost instantly. It should be noted the sulfites were probably the reason for complaints of asthma in ancient writings like Seneca's letters, which got better during times of fasting. I know it jacks up my lungs and sinuses.

[@mhyotyni]

They don't teach this theory to kids at school for some reason. However, I am now in a cottage surrounded by barley fields being soon harvested entirely for breweries and it starts to make a lot of sense.

[@ashmarie5049]

The thought of percs growing on trees is hilarious

[@vandaylen]

two big assumptions: 1) tribal peoples today, who can essentially only live where the rest of us have chosen not to, are a good approximate for various iterations of societies in the distant past, who, particularly in the case of farming cultures, lived in ideal places in a fundamentally different and less human world 2) addiction is primarily biological. Sure, that's part of it, but it takes only a little reading to learn that isn't all of it. - following from this, it's a pretty big leap (and inconsistency) to suggest that A) indigenous peoples experience higher rates of addiction/alcoholism because of a genetic predisposition (there is no one gene that determines alcoholism) and lack of previous exposure, and not because of the intensely negative changes to their social structures they've very recently experienced, while also mentioning that B) many indigenous peoples brew some kind of alcohol, like the ones in the amazon fermented with spit

[@fh1498]

I actually think this theory is pretty interesting and more solid than it may seem. To your points, sure hunter gatherer tribes were able to create their own alcohol, but it surely was not as easily and consistently available as when you create your own supply. Relying on naturally occurring resources and nature's rhythms of replenishment must have been a considerable limitation. Secondly, I would not go as far as to say that addiction was the main driving factor for the continuation of agriculture. But it became a way of life, or a "culture", to grow crops and consume its products. In a sense alcohol could potentially have been the glue which kept all of the components together. And alcohol as mentioned in this video is a very advantageous and reliable source of energy which made enduring agriculture worth it via these trade-offs. Agriculture had disadvantages, but it also granted a superior level of plannability, predictability and stability compared to a nomadic lifestyle. It presented risks, but so long as the tribe sticked to the plan consistently, it ensured that there were less variables which could go wrong. Which is what ultimately what allowed us to evolve and progress as a species. So it's possible that sticking to agriculture, was a combination of culture and alcoholism. Regardless it's fair to say that alcohol may have been an important factor in the initiation and continuation of agriculture.

[@codybroken]

freaking love your stuff man. educational, thought provoking, and in less than 8 minutes!

[@mercurywoodrose]

very cogent. and recall, all the earlier alcoholic drinks were lower in alcohol, thus had more residual grains/sugars, so more nutrients, and none were pasteurized, so any beneficial yeasts will still be in the drink. my favorite idea is from terence mcckenna, who theorized that early humans ate magic mushrooms, but as the source of the mushroom dried up due to drought (they grow in animal dung thats moist), people switched to alcohol, which gave some of the benefits of mushrooms, but not all. mushrooms may have triggered human evolution by giving us increased visual perception, energy, and group cohesion through shared ecstatic experiences, and higher sex drive/orgies.

[@turtleofpride4572]

So because some monkeys ate some mushrooms an had Some orgies we have humanity. Neat.

[@herman1francis]

I am utterly convinced that farming started because of alcohol

[@jamesschmitt2203]

I really Hope you didn't put that Weizen in THAT Glass... If so, my german Honor demands that we duel to the death!

[@ThisGuitarIsAWeapon]

How does Rare Earth not have millions of subscribers? Some of the best content on the internet.

[@09harrischr]

"We've been getting bonged" think that's a different drug pal

[@d.l.d.l.8140]

In ancient times many places had a policy of not drinking the local water without adding a certain amount of wine. Apparently it offered some protection against water borne illnesses.

[@peeweesimpson4141]

Very nice introspection on humanity. GJ mates!

[@explorewithjude8469]

Kentucky : I wish Percocet could grow on trees , they are better than alcohol 🍺. It’s a summary from the whole video .

[@mwatershoes]

Shout out to Kentucky lol woo hoo!!!!

[@erinwilks2406]

@@bcubed72 So many people have never experienced the Love that is Pure #4. Painkillers are teh suck.

[@noname-fb8dv]

We need more psychedelics around here. The ice and h has torn the majority of everyone I know apart.

[@shhmypupissleepin3015]

dual shock which part of Kentucky do you live in?

[@SirJack5885theFirst]

That last part really grabbed my attention. Time to go raid my dad's wine and drink some that's as old as I am. One fancy 2009 wine it is! Thanks Rare Earth!

[@one-for-sorrow]

Maybe you shouldn't if you're only 10.

[@DavidHunanyan]

Hey man, been following your channel for quite some time now. Great stuff. Always good topics, and nicely edited videos. You make it look easy. You're welcome in Armenia, hope you noticed that during your stay.

[@RareEarthSeries]

I genuinely, without a word of exaggeration, thought Armenia was one of the most enjoyable places I'd ever visited.

[@Vash_Carrison]

I binged on this show after discovering it this past Friday, August 3rd, 2018. I cannot wait for the next episode.

[@ryanjones7681]

Anyone else drinking while watching this?

[@colina1330]

As somebody who imbibes quite often, I've been lucky that I've been able to continue to enjoy alcohol without becoming addicted. I can abstain if I choose, but I'd almost always rather not. Being at a party when everyone around you is getting drunk and you've chosen to stay sober isn't a whole lot of fun. I've found that having a healthy respect for alcohol and realizing that it's actually quite a powerful drug is the key to not letting it get out of hand.

[@mobiustrip1400]

I got drunk the first time in my life at 16. I fell in love. Never looked back. I'm 51 today and my favourites are whisky and gin. They always work, every single day. Never let me down.

[@matthewclark263]

How have I not seen these videos before. They are amazing. The production quality is great and so are the stories. I can't stop watching. You got my subscription!

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

200 times? So watermelons used to be the size of ping-pong balls or smaller...?

[@RareEarthSeries]

They were a little smaller, but the big difference was the fruit/rind ratio.

[@MaikMakensi]

Michael Berthelsen a youtuber by the name of Sam o'Nella recently did a video about why vegetables used to suck. There are pictures of a painting that show how watermelons looked at the renaissance.

[@Marshal_Rock]

Michael Berthelsen there are even paintings from 300-400 years ago that show how watermelons used to look like and it is kinda disapointing. Glad to live in the XXI century, I guess...

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

Rare Earth Thanks for the reply, didn't even get any notification of comments from the creator of the video... KZbin is really dropping the ball now... So the 'flesh' of the melon was drastically less. That makes more sense than having tiny, tiny melons.👍

[@TR-ru7wl]

T K from the credits: "Please note that Evan is often kind of an idiot. Don't take his word for it." Although they were right about the watermelon. In my experience they rarely, if ever, make major errors.

[@BothHands1]

That's really interesting, i never really thought farming would have been less efficient at first, but i forgot how different our foods are now. Really glad we did it though lol

[@kvn95ss]

Sam Onella Academy made a video "why produce sucked". If you see that video, it provides a nice context for this one.

[@shade9592]

I do believe there's another hypothesis. There is a middle ground between a forage based society and an agriculture based society, nomadic pastoralism. Nomadic pastoralism can ensure a practically inexhaustible amount meat but there is a cost, the more cattle you have, the more they will damage the flora in the area, which is your source of carbohydrates. You can fence off all the plants that you forage but that would be very difficult to manage, but if all of the plants that you foraged were in a relatively small area, it wouldn't be a problem.

[@lukasmakessomething7322]

In Soviet Russia, wine gets drunk.

[@heidimarchant5438]

Lukas 😂good one

[@Gandalf-The-Green]

In Soviet Russia, alcohol consumes you!

[@mikepellerin4611]

Then I wonder what is drinking the drunk wine like?

[@lukasmakessomething7322]

Thanks Jeff

[@eh1600]

In Soviet Russia, wine and beer are soft drinks.

[@emptyshirt]

I think a sort of nomadic farming predated settled farming. People spread an planted seeds of edible fruits and nuts creating a hospitable garden of eden. Eventually people became more and more stationary as seasonal gaps in food were filled and when abundance reached a level where specialized manufacturing became a viable way to make a living the city was born.

[@ToxicTerrance]

Loved this episode. The history of agriculture reminds me of the modern argument against government social programs. Was it considered lazy to stay in one place and farm? Yeah, that's why they would be raided all the time, but stuck through and created a better future that wasn't solely based on survival. There is more to life than the rat race. Yeah, you could "win" the rat race, but you're still a damn rat.

[@BuckFitchesThe]

Damn, well said.

[@davidb007..]

Nicely put

[@Eronoc13]

You assume that agricultural societies are happier. Are agricultural societies happier than hunter-gatherers? Are industrial societies happier than agricultural ones? It's a question worth honestly asking.

[@alexm7023]

6:30 I have been drunk, passed out, even throw up in the toilet. Tried wine, beer, hard liquor. But I never experience any desire for alcohol. I know many around me that acquired the taste, enjoyed the texture of a craft beer or the note of fine wine. But to me all alcohol taste bad, I physically want to vomit when I taste them, my body is doing everything to tell me to spit it out. Like everyone else I do enjoy a little buzz. How can I start to appreciate liquor beyond just get a fix? I'm well aware of the risk of addiction, but that's far from my current situation.

[@ruki4929]

I think that back then, they wouldn't have enough of it to make a huge addiction, that's why they were sensitive to it to begin with. Like a lot of addictions nowherdays, we get much more than our bodies were meant for. We can never have enough because back then, the world would tell us when we did have enough.

[@hueban1643]

Ruan Coetzee maybe in a couple thousand years the same will be true of sugar

[@ruki4929]

Well, we're already addicted to sugar. It's in everything nowherdays, and it stimulates the same part of our brain that is stimulated by drug use.

[@ToddHowar.d]

“Imagine if you can for a second that the people of Kentucky could grow Percocet on trees” Well the people of Oklahoma grow meth from RV’s and shake-and-bake bottles.

[@jjc5475]

you forget that farming in a moderate climate is a more reliable food source. it's a bit of a stretch to think farms where just started for alcohol. good video anyway.

[@Lucky14970]

You got that right. Nothing is more human than addiction. It's how we got shit done(or don't). Addiction can also be seen as parallel to extreme focus.

[@ryanjones3958]

If Percocet grew on trees in Kentucky, people would be rich in Kentucky... not broke. Just saying.

[@adinameissner2271]

This was great! 1 thing: alcohol does not lower heart rate, if it affects it at all it increases it.

[@RareEarthSeries]

That depends on the amount. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212174615.htm

[@TimothyWhiteheadzm]

You are incorrect about subsistence agriculture being a harder life style than hunter gathering. What happens is at first, subsistence agriculture is very successful and results in two things: population growth and the rise of society including more people doing jobs not involving food production, collection of property, tyranny (living off farmers by force) etc. But the key is that the population growth fairly rapidly results in the best agricultural land being used up and the population keeps growing to the maximum possible that can be supported on the available land and then either there is a miserable life, or there is war/famine/disease.

[@graup1309]

Timothy Whitehead hunter-gatherers had really figured their shit out. They would've often hunted down entire herds of and then prepped their meat in order to suffice them for up to a year. It has been estimated that the average hunter-gatherer would have worked only about 4h a day. In addition to that their life wasn't subjected to the climate as much as a farmer's. Choosing a permanent lifestyle would have been a really shitty decision in the early stages of farming. With time that of course changed, but there is a reason why we started farming so late and why it needed so long to really become the majority's way of living.

[@estebpacheco]

Amazing video. as a brewer I've had the same ideas of why we started farming and why drinking alcohol. it goes even deeper when you realize fungus are responsible for fermentation. Who or What taught us how to ferment 😉🍻

[@AndromedaKai]

Any type of alcohol aside for Martini Bianco (for some reason) makes me really sick. I guess I'm allergic, which is kind of ironic because my dad was a drunk.

[@stevesoup2140]

I get sick as fuck when i drink too but i still drink alot and i almost always black out

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

His useage might have caused you to develop an allergy

[@g.h7657]

Just drink whiskey and beer

[@ZOMBIEweezle1]

Marijuana is also thought to be one of the earliest crops, makes sense to me

[@killercaos123]

I'm just wondering what Armenian pizza tastes like.

[@arthurghahramanyan3279]

It depends on pizzeria. I am from Armenia and after reading this comment I realized I actually actually never ate a non-armenian pizza and now I wonder what it tastes like. There is also a food called "Armenian pizza": Lahmajoun, which tastes totally different.

[@arthurghahramanyan3279]

Btw, Lahmajoun is also known as Turkish pizza, Lebanese pizza, Syrian pizza and Arab pizza :D

[@Lwilight]

This channels needs way more subs and view. Great videos!

[@thsposito]

I am not sure, but when you said 1000 times and so on(about grains and fruits sizes), I guess you would probably meant 1000%, hadn't u?

[@TR-ru7wl]

Thiago Sposito nope, hes serious. Check out sam o'nella for more info on the topic.

[@MrLastlived]

No, he meant, 1000, TIMES.

[@marctelfer6159]

At the University of Sheffield, although very briefly mentioned, back in 2007/2008, at least a couple of our lecturers references this as a "why not?" of our species' evolution. As with much of archaeology, though, this may be largely tied in with other developments. We are our best, and the worst of us the prevailed

[@johnsweeney6072]

I don’t have a drinking problem. I drink 🍻I get drunk 🥴 I fall down no problem. 👍🇦🇺

[@limjahey8174]

That was beautiful Evan. 6 months clean from opiates as of Three days ago. “ There is nothing more human than addiction” Evan Hadfield

[@woahdude3124]

You act like alcohol was the only drug people were using back then lmao

[@woahdude3124]

Jerremy Hughes more like shrooms

[@CigsInABlanket]

@@woahdude3124 Agreed. I believe most, if not all religions were written up by people on shrooms, peyote, or ayahuasca. There are even theories that state before we were "humans", we evolved to grow much more brain matter, and we became a far more intelligent species because of psychedelic use.

[@blazerix8]

Don't forget marijuana people have been blazing for all of history

[@keelo-byte]

all those prehistoric MDMA labs. raves back in 6000bc must have been bangin!

[@choronos]

@Frank Howe Mushrooms exist globally, my friend. There were shamanic-type cultures all over the world. I'd argue the reasons no lasting religions came out of the Americas might have something to do with most of the people living here being exterminated by European diseases and settlers during the discovery of the "New World."

[@matthewhenthorn3343]

i've only got one problem with this theory: the bored caveman. I used to work in reenactment and i grew up playing in the garden. for years i wasn't interested in getting a phone and when i did it was a basic model. I only got a smartphone because i had to for work and even then i rarely used it. the only time I tend to rely on modern tech is when i have nothing else to do. back then the day was often busy: finding food, hunting, butchering, setting traps, cooking, making tools fixing shelters and yes storytelling (which is great by the way and is way better then deadpool). an old saying goes: a man will work from dawn to set of sun, but a Woman's job is never done. this shows that you were working and awful lot. also it makes a bit more sense that they would have alcohol at celebrations and other things after great fights, hunts or great endeavours or tragedies. I know people that have been completely smashed at a party celebrating football or whatever and some who drown their sorrows at funerals or after getting fired from a job. it's more a reaction that an action. i'm more inclined to go with the idea of it's safer and more nutritious then other ways of storing food and grain. in europe when the water was bad they use wine, Ail or beer and even in the trenches of WW1 they added whisky to the water.

[@redline9979]

Interesting theory, but the ending where you say; “There’s nothing more human than addiction” is nothing more than your convenient choice of wording to push your theory’s agenda... My point, I can think of a lot of things more human than addiction, without any true effort... For instance: •Love •Pain •Fear •Lust •Hunger •Laughter •Sadness Etc... Etc... Etc... Etc... Etc... Etc... Please note, I’m not trying to come across as cynical, but your closing comment has no true merit! Please, if you disagree, I’d love to understand why... Regardless, your video is/was still very thought provoking and entertaining.... Cheers

[@RareEarthSeries]

Poets aren't actually given licenses, and phrases don't actually turn. Yet everyone understands the meaning.

[@redline9979]

Rare Earth, hmmmmm.... I’m just going to assume that you must be waaaaaay smarter/philosophical than I am! My reasoning, I literally have No FN clue why and/or what your responses point was/is...

[@ruki4929]

Yet animals laugh, love, have pain, have fear, have hunger, have sex drive...but not many animals are addicts. Even if so, most likely not by nature. SO in a way, there's nothing more solely human than addiction.

[@Shookieofminecraftia]

Redline chillllll these videos are more meant to be thought provoking than anything else and they certainly accomplish that

[@RareEarthSeries]

Google "there's nothing more human than..." and you'll find the phrase is commonly used to describe things that are very common, rather than the factual 'most human thing'. That's called poetic license, or turning a phrase. Hence my response.

[@fairygrant5097]

This has been a theory for a while.

[@damianich4824]

This is a very fun theory, but hunter gatherers coexisted with farmers for a long time. Surely they could have traded for alcohol and kept their lifestyle indefinitely if that had been their desire.

[@RareEarthSeries]

Not everything happens to everyone at the same time for the same reasons. There were hunter gatherers for a long time after we got agriculture, as that was their lifestyle. It doesn't mean this didn't cause others to settle down.

[@damianich4824]

@@RareEarthSeries Thanks for the reply.

[@AntoniusTyas]

Evan's opening words on this video reminds me of a parody song about alcohol that kept me and my friend sleepless from laughing non-stop

[@alaska7766]

Antonius Tyaswidyono what song?

[@vilstef6988]

Homer: Have a beer! Barney Gumble: Whoa! Where has this stuff been all my life!

[@twistedtrail8414]

Incredible outlook. ive often wondered why anyone would farm if they had any other option.this is as plausible as any hypothesis I've heard.

[@frankendragon5442]

'Work is the curse of the drinking classes.' -- Oscar Wilde

[@shanephelan75]

I'm drinking vodka right now....BTW I live in BC Canada..... get this 100% true: my grandfather is 94 years Old, he's still drinks 1 to 2 bottles of whiskey per day and 1 to 2 packs of smokes, never had heart attacks or strokes or cancer, 100% perfect health....everyone in my family ( Irish and native american). always live to at least 90 years old, all drink alcohol daily, most smoke or use drugs, all are 100% healthy.... we only die early from car wrecks or accidents etc.....my grandfather doesn't even drink tea or coffee or anything, just whiskey starts by 8:00am, then supper or meals he drinks milk, that's it!!!!? he never drinks anything but Pepsi, whiskey and milk!!! for over 50 plus years!!! 100% true.

[@darioinfini]

Dude, you do you. Your material is awesome. I was just thinking that despite coming to loathe KZbin for it's cultural agenda, it hosts some of the best content I've ever seen. And I would definitely put you in the distinguished top tier of content creators. Thumbs up to you no matter what budget you're working with.

[@NotApplicable1123]

Re: “Percocet growing on trees” see the “rat park” studies. It probably wouldn’t happen the way you think it would. That study and subsequent body of information give a really good perspective on the mechanisms of addiction.

[@BenitoBogalusa]

“Nothing more human than addiction”. great line!

[@orsino88]

This makes sense of the career of Dionysos in Greek myth, who is always described as arriving "late" in the Pantheon, and "from the East" (scholars now believe neither is true), and inducing extreme reactions (resistance, horror, but also ecstasy). So perhaps the cultivation of wine was indeed an import from the Near East; and wine itself was terrifying, because it readily caused the user to lose control, but also wonderful, because it was sweet and nourishing and happy-making.

[@BlackXxScopez]

I'm surprised I already learned about this - there's a book called "A history of the world in 6 glasses" that told the history of the world through drinks and how they came about

[@Zbyhonj]

How the hell do you keep pumping out videos this excellent is beyond me.

[@paulbeahm3891]

Drunkenness is just an amusement park ride that doesn't stop when you're ready to get off

[@Dominucastro47]

5:18 my boy said/mouthed the word amen (hidden) coinciding with him saying there was a god-sent while drinking it God bless the editors and art that is rare earth.

[@polinarad]

Really neat video and a unique perspective that is worth considering. Hello from Toronto Canada!

[@mr_q_02]

I first heard this theory (that we converted to farmers for beer) roughly 10 years ago. It made a great deal of sense at the time, and was my working theory until about 3 weeks ago. That's when an article was published that bread had been discovered that was older than agriculture! This bread would have been very scarce and likely very valuable. Given that the concept of wealth is far older than actual money, this led to my new working theory: Bread is valuable; making bread is like minting wealth; growing plants secures more bread. It's basically "vertical integration". But as has been pointed out, growing things is itself quite costly. So I would bet that most of the early farmers were either workers or slaves; they were not growing the food for themselves, but for someone who was already wealthy as a means to get wealthier. And where the rich go, the poor soon follow. Thus the world changed.

[@kunushiknows6874]

This should be trending .

[@sazji]

This is an interesting theory. But in terms of “things people do even though it sucks,” you seem to underestimate the lure of a constant food supply, even with the risks it entails. It may not have always worked out, especially before people learned to control water (and that brought its own problems) but one thing that sets us apart as humans is that we can imagine things that don’t exist yet. We pursue dreams of success and comfort, often when they seem completely unrealistic. Perhaps that’s a positive side to our tendency to be ‘unrealistic’ when we desire something?

[@lgomer3442]

00:53 did you say getting bonged? I like it hahahahaha

[@zaquszacz]

About farming when crops weren't that big, there are two things you missed that might be worth mentioning: Firstly, there were less people and their lifestyle, even with lots of physical activity such as farming was far less demanding for nutrition, so lower crops could have beenjust enough. Second of all: not all of crops were used just to feed, so farming would still make sense.

[@almansouri100]

This just felt like a really long intro to what could've been a really good episode.

[@NASkeywest]

Human beings.....needing beer money since 6,000 B.C.