tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post8545844854062232680..comments2024-03-28T13:53:04.287-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: How warfare shaped human evolutionPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-65053526729792282612008-11-14T13:35:00.000-06:002008-11-14T13:35:00.000-06:00I've considered the technological evolution of war...I've considered the technological evolution of war, mostly as a consideration of cultures without a significant amount of war. Most of our tactics, and technology, are a result of centuries of constant conflict, or anticipation of conflict. We've always been one war behind on tactics and strategy, trying to fight the next war like the last. If a civilization actually managed to end war, even if they had a military, they would be stuck back in time as far as tactics go, and even most technology.<BR/><BR/>There's no greater example of this than the gun, and how it's used. China had gunpowder for centuries before Europe did, but the gun wasn't invented until a "bunch of barbarians" got a hold of the recipe, and decided to stick some in a tube. And then in the time it took the Chinese to <I>not</I> invent the gun, we turned it into a breechloading, smokeless powered machine(of course, the Japanese might have one-upped everybody, had they decided the gun was spoiling everyone's fun and crippled it's development on the islands)><BR/><BR/>Tactics show another story. The military, like many bureacracies, is reluctant to take too much change at a time. We tried to fight the War Between the States like the Revolutionary war, and WWI like the Napoleonic Wars. <BR/><BR/>Most likely if we find aliens, if they've been at peace for too long, they'll probably have bolt-action laser rifles, and stand in line to march behind the artillery bombardment. This was of course the point, to decide how an alien race would fight, given that they might not have really fought in a while, and their leaders would have a set of strategies and tactics very outdated compared to ours.Lorenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843550881990596267noreply@blogger.com