« Why DIY is so popular | Main | Biggest demonstration of my patience »
February 10, 2009
Modern man's hubris
I was just watching a show on the history channel talking about the temple of Angkor Wat. I suggest reading about it as it is one of the biggest stone temples in the world and was completed in only a fraction of the time that most European cathedrals required.
The really interesting fact that caught my attention was how modern man in the 1980's was responsible for a restoration project that actually did more harm than help. They used concrete to try and seal some roofing stones together. The harm came when the monsoon rains arrived and proceeded to seep through cracks in the stone and dissolve harmful chemicals from the concrete. These chemicals had the potential to do damage to carvings that had stood for almost a millennium. What the restorers eventually figured out was that the ancient architects had already factored in the rain seeping through the cracks and had carved the stones with an internal channel that would carry excess water away.
A simple solution from nearly a millennium past almost ruined by the arrogance of modern thinking. Maybe a little something to consider when we say in confidence that we'll be able to develop technologies down the road that will fix the environmental damages we cause today...
Posted by Dr.Unk at February 10, 2009 3:52 PM
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)