What will our future life on earth look like? Floating cities, flying to work and traveling in cars capable of operating underwater? And how will technology advance to make use of our natural resources to help feed our growing population in such areas as food, water and electricity?
The era of smog-filled skies will be over, because fewer of us will be driving cars. There will no longer be the use for cars and roads as we’ll be piloting environmentally friendly personal vehicles between cities and under the seas. And we will never be lost again thanks to GPS-driven virtual mapping. Then again, with teleportation we will not need to travel at all.
And, best of all, we’ll all have more time to enjoy the astounding advances of our near future, because we’ll all be living longer. A lot longer. Find out what we can expect to see in the future in this well produced documentary.
Zeitgeist: Moving Forward is the third installment in Peter Joseph‘sZeitgeist film series. The movie was independently released simultaneously in over 60 countries and in over 30 languages on January 15, 2011 with over 340 screenings worldwide, making it one of the largest independent events in film history. The film was launched for free on the Internet starting January 26, 2011, it has received over 300,000 views on YouTube in the first 24 hours and over 1.4 million views in five days since the release. On February 1, 2011, a torrent file was released as a free download through the VODO network, allowing for donations to the project.
Zeitgeist: Moving Forward is arranged into four successive parts. Within each part is an amalgam of expert interviews, narration and animated sequences.
Human Nature
The film begins with a brief animated sequence narrated by Jacque Fresco (founder of The Venus Project). He describes his adolescent life and discontinuation of public education at the age of 14 to study under his own will. Fresco’s radical views resulted from his experiences during the Great Depression and World War II. Studying the social sciences, mechanical and social engineering, architecture among numerous other fields of study for 75 years have failed to alter this initial radical disposition, which is outlined in greater detail later in the film. The discussion turns to human behavior and the nature vs. nurture debate. This portion begins with a small clip with Robert Sapolsky summing up the nature vs. nurture debate which he essentially refers it as a “false dichotomy.” After which he states that “it is virtually impossible to understand how biology works, outside the context of environment.” During which time the film then goes onto describe that it is neither Nature or Nurture that shapes human behavior but both are supposed to influence behavior. The interviewed pundits state that even with genetic predispositions to diseases, the expression and manifestation of disease is largely determined by environmental stressors. Disease, criminal activity and addictions are also placed in the same light. One study discussed, showed that newly born babies are more likely to die if they are not touched. Another study which was mentioned, claimed to show how stressed women were more likely to have children with addiction disorders. A reference is made to the unborn children who were in utero during the Dutch famine of 1944. The “Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study” is mentioned to have shown that obesity and other health complications became common problems later in life, due to prolonged starvation of their mother during pregnancy. Comparisons are made by sociologists of criminals in different parts of the world and how different cultures with different values can often have more peaceful inhabitants. An Anabaptist sect called the Hutterites are mentioned to have never reported a homicide in any of their societies. The overall conclusion of Part I is that social environment and cultural conditioning play a large part in determining human behavior.
Social Pathology
The origins of our modern economic paradigm are explored, beginning with John Locke and Adam Smith. In Two Treatises of Government, John Locke lays out the fundamental principles of private ownership of land, labor and capital. In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith mentions the invisible hand balancing out supply and demand leading to trade equilibrium. The argument becomes religious as the invisible hand is interpreted as the hand of God. A critical view of economic theory is made by questioning the need for private property, money and the inherent inequality between agents in the system. Also seen critically is the need for repetitive consumption (in order to maintain market share) hence wasted resources. Planned obsolescence is shown to be another important side-effect of the market system, where goods are deliberately made defective or not having sufficient technology in order to maintain a large turnover rate. The economic paradigm is then termed anti-economy due to these profligate activities. The above described process of individuals and groups exchanging goods, labor and capital is mentioned as the market economy.
The other component is the monetary economy. The monetary system regulates the money supply and interest rates by buying/selling treasuries. More critical views of the monetary system are explained. In the final analysis the current monetary system can only result in default or hyperinflation. This is because when money comes into existence it is created by loans at interest. The existing money supply is only the principal. The interest to pay the loan that created the money does not exist in the money supply and must be borrowed repetitively in order to service the debt. Due to this exponential money supply growth, the value of money is eventually destroyed.
Project Earth
As with Zeitgeist: Addendum, to improve the human condition the film presents a “resource-based economy” as advocated by Jacque Fresco. The dialogue leads to a train of thought on how human civilization should start from the beginning. Imagine an exact copy of Earth somewhere in space: conduct a survey of the planet, to assess the resource types, locations, quantities, to satisfy human demands; track the consumption and depletion of resources to regulate human demands and maintain the condition of the environment; localize the distribution of resources, to control environmental impacts and maintain self-sufficiency; place an emphasis on recycling and the use of public transportation, in order to avoid resource waste. Through the global application of revolutionary technologies in the manufacturing and distribution sectors, labor and money will become obsolete; thereby establishing the foundation of a resource-based economy. Various technologies for improving civilization under the Resource-Based Economy are described. The city structure will consist of concentric rings, every ring serving one critical function necessary for the function of a self-sufficient city: agriculture, energy production, residents, hospitals, schools, etc. For agriculture, hydroponics and aeroponics are mentioned as a possible solutions for food shortages. Maglev trains provide transport for the city residents. Manufacturing and construction become automated with mechanized technologies, such as three-dimensional printing and computer-aided manufacturing. Mentioned energy production methods: photovoltaic paint, wind turbines, pressure transducers and geothermal power plants.
Rise
The current world state of affairs is described in a dire light. The peak oil phenomenon is seen as a threat to civilization’s progress, potentially resulting in extinction. Pollution, deforestation, climate change, overpopulation, and warfare are all blamed on the socioeconomic system. Various poverty statistics shown as progressive worsening of world culture. According to the United Nations, currently 18,000 children a day die from starvation. Also according to the UN, global poverty rates have doubled since the 1970s. Not directly mentioned, currently the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than at any time since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. The top 1% own more than 40% of the planet’s wealth. In other estimates not mentioned, the top 2% own more than 50% of the planet’s wealth.
The movie closes with a standoff between protesters on the streets of Times Square in New York City facing off against police in riot gear while in the midst of global economic depression. People withdraw trillions of dollars from the world’s central banks, then dump the money at the doors of the banks. The police stand down.
Several thousand years have passed since their construction, and still, the enigma of the pyramids is not fully understood.
The structures have survived all these years of natural weathering and damage inflicted by modern mankind.
Through the magic of computer simulation, the viewer can experience the pyramids as they must have appeared to the ancient Egyptians who built them.
Ultimate Guide: Pyramids also provides information on how the pyramids might have been constructed.
Documentary that goes inside the framework of pyramids to show how these structures have changed over time, starting as flat-roofed houses and evolving into temples and grave sites.
The program reconstructs how these fabled pyramids and their cities must have looked at the peak of their civilizations.
Permaculture is a bit of everything. To some it is architecture, to others, organic farming. Some say it is a philosophy and a way of life, others believe it is their only hope. Permaculture is a design system, but the engineering principles it follows are those of life. Earth evolved from dust and gas and made in the energy of a huge hydrogen furnace known as the sun, a living system powerful enough to colonize an entire planet was born.
Mollison looked at this process and saw a model. Here was a system that was stable and fertile, yet became ever more complex… and that is how Mollison believes are own environment should be.
This documentary explores the highly controversial subject of the design of America’s capital. Was the city built to reflect the majesty of America’s newfound freedom? Or the hidden agenda of secret societies? With every major cornerstone laid by Freemasons, was the city built in a Masonic pattern? Embark upon this incredible journey as Riddles in Stone interviews experts on both sides of the heated debate. Watch as Freemason apologists defend some of the most direct and hard-hitting questions concerning the influence of Masonry in America, and its symbolism in Washington, D.C.
Alongside them are leading researchers who maintain that occult architecture permeates the city, and conceals a secret agenda. Was D.C. laid out according to the pattern of the stars? Is there really a pentagram in the street layout north of the White House? Does a Masonic square and compass extend from the Capitol building to the Washington monument? And why is the city filled with zodiac symbols, mysterious faces, and various god and goddess images? If America was founded as a Christian nation only, where are the images of Jesus Christ? Or does Washington D.C. symbolize another Christ, the Masonic Christ?
Stonehenge, located on the Salisbury Plain in Southern England, has long been associated with Druids, a group of wise men present in England more than 2000 years ago. Still today at Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, Druid celebrations are held at Stonehenge. But were they the actual designers?
Excavations underneath the stones have revealed artifacts, like antler horns, carbon dated at 4000 years ago. Bodies found buried nearby are of the same age. This rules out the Druids, as well as the Romans who followed them. This even pre-dates immigrant settlers from Europe. That leaves a primative people known as Ancient Britons, who lived at the start of the bronze age. Great precision was used in assembling the 15,000 tons of rock into circles. Did they have the know-how?
Examining the stones, the large ones come from just 20 miles away and could have been dragged there by the Ancient Britons. But what of the smaller Bluestones? Investigation shows that they are found 200 miles away in S.W. Wales. Did they have the ability to carry these stones over water for that distance? The recent discovery of an ancient boat made from a log carrying quarried stones, points to the answer. Several of these boats lashed together and covered with a platform could transport the Bluestones. Investigators using manpower and simple wooden scaffolding have shown they had the technology at the time to erect Stonehenge.
The big remaining question is why did they build it? People who study architecture say it was probably a place of worship. Towering over the people as it did, it inspired a sense of something larger than themselves. The closing segment investigated a mass grave of skeletons found in the area. Using tests on the enamel of the teeth, scientists are able to determine where these people grew up. It was in Wales, the location of the Bluestones.
The history of Britain and the aspirations of her Christian communities can be traced in the glorious excesses of the cathedrals. From Norman grandeur to the modern interpretations found in Liverpool and Coventry, explore the changing styles of the cathedrals in our midst.
As the first Gothic cathedral to be built in Britain, Canterbury was at the forefront of an architectural revolution. But the building we know today has its origins in the most famous murder of the medieval age – that of Thomas Becket in December 1170.
St. Giles’ in Edinburgh is among our most modest cathedrals, yet became the symbolic heart of Scottish Christianity. When Charles I tried to change the way Scots worshipped and turn the church into a cathedral, he was playing with fire. Here, the building’s unsettled history is brought to life.
In the early 19th century the grand architecture of York Minster was an enigma. But then in 1829 “the voice of God” drove Jonathan Martin to burn the cathedral down. While locals became obsessed with finding and punishing the perpetrator, architect John Browne became equally enthralled by the secrets the decimated structure began to reveal.
It’s hard to believe that while the European continent was entrenched in the horrors of the Dark Ages, the Mayan culture was thriving. Not only did the Mayans create a complicated written language, they had far exceeded the Europeans in their study and mapping of the stars and planets, mathematics, and architecture. What happened to the Mayan people? How did they come to be? Why was this isolated culture so advanced? These questions and many others are explored in The Mystery of Maya.
Originally shot in the IMAX format, this film was intended to make the viewer feel as if they were actually creeping through the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala until finally coming upon the great Mayan ruins. Directors Brian Howells and Robert Rochin Naya take their cameras and crew to several of the major Mayan ruin sites to investigate and see what clues and insights can be found.
Actress Susan Glover narrates this adventure documentary, giving needed commentary on the locales and practical purposes of the structures that are seen. Larry Crosley and Dario Domingues provide the musical score. (Barnes & Noble)
The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period, which began around the 8th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Qi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire’s new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders. It is estimated that over 1 million workers died building the wall.[5]
The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army’s defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Manchurian and Mongolian tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadic tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert’s southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the Huang He.
Photograph of the Great Wall in 1907
Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strong.[citation needed]
During the 1440s–1460s, the Ming also built a so-called “Liaodong Wall”. Similar in function to the Great Wall (whose extension, in a sense, it was), but more basic in construction, the Liaodong Wall enclosed the agricultural heartland of the Liaodong province, protecting it against potential incursions by Jurched-Mongol Oriyanghan from the northwest and the Jianzhou Jurchens from the north. While stones and tiles were used in some parts of the Liaodong Wall, most of it was in fact simply an earth dike with moats on both sides.[6]
Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that began around 1600. Under the military command of Yuan Chonghuan, the Ming army held off the Manchus at the heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from entering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, when the gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by Wu Sangui, a Ming border general who disliked the activities of rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and defeated the newly founded Shun Dynasty and remaining Ming resistance, to establish the Qing Dynasty.
In 2009, an additional 290 kilometres (180 miles) of previously undetected portions of the wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, were discovered. The newly discovered sections range from the Hushan mountains in the northern Liaoning province to Jiayuguan in western Gansu province. The sections had been submerged over time by sandstorms that moved across the arid region.[7]
Under Qing rule, China’s borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so construction and repairs on the Great Wall were discontinued. (excerpt from wikipedia.org )
Travel to a land of breathtaking beauty and ancient intellect, where science, art and inspiration from the gods combined to produce some of the world’s greatest marvels of architecture and design. From prehistoric palaces to bold symbols of victory, explore the seven ancient wonders that stir spectators to this day: the Theatre of Epidaurus, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, Apollo’s Temple at Delphi, the Colossus of Rhodes, the settlement at Santorini, the Palace of Knossos and surely the greatest masterpiece of them all the Parthenon.
Learn how such impressive displays of engineering were managed in a time when technology was still in its infancy. Engineers and architectural experts detail the unique structural aspects that make each monument so “wonder-ful,” while historians describe each wonder’s powerful role in ancient Greek life.
Explore the seven wonders of ancient Greece, including the Theatre of Epidaurus, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, Apollo’s Temple at Delphi, the Colossus of Rhodes, the settlement at Santorini, the Palace of Knossos, and surely the greatest masterpiece of them all, the Parthenon!
the documentary film vault 