The following is not a racist question

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The following is not a racist question:

Why is it that you never heard of any discoveries or inventions of new technology coming from much of Africa throughout history? Please tell me if I am wrong and that there were in fact many technological advancements in sub-sahara Africa throughout history.

Like why is it that Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Arabs, Europeans in the middle ages etc... have lots of discoveries in mathematics and technological advancements and so on.

And please don't simply answer "because people in Africa don't have access to a good education." Well, why is that the case then?

Also please do not say "because Africa is in constant warfare"... Europe has had many wars throughout history while many people made advancements.

So why is it that the Human Race of all types have made advancements but it seem like people from Africa have made little if any?
I am not trying to be racist. In fact I have seen videos and read articles of racists using this "phenomenon" to say that "whites are more developed than blacks."

Since all humans are humans why is it that Africa in the past and today is still so underdeveloped?

-Thank you for reading.

The list of reasons why not much visible breaking innovation comes from sub-saharan Africa could be very long. Some considerations.

* scientists emigrate to Western countries for better research infrastructure; hence the results of their work are attributed to the universities they work in;
* current development in Africa is still in need more of implementation of existing solutions (not breaking invention) and social innovation (look at organizations such as UTHANGO - mindblowing!);
* extremely high cost of dissemination/collaboration over internet (if the choice is between paying for 1 month's internet subscription vs. hiring 2(two) employees, what a rational person would choose?) - so lots of local invention-related news might never reach us.
* I recommend "Product Space Development" for a wider understanding of this ( http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/f ... maxtoshow= )

The students in engineering from African countries that I see here in Stockholm are EXTREMELY BRIGHT. Young people are so bright in face of limited resources it humbles me: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8257153.stm

I think a small group of people have had power and control in the world, over the Greek, Egyptian, Roman empires, the British empire and USA. If they did not support a country and invest money into it for their own ends it had no chance.

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe... the massive trade routes that existed there in the centuries prior to the "ascent" of Western cultures... and that much of what was known from that time was lost (Library of Alexandria)... I don't see validity to the statement. Another consideration is that environment tends to determine needs; the technology and advancement suited the needs of the people in that place, at that time. History is written by the victors... it colours all of what we know.


M.

I've wondered why historically there has been so little technological advancement from sub-Saharan Africa as well.

Technically Egypt is in the African Continent - and arguably they made many of the biggest advances of all time.

Also, your definition of "advancements" seem to be western ideas like building cities etc. I'm sure that a lot of people would consider the African lifestyle to be more in harmony with nature - if not necessarily themselves.

[Content redacted - M.]

Did I say something inflammatory/racist - or did TheOddGoat.
If I did, then I apologise, though I'm not quite sure what I did.

mainly because their stories were never heard. We wrote down everything, dismissed anything that didn't agree with us, and only now is someone paying attention.

I think in the future a lot of good things may come out of Africa.

You did not say anything racist, or else we wouldn't be able to see your post.

That was re: TOG, not you gbollard. No worries.


M.

A lot of things have been lost. And as some said, the Egyptians were great inventors.. at one time at least.

There were early africans that used fiat money. Their rulers made bags of of animal bladders. A small portion of them contained some silver, but most were simply filled with sand.

As long as the bags were left sealed, they were considered valid for trade.. people trusted and pretended there was silver in them.

Rip them open and chances are you just lost your money.

They are more than capable of innovation. Consider that they invented the bow and arrow, the spear, boats, traps, how to collect condensed water in a container...

As for modern stuff, check this out, he did it from scrap materials with few tools: http://bitbot.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/ ... ectricity/

I can tell you from being a black and having aspergers syndrome that there is very small level of black aspies in the world. I have not seen any whatsoever. It take the science oriented thinking of someone with aspergers a creative mind need for inventing things. I suspected that the aspergers gene was wiped out while black people was slaves, and any intellectual ability was seen unattractive by black woman but I thought that this has left Africans unaffected because they wasn’t sleves.

Generally in UK, London anyway, that in university there high levels of Africans in universities. They generally get well paying jobs and you seldom ever seem the pissed on the street, taking drugs or generally beggin-it like they is bad.

I have more to say but got to go to work.

I didn't say anything about race, you are racist because you assume (I imagine) that everyone in Africa who has AIDS or commits rape is of a particular race.


"One in four South African men questioned in a survey said they had raped someone, and nearly half of them admitted more than one attack."-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8107039.stm

And a report from the United Nations says that AIDS will kill half of all 15 year olds in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa by 2012 if something is not done soon. The report goes on to say that about 24 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa are living with HIV.

So are you thinking that culture has no influence on advancement and that Africa does not have a huge problem with rape and AIDS due to the culture?

The question was regarding things invented on the African continent; your response was incredibly racist, which was why it was removed. Now, you're simply off-topic.


M.

And is it not accurate to suggest that creativity has an influence on creating things?

See the second step in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, does the impact of high rates of rape and AIDS make sense to you now?



You are saying that rape and AIDS in Africa is a matter of race.

You can't be racist without referring to race, I didn't refer to race and you said rape and AIDS is a matter of race.

This makes you racist because you have asserted that race decides culture.

rac⋅ism
–noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement.

There is no one race populating all of Africa, and if there was I didn't say rape and AIDS rates are high there due to the race of anyone, YOU have said that by saying that saying to remember rape and AIDS in africa is racist.

It should be -obvious- why severe cultural issues would stunt invention for people in the area where there are these issues.

Edit again:
Would you say that saying native americans were nearly killed off by smallpox is racist?
If not, why not?
Would you agree that it is a geographical issue?
If you do not think disease is a matter of race, this means you probably specifically have a problem with black-african people because that is the stereotypical african race.