Friday, March 1, 2013 —
A treasure trove of literary works by Rudyard Kipling, lost for decades, were found in an American home recently.
The works are to be published alongside his other pieces in a new volume coming out in March.
Scholars were giddy with the find, but if we’ve just found undiscovered works of a fairly well-known and modern writer, what else is out there waiting to be discovered? What else has been erased by the scourging sands of time?
I read on the BBC the other day that scientists now believe the universe to be inherently unstable, destined to collapse on itself and start all over again.
This may sound like news to you and I, but if you look at the religious texts of India, the Puranas, this is nothing out of the ordinary. The Puranas have stated the belief of the dissolution of the world and rebirth for countless centuries, and here our scientists are just not coming to support the idea.
What has happened over the years to our knowledge? Once derived from theological assertions, it now flows from empirical evidence, but what has been lost in the transition?
The propagation of knowledge has gone through a number of incarnations, but each one has left something behind, some detail consigned to oblivion.
People have striven to preserve as much as possible, at first by spreading their stories by word of mouth. Then, as society, technology and knowledge progressed, we had to formulate new ways of preserving knowledge, more efficient ways that would ensure proper transmission throughout the decades.
But even this isn’t enough to counteract oblivion.
It always finds a way to slither into the collective consciousness of human creation and rob us of a fact or two.
Did you know archeologists have found the remains of chemical batteries in Baghdad?
Where was that in the history books? What were the ancients using the power for and why?
The how and why have been lost over the ages, but the batteries still remain to tantalize us with their mystery.
No matter how much we learn, how much we discover, oblivion will always be waiting there to gobble up any pieces we don’t transmit.
So how do we prevent this?
Communication is the key.
Communication is the life-line that stretches throughout time, allowing us to answer the questions our children’s grandchildren will have.
While there is a certain level of majesty to the discovery of Kipling’s lost works (the man still lives on in his literature), it leaves me with hope and trepidation.
I’m fearful for what could be lost, what has been lost and what will never be discovered again.
I’m hopeful for the things yet to come, the discoveries yet to be made of our past.
And I’m hopeful for the future of knowledge. Everything is recorded and stored somewhere nowadays, providing a sound account for our descendents to utilize.
Oblivion is waiting right around the corner, but maybe with a concentrated effort, we can keep our knowledge from the jaws of extinction
Opinion & Letters to the Editor
Related Photos
-
Ian Faulkner
Discussion
Newly discovered writings bring hope for knowledge preservation
- Opinion & Letters to the Editor
-
-
School’s Out!
We took our last exams and then we sent the kids home for the summer. It is a happy day for both students and teachers. It has been a good school year, but it is always good to send the students home for summer vacation. Now we have a couple of days to clean our rooms, turn in our final grades, complete some paperwork and say good bye to our colleagues.
-
Many factors explain current economic situation in China
When I was growing up in the 1950s, China was our political enemy. My uncle, who lived next to my family, had fought the Chinese army in Korea, so nothing positive was said about China during family gatherings.
-
Remembering Our Heroes
Last weekend was Memorial weekend. It was three glorious days away from work. I spent almost every waking minute outside; I was actually still sitting on the front porch at midnight. The days were warm, not too hot, and the nights were cool. I know we won’t get another weekend like this until sometime late in the fall. In my opinion, it was a taste of heaven on earth. I hated to see it end.
-
Harristown News
Friends and Family Day
Spaulding Chapel AME Zion Church will celebrate Friends and Family Day on June 9. -
Remembering the Merritts
If you mention Merritt’s Store anywhere around Chapel Hill, most often you will hear something like, “Oh yes. Best BLTs I’ve ever tasted.”
-
We are Uniquely Made
Earlier this week the seniors at our school had one final hurdle to jump before graduation. They had to present their senior projects before panels of community members. Each room had four adults: the moderator and the three judges. You can be sure the students were quite nervous, but they usually do a great job. If they have practiced and prepared then they should experience success.
-
Ronald McDonald House of benefit to us all
On Tuesday, Stanly County Managers Association members heard a presentation concerning the Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte.
-
Celebrating small businesses and continuing new ways of communicating
Some stories are worth mentioning again.
-
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.
-
Google shuts down SMS search, angers people who had forgotten it existed
Instead of texting back search results, Google responds with a short message noting that the service "has been shutdown" (sic) and that you can continue to search the Web by visiting google.com (duh).
- More Opinion & Letters to the Editor Headlines
-
