It certainly feels like it, doesn't it? That said, the reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic proves that very little happens today. Simply put, Covid would not be a major crisis in any era of history. For example, have you ever heard of the Russian Flu of 1889? It killed 1 million people and it barely even made a blip. And it was likely caused by a coronavirus! Covid seems like a big deal because we have solved so many other, larger problems. And that is a good thing.
It might not have killed tens of millions (far more people now too) but it surely did cause a lot of unrest because of all the precautions that were taken.
There's always something. 20 million people died in the Taiping Rebellion, a war that few people have even heard of. That's about 100 times as many deaths as there have been in Ukraine.
We don't live in interesting times. And that is good.
Surprising how few people know about the first photographs. Especially if you see how much people know about (imo) more trivial things on this site. And Im not talking about current things like popsingers (like the weird comments OMG I cant believe more people know *insert current popartist* than *insert someone from a deacde ago*). \
I would think the coming of photography a rather big thing. Modern times would be the same without it ;) but the leader of some group, somewhere, for a few years. People know.
I might be slightly biased, cause I am interested in inventions. But even if I didnt know it, I think my opinion would be the same. That it is weird how we dont know about the origin of some things that play a big role in our lives, but know some other trivial things in great detail.
I definitely learned about this in the several photography classes that I took in high school and at university... and I think it also came up in more general history classes though more in passing.
Daguerre actually stole the idea from Nicéphore Niepce. They even had a contract that stipulated that Daguerre could use and try to improve it, as long as he acknowledged that it was Niepce's idea. Then Niepce died and Daguerre claimed all the credit.
The Finnish town of Jyväskylä was founded around that time, but its population is still only about 150,000. I cannot see how any European city possibly could fit that description - all the major cities are old.
Add war in Ukraine, and Israel.
Migration crisis.
Global warming.
We don't live in interesting times. And that is good.
I would think the coming of photography a rather big thing. Modern times would be the same without it ;) but the leader of some group, somewhere, for a few years. People know.
I might be slightly biased, cause I am interested in inventions. But even if I didnt know it, I think my opinion would be the same. That it is weird how we dont know about the origin of some things that play a big role in our lives, but know some other trivial things in great detail.
Me: One more to go, slam dunk
Me: Oh shoot, food knowledge, I guess I'll give up.
Me: Let me guess some sauces. Alfredo? Marinara? Worchestersh -- oh, it's over