This might be a complicated question, so apologies in advance:
So I began looking up threads on how to prevent the Industrial Revolution last night, and that was a whole quagmire stretching back years. But some interesting earlier PODs did come up linked to the causes.
Including:
1. Dutch victory in the Eighty Years War
2. The Agrarian Revolution in Britain
3. Defeat of the Spanish Armada (and survival of a protestant kingdom under Elizabeth I)
4. British trade dominance in the 18th century
5. The Black Death and the improved standard of living that came with the smaller population, and that this would also stunt the Renaissance somewhat
6. Rise of Protestantism.
7. Linked to these are the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
Now back to the earliest of those, the Black Death. The entire serfdom system was undermined by the death of as much as a third of the population in some places, contributing to the rise of the merchant class and vis a vis a long series of events was beneficial for humanity as a whole in the long run. And Europe was dealing with starvation prior anyway and the possibility of some even more major instability and war as a result. I also looked up threads on these, and someone had an interesting idea regarding the Black Death: what if it affected livestock and not humans instead? So that there was no huge plague alleviating Europe's population problems. Plagues still come and go like they always had, but nothing on the scale of the Black Death.
So the Industrial Revolution might be the most obvious era of change and progress, a technological singularity in its own right, but not the only phenomena.
My challenge to you, should you choose to accept it, is to put back civilisation and technology by as much as possible with a POD no earlier than 1300.
You can use as many PODs as you like, use all the ones I mentioned and more if you like. But try to stop, stunt, or delay:
1. The Renaissance
2. The Enlightenment
3. The end of serfdom
4. The Industrial Revolution
5. Technological progress in general
And also:
Please say all the PODs you use and why. If you think something can be prevented from happening say why or if delayed say how long and where it might occur instead (e.g. Industrial Revolution starts in Thailand in the early 2020s)
Please also say the short and long term effects of the PODs, what level you think civilisation would be at today (2000-2012) roughly and when you think that TL would finally reach out tech level (e.g. 2500 for the internet, mass production and urbanisation on levels similar to today)
This is kinda a big challenge, but I think you guys are up to it. Pick and choose parts of it, like only one POD if you like.
So I began looking up threads on how to prevent the Industrial Revolution last night, and that was a whole quagmire stretching back years. But some interesting earlier PODs did come up linked to the causes.
Including:
1. Dutch victory in the Eighty Years War
2. The Agrarian Revolution in Britain
3. Defeat of the Spanish Armada (and survival of a protestant kingdom under Elizabeth I)
4. British trade dominance in the 18th century
5. The Black Death and the improved standard of living that came with the smaller population, and that this would also stunt the Renaissance somewhat
6. Rise of Protestantism.
7. Linked to these are the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
Now back to the earliest of those, the Black Death. The entire serfdom system was undermined by the death of as much as a third of the population in some places, contributing to the rise of the merchant class and vis a vis a long series of events was beneficial for humanity as a whole in the long run. And Europe was dealing with starvation prior anyway and the possibility of some even more major instability and war as a result. I also looked up threads on these, and someone had an interesting idea regarding the Black Death: what if it affected livestock and not humans instead? So that there was no huge plague alleviating Europe's population problems. Plagues still come and go like they always had, but nothing on the scale of the Black Death.
So the Industrial Revolution might be the most obvious era of change and progress, a technological singularity in its own right, but not the only phenomena.
My challenge to you, should you choose to accept it, is to put back civilisation and technology by as much as possible with a POD no earlier than 1300.
You can use as many PODs as you like, use all the ones I mentioned and more if you like. But try to stop, stunt, or delay:
1. The Renaissance
2. The Enlightenment
3. The end of serfdom
4. The Industrial Revolution
5. Technological progress in general
And also:
Please say all the PODs you use and why. If you think something can be prevented from happening say why or if delayed say how long and where it might occur instead (e.g. Industrial Revolution starts in Thailand in the early 2020s)
Please also say the short and long term effects of the PODs, what level you think civilisation would be at today (2000-2012) roughly and when you think that TL would finally reach out tech level (e.g. 2500 for the internet, mass production and urbanisation on levels similar to today)
This is kinda a big challenge, but I think you guys are up to it. Pick and choose parts of it, like only one POD if you like.