Random Reddit Q&A #1

I came across a really good question on /r/AskReddit and I felt it was the perfect question to answer here. The question was posted by /u/AudioPhoenix on 14JUN18.

If you could have 1 hour of 4k footage of any event in history what would you want to see?

This question is tricky because you can interpret it one of two ways. Either the literal way of any event in history, or you could interpret it as any event in human history. This interpretation posed a  debate between David, Olivia and I. I understood it as any event in history, whereas I believe Olivia understood it to mean human history.

So, if we're going to roll with my interpretation of it, than I would have to say the impact event that wiped out dinosaurs. Around 65 million an asteroid around 6 miles across hit the earth somewhere around the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico at a speed of about 10-20 miles/second. During the impact the kinetic energy in the asteroid is converted into explosive energy  blowing debris of dust, soil, and rocks not only into the atmosphere, but out into space, where it fell back into the top of the atmosphere1. The impact killed off 3/4 of the planets life and covered the planet in a thick cloud of dust in the high atmosphere of Earth killing plants and disrupting the food chain. It was devastating to say the least. Could you even begin to imagine 4K footage of a 6 mile wide asteroid impacting our precious fragile little planet? It would be so humbling and fucking scary to witness an event as earth shattering as this.

If you were to say "Mikel, no no no. It has to be human history," well then, that's easy too.  One hour of 4K footage of the discovery of fire. Not like a bush fire, or a lightning bolt zapping a tree and catching it ablaze. I'm talking about early humans discovering how to make fire. First of all, 4K footage of early humans would be, in of itself, amazing to watch. Just to peer into their interactions and conversations with each other. Can I get subtitles for it? 

But to see early homo erectus using twigs and flint to create a controlled fire would be amazing. When you think about it, controlled fire is still the greatest discovery to mankind. It was what would eventually separate us from uncivilized creatures to a modern man. It helped cook meat, making food safer to eat. It helped humans survive otherwise inhospitable weather. It also became a gathering point for people to converse and share stories. Fire was, and to this day still is, vital to our existence and perseverance.