Ancient Aliens???

[EmergencyIan]

Maybe it's just me, but the series "Ancient Aliens" on the History channel seems ridiculously far fetched, most of the time. It, now, seems as though they come up with a topic and somehow involve "ancient aliens" in it.

I'm not saying that the "ancient alien" theory is completely off base. There may be something to it, but...

What do you think about the series and/or about "ancient aliens" in general?


- Ian

[TomStrong]

I think man and ancient man in particular is a wondrous creature in and of himself. I think we sell ourselves short in thinking that the only way the ancients achieved great works was through a superior alien technology. Man has achieved great things both ancient and modern and it's just possible that our current manner of thinking and beliefs clouds our minds to the way the ancients built things and solved their problems.

[enyawd72]

I think that one dude needs to buy a freaking comb already. Seriously, what is up with that guy's hair? You're on TV. Try not to look like you just crawled out of a dumpster.
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[osker55]

I like the series very much a lot of different nahlig and if I was on tv my hairs would be like that to.

[torgospizza]

I think Tsoukalos is shortchanging ancient civilizations, and it's entirely probable there have been stages we've lost knowledge and had to regain it later, due to war, disease, or whatever. It's like the nonsense people believe about flat-earthers--it's been pretty much common knowledge since the Bronze Age that the earth was round--there were just periods when certain peoples forgot it, essentially. Surely, in an empire the size of Egypt's, they could find math savants that could hash out problems for them about stuff like moving stones. Thinking it takes aliens with anti-gravity rays to build the pyramids is almost insulting.

EDIT: Or to put it more succinctly, "What TomStrong said."

[enyawd72]

I tell ya...my trip to the Cleveland museum of art several years ago was a real eye opener. When you see all the incredible and intricate sculptures, carvings, metal works, etc that people hundreds and thousands of years ago were capable of, you realize how far mankind has fallen. So many of these things are now considered lost arts. That's why it'll be a cold day in Hell before I trade in my paint brushes and canvas for a digital drawing pad.

[boss]

The ancient alien theory is completely off base.

[jimsmegos]

I can see where people buy into the "theory" but I think a show that would be far more interesting would be something that really digs into the times and moments when things really "popped" such as the Industrial Revolution and how once the ball started rolling it went totally nuts for a while and then slowed down for a bit. Studying the catalysts of change if you will.

Another thing shows like this (and the people who buy into all of this) is that we have the luxury of fast forwarding through years, decades, centuries, etc in our observations. A year took a year then just like it does now however the minutia of then is completed faded and the key moments are the only things that shine through. The pyramids are the end results of god only knows how many decades of day in and day out work. Countless lives and families that came and gone during it's construction.

To make it even more modern day relevant; I'm 40 and to me the Interstate system has always existed. I didn't watch it come together. How could it be possible that people EVER traversed the country from sea to shining sea without these smooth, clear cut and marked roads? It must have been an alien guide that walked the Native Americans around by hand for all of those centuries prior to Eisenhower's desire to mimic the ... Germans?!? Not the Martians? Wait. What?

Or I'm wrong.

[monitor_ep]

What the Earth is not flat?????

[Werewolf]

What do you think about the series and/or about "ancient aliens" in general?

I don't think they really know what the word theory means. Claiming Leonardo Di Vinci was abducted by aliens is not a theory. It's the lunatic rantings of an unhinged mind.

[torgospizza]

I can see where people buy into the "theory" but I think a show that would be far more interesting would be something that really digs into the times and moments when things really "popped" such as the Industrial Revolution and how once the ball started rolling it went totally nuts for a while and then slowed down for a bit. Studying the catalysts of change if you will.

That would be interesting. Think about how long we had the wheel before someone decided to connect a couple of them with an axle. It took longer than what we would assume. A lot of things have to come together, too--not having domesticated draft animals in the New World caused it to not really take off in North America until the Spaniards arrived, while that wasn't an obstacle in the rest of the world.

[z3zep]

The first season was fun, while I don't believe the theory -- I liked listening to these guys sell it. but after that season they were really stretching it to keep the series going. I stopped watching. And btw, I like the dude with the crazy hair.

[drquest]

[jwyblejr]

Slightly off topic but did anyone catch the special on Syfy Sunday about the aliens on the moon?

[jimsmegos]

This thread influenced me to watch some of the shows last night. The big that really got on my nerves was that all of these "theorists" base their thoughts on the idea that ancient man had no imagination. The announcers line was the same over and over again; "Their _______ read like science fiction." Well maybe it is their science fiction. Dumb asses.