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I should add that Kirill Yeskov is a paleontologist and science popularizer. Here's his own explanation how he wrote "The Last Ringbearer": one of the reasons h

I should add that Kirill Yeskov is a paleontologist and science popularizer. Here's his own explanation how he wrote "The Last Ringbearer": one of the reasons he mentions is that Middle Earth was impossible geologically: https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x... In which he also mentions another famous book: "It would hardly occur to anyone to seriously analyze the functioning of the ecosystem of a barren desert inhabited by predatory worms the size of a multiple unit train that feed on walking excavators and then sweat psychedelics: fantasy is fantasy, what do you want from it?" He also wrote a great book on the Earth evolution and life evolution, in which he also explains how science works and worked earlier, and what were older theories, and Popper criterium as well. Here are some of his lectures for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEp7o0-w-uU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEp7o0-w-uU ..and an interview with some charts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdyW9V10IEQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdyW9V10IEQ (unfortunately, auto-translated automatic captions aren't readable, giving just an idea of what the talk is about)

CrazyStat 4y ago
>Being a paleoantologist, he made a question to Tolkien's book: why the Middle Earth had such strange land mass distribution, which is geologically impossible. And this started the "Last Ringbearer" book. Unfortunately he missed the answer: at the time Tolkien was writing, plate tectonics was still considered an absurd hypothesis, the subject of mockery by "serious" geologists. As such the understanding of "geologically impossible" at that time was rather different than when Yeskov was writing a few decades later. It was not until the 1950s that widespread sea floor mapping and research, made possible by the now-unnecessarily-large-and-mostly-idle US Navy, provided conclusive evidence that forced the geology establishment to accept plate tectonics. It's easy to forget how recently we stopped being totally wrong about things like that.
- antifa 4y ago
  > the Middle Earth had such strange land mass distribution, which is geologically impossible I would love to watch a YouTube video explaining the geology of Middle Earth and the geology science explaining why it's impossible.
  - peace4all 4y ago
    Here's Kirill Yeskov's own explanation how he wrote it, Google-translated: https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x...
    - CrazyStat 4y ago
      Here's a proper human translation of the same essay: https://www.salon.com/2011/02/23/last_ringbearer_explanation/ https://www.salon.com/2011/02/23/last_ringbearer_explanation... Note how he discusses plate tectonics and Tolkein's ignorance, having forgotten (or never realized) that plate tectonics was not taken seriously in Tolkein's time.
      - peace4all 4y ago
        He has written a big book on evolution of Earth and theories around it. [1] It includes a whole chapter on plate tectonics, the preceding theories, and how plate tectonics itself was gradually accepted. In the book, there's also a large review on other scientific problems, like where the Sun gets energy from, why the Earth has magnetic field, where does internal the heat of the Earth come from, etc. Lots of "how do we know that..." questions. A great review, highly recommend. So he's 100% aware what status plate tectonics had in Tolkien's time. I think he also mentions that as a linguist he wasn't a geologist, and could draw the land whichever way he imagined. [1] Kirill Yeskov. History of Earth and Life On It. (in Russian) https://readli.net/istoriya-zemli-i-zhizni-na-ney/ https://readli.net/istoriya-zemli-i-zhizni-na-ney/
        CrazyStat 4y ago
- karencarits 4y ago
  If I recall correctly, the geography of Middle Earth was heavily changed during the wars between Morgoth and the Valas. I.e., it wasn't entirely shaped by natural processes but also by the willfull acts of semi-Gods
  - EddieDante 4y ago
    Meddlesome demons ruin everything. Too bad Feanor didn't think to create Stormbringer instead of the fucking Silmarils; he could have shoved it up Melkor's arse and then put the rest of the Valar and Maiar in their place.
acegopher 4y ago
Hey, just a note that the YouTube links are the same, which I don't think you intended.
goodpoint 4y ago
> paleoanthologist You meant "paleontologist" or is it a pun around anthologies?
- peace4all 4y ago
  no, just my mistake, corrected, ty
  - dingosity 4y ago
    Brian Eno had these "Oblique Strategy" cards with pithy sayings printed on them. He would famously refer to the card deck when in need of inspiration. My favourite card says "Honor thy Error as a hidden intention." Paleoanthologist is one of the best Freudian slips I've seen in a while. GO WITH IT!
caycep 4y ago
one can argue that perhaps the reason is paracausal! (apologies to Bungie...)

CrazyStat 4y ago

>Being a paleoantologist, he made a question to Tolkien's book: why the Middle Earth had such strange land mass distribution, which is geologically impossible. And this started the "Last Ringbearer" book. Unfortunately he missed the answer: at the time Tolkien was writing, plate tectonics was still considered an absurd hypothesis, the subject of mockery by "serious" geologists. As such the understanding of "geologically impossible" at that time was rather different than when Yeskov was writing a few decades later. It was not until the 1950s that widespread sea floor mapping and research, made possible by the now-unnecessarily-large-and-mostly-idle US Navy, provided conclusive evidence that forced the geology establishment to accept plate tectonics. It's easy to forget how recently we stopped being totally wrong about things like that.

antifa 4y ago
> the Middle Earth had such strange land mass distribution, which is geologically impossible I would love to watch a YouTube video explaining the geology of Middle Earth and the geology science explaining why it's impossible.
- peace4all 4y ago
  Here's Kirill Yeskov's own explanation how he wrote it, Google-translated: https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp https://fan-lib-ru.translate.goog/e/eskov/text_0150.shtml?_x...
  - CrazyStat 4y ago
    Here's a proper human translation of the same essay: https://www.salon.com/2011/02/23/last_ringbearer_explanation/ https://www.salon.com/2011/02/23/last_ringbearer_explanation... Note how he discusses plate tectonics and Tolkein's ignorance, having forgotten (or never realized) that plate tectonics was not taken seriously in Tolkein's time.
    - peace4all 4y ago
      He has written a big book on evolution of Earth and theories around it. [1] It includes a whole chapter on plate tectonics, the preceding theories, and how plate tectonics itself was gradually accepted. In the book, there's also a large review on other scientific problems, like where the Sun gets energy from, why the Earth has magnetic field, where does internal the heat of the Earth come from, etc. Lots of "how do we know that..." questions. A great review, highly recommend. So he's 100% aware what status plate tectonics had in Tolkien's time. I think he also mentions that as a linguist he wasn't a geologist, and could draw the land whichever way he imagined. [1] Kirill Yeskov. History of Earth and Life On It. (in Russian) https://readli.net/istoriya-zemli-i-zhizni-na-ney/ https://readli.net/istoriya-zemli-i-zhizni-na-ney/
      - CrazyStat 4y ago
karencarits 4y ago
If I recall correctly, the geography of Middle Earth was heavily changed during the wars between Morgoth and the Valas. I.e., it wasn't entirely shaped by natural processes but also by the willfull acts of semi-Gods
- EddieDante 4y ago
  Meddlesome demons ruin everything. Too bad Feanor didn't think to create Stormbringer instead of the fucking Silmarils; he could have shoved it up Melkor's arse and then put the rest of the Valar and Maiar in their place.

acegopher 4y ago

Hey, just a note that the YouTube links are the same, which I don't think you intended.

goodpoint 4y ago

> paleoanthologist You meant "paleontologist" or is it a pun around anthologies?

peace4all 4y ago
no, just my mistake, corrected, ty
- dingosity 4y ago
  Brian Eno had these "Oblique Strategy" cards with pithy sayings printed on them. He would famously refer to the card deck when in need of inspiration. My favourite card says "Honor thy Error as a hidden intention." Paleoanthologist is one of the best Freudian slips I've seen in a while. GO WITH IT!

caycep 4y ago

one can argue that perhaps the reason is paracausal! (apologies to Bungie...)