Recent comments in /f/todayilearned

quantdave t1_j84mstj wrote

Reply to TIL that the Roman Empire had twice the level of urbanization than Europe did at the start of the 19th century by celzin01

That urbanisation estimate is deeply flawed (the wikipedia entry even claims a higher percentage than the source it cites): don't believe everything you read, least of all on wikipedia. The claim that Roman urbanisation was "twice as high as that of Europe at the turn of the 19th century" (an assertion likewise not made by the cited authors) rests on combining a thus inflated Roman percentage (with places as small as 1,000 inhabitants reckoned as "urban") with a far more conservative one for later Europe (here probably with a lower limit of 5,000): applying a common definition they seem about evenly matched, with Europe c.1800 probably slightly ahead - itself a remarkable finding: Rome in this respect needs no exaggeration.

The claimed million for the ancient city of Rome is itself problematical: there are sources indicating such a total, but there's also a good case for a lower figure on the basis of area and likely densities. These estimates are far from settled. Beware the lure of big-looking numbers.

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nickriel t1_j84jnab wrote

Reply to TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

There's a whole bunch of derelict buildings strewn across the Pacific owned by the Nauru government. They were rich in the 70s and built hotels for themselves just to get away for the weekend. Now most of them are rotting hulks filled with Chinese immigrant squatters.

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followingAdam t1_j84cgq9 wrote

Reply to comment by Cariboudjan in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

Based on the track record, yes. Right wing mindset may make sense on paper, but it is cancerous to humanity.

Statistical, mankind and nations improve under left wing ideas with healthy touch of right wing financial conservatism

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followingAdam t1_j84cfy4 wrote

Reply to comment by Cariboudjan in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

Based on the track record, yes. Right wing mindset may make sense on paper, but it is cancerous to humanity.

Statistical, mankind and nations improve under left wing ideas with healthy touch of right wing financial conservatism

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Sauerkraut_n_Pepsi t1_j849do3 wrote

Reply to comment by arsenix in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

The comment at the top of the thread, and yours, make it appear that the anti-immigration policy single handedly tanked the economy. While it didn’t help, in actuality it’s only one of like 100 reasons why Nauru is in bad shape.

There was no foresight or even the slightest consideration of long-term effects when the mining companies decided to strip the island barren. They knew that it would render the island uninhabitable once there were no phosphates left. This is why a relocation was proposed.

Also worth noting: the government of Nauru placed the money that it earned through mining in a trust to support the citizens once this inevitably happened. Due to mismanagement and a series of bad investments in real estate and Musical theatre, the assets in the trust were wiped out and basically bankrupted the government and its national bank ceased to exist.

So yeah anti immigration policy. Among many many other failures.

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Sauerkraut_n_Pepsi t1_j844q5w wrote

Reply to comment by Stalinbaum in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

The island has been mined into a desert.

The economy crash had a lot more to do with the over reliance on a single export and it’s exploitation by mining companies than the anti immigration sentiment. The labor could obviously be replaced, since 90 percent of the natives are unemployed. The problem is there’s no jobs anymore. There’s nothing to extract

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Cariboudjan t1_j842nj5 wrote

Reply to comment by Stalinbaum in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

Right wing = bad thoughts 😡🔪😈

Left wing = good thoughts ✌️🕊️🌈

Is this actually how people think?

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