Einstein and Planck did not cooperate in 1901;
instead of a single theory of rheatics, they developed distinct theories of relativity and quantum mechanics;
transport was by rail, of course, but otherwise mainly by horseless carriages and dirigibles;
witches were charlatans, not professionals;
Africans', Australians' and Native Americans' practical knowledge of magic provided no basis for any negotiations with European invaders;
biologists had no idea what certain parts of some people's DNA was for;
the inevitable early twentieth century European war took a different course with different consequences.
Steve Matuchek's speculations, which I have summarized, do not correspond at every point to Earth Real. However, I have summarized these speculations twice before. See:
Imagining Alternative Histories
Our Alternative History
For whether dirigibles are safe, see:
Theater Of Spies: Some Questions and its combox.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
It does make me wonder, what might have happened if OUR Einstein and Planck had met and worked together in our 1900-01? Truth to say, I don't think we would have gotten the kind of morally neutral magic-as-technology we see in the OPERATION books.
I don't think the primitive horseless carriages in both 1901's were more than crude toys getting beta tested by wealthy men. I mean they were hardly being used for any PRACTICAL purposes.
I'm not sure biologists in our 1901 even knew of the existence of DNA, but I might be wrong.
I don't think either our WWI or "Kaiser's War" was inevitable. Rather, the sufficient causes making such a disaster possible existed. Then, very likely, a similar chain of small mischances and mistakes by the leaders of the countries involved enabled such a war to actually happen.
The defeated Germany mentioned in the OPERATION books was angry and bitter enough, but it was ELSEWHERE that we see an analog of the Nazis arising. But you knew that!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
The speculation about DNA would have come later.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
That is what I think, sometime in our 1950's.
Ad astra! Sean
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