Phoenix, Ariz, Jan 13: What if humanity’s greatest knowledge crisis isn’t in the past but unfolding right now? In an age of cloud storage, artificial intelligence, and instant information, global innovator and engineer Jack R. Bialik warns of the hidden risks of a fully digital society and what history reveals about how knowledge is lost.
“A DVD or a CD … those only last 30 or 40 years,” Bialik said in a recent interview. “Thumb drives or USB drives or solid-state drives … how long do those last? How long does your computer last? Five or 10 years? We’re taking our information, putting it on denser things with no thought about how long it lasts.”
In his new book, Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge, Bialik reveals a startling reality: only 1.6 percent of our collective history has been preserved, and today’s preferred method of preservation, digital records, may be placing humanity’s memory on its most unstable footing yet.
Through bite-sized nuggets of wisdom, Lost in Time takes readers on a captivating exploration of humanity’s lost ingenuity and the forgotten knowledge that once shaped civilizations. Spanning centuries and continents, the book uncovers astonishing technologies, philosophies, and cultural practices that have been buried under the sands of time, some of which are more advanced than what people use today. Bialik effortlessly confronts the assumption that only modern-day humans are capable of producing innovative feats of technology and brilliance.
With meticulous research that spanned over 10 years and compelling storytelling, Bialik highlights how these past innovations could still hold the potential to address modern challenges, from knowledge sustainability to societal resilience. Lost in Time unravels the intricate tapestry of human civilization, weaving together narratives of inventions of yesterday, overlooked pioneers and epoch-defining discoveries that have shaped the modern world.
Among the amazing facts readers will learn:
- Cataract surgery was being performed in India more than 2000 years ago.
- The first known fountain pen was created centuries before Europe “invented” it.
- Ancient civilizations debated waste disposal and sanitation solutions that rival or even surpass some modern systems.
Through thought-provoking analysis, Lost in Time examines the fragile nature of human knowledge and the forces, be they war, natural disasters, or changing priorities, that contribute to its disappearance.
However, Lost in Time is more than an archive of historical losses. Bialik inspires readers to reconnect with the lessons of the past as a means of fostering a more informed and innovative future. He challenges readers to consider whether humanity is building a legacy of accessible wisdom or an archive of forgotten lessons.
In Bialik’s own words:
“We keep trying to save knowledge, and what we need to do is turn the knowledge into wisdom so that it can be saved from generation to generation.”
Both a cautionary tale and a celebration of resilience, this book illuminates the enduring power of human curiosity and determination. Readers will contemplate how much of humanity’s ingenuity has been left behind, urging them to consider the steps needed to safeguard knowledge for generations to come.
From history enthusiasts to curious thinkers to those passionate about reclaiming lost wisdom, this book offers a fascinating lens through which to view humanity’s enduring quest for progress. This book is appropriate for grade school children all the way to adults of all ages.
For more information, please visit JRBialik.com. View the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1T8EO8RGyw.
Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge
Publisher: Mill City Press
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8868502293
Available from: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Time-Forgotten-Vanishing-Knowledge/dp/B0DQB3D7H4