The Library of Babel
Tom Scott - This library has every book ever published
Submitted 2 years ago by hellyeahgococks@fanaticus.social to videos@lemmy.world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVuIU6UUiM
Comments
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 years ago
ToyDork@lemmy.ca [bot] 2 years ago
We’ve built several over the years. There are Libraries of Babel (wikis) within the Library of Babel (the internet). Alexandria burned, and the Incan accounting system is mostly lost, but they existed.
That said, the pun is a bit misleading. Big libraries are not bad things or “unholy pride” IMO. On the contrary, if god as described by religion hated science, or learning, why is godlike knowledge called “omni_science_”?
Babel. Bible. The many languages of the world probably didn’t start with a tower, but if I was looking for a monument to hubris, it wouldn’t be a library. It would be a temple, whether a literal church that fleeces its followers, or an actual monument to excess and inequality like Burj Khalifa. (Nothing against you if you live in Saudi Arabia, but please stop building skyscrapers out of sea sand and drinkable water in the middle of a desert? Dubai is not a city, it’s an architectural testing ground at best.)
Language is a strange thing. Unfortunately, it’s easy to be misled by people cherry-picking words from a book. Obviously that applies to me too, so feel free to double-check all this.
ieightpi@lemmy.world 2 years ago
If this video was in the US.
“This library destroys every book published.”
Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Really? EVERY book?
13esq@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Yes, including super rare books that only have one copy remaining.
18_24_61_b_17_17_4@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Yeah, but does he have a copy of Ass Goblins of Auschwitz? I think not.
Brokkr@lemmy.world 2 years ago
I like his weekly videos, but this one is missing a fairly important qualifier in the title. Still informative and interesting.
ConstipatedWatson@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Right! It would have been stunning if it tried to aquire every book published in every language… Though I suppose if certain books are imported and sold, then they would show up in this library
yata@sh.itjust.works 2 years ago
It doesn’t even have every book published in the UK, because there are a lot of books, especially at the beginning of the printing press period, which does not exist in any known copies anymore.
Nefrayu@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Similarly, the Trinity College Library in Dublin is entitled to receive a copy of every book published in the UK, on request.