You know, if we could go back in time and make sure gunpowder was never invented,

[highplainsdem]

that would solve a lot of problems...

[thatdemguy]

1. And we would still be living in the iron age.

Gun powder lead to easier mining, which lead to better explosives and better mining. Gunpowder lead to rocket motors that took us to the moon.

And people would still be killing each other, and it would be by bows and swords and dying of infections.

[malthaussen]

7. ? Gunpowder has nothing to do with dynamite. n/t

[Shellback Squid]

8. my mistake, I looked it up AFTER I posted...then promptly forgot to delete

[Jack-o-Lantern]

3. Gun powder is fine...the atomic bomb...not so much.

[FreepFryer]

4. pull a thread from the tapestry, whats the worst that could happen?

time proceeds, as it must.

[pressbox69]

5. Is Gunpowder As Deadly

As The NRA Is?

[malthaussen]

6. You can't be serious.

Gunpowder is more-or-less directly responsible for the ending of feudal rule and the rise of democracy. Well, let's say it greatly facilitated the same. Obviously, there's more to it than that, since China had it first and just used it for fireworks, but there actually is some truth in the whole "overthrowing tyranny" argument for the foundation of the much-abused Second Amendment. The problem is that tyranny these days is much too complex to be overthrown by a bunch of yahoos with firearms, but those same yahoos still think they're a great leveller. Oh, and a compensation for their missing manhood.

-- Mal

[highplainsdem]

10. There were a lot of factors involved in the end of feudalism, including the plague.

See this article:

https://www.salon.com/2020/04/26/the-black-death-led-to-the-demise-of-feudalism-could-this-pandemic-have-a-similar-effect/

Which, btw, mentions the longbow, one of the weapons I've seen discussed elsewhere because it helped end feudalism.

As for whether I was serious -- not completely. It was late when I posted this, and I was feeling irked by the noise from private fireworks, and I hate guns.

[Ocelot II]

9. If hadn't been that it would have been something else.

The longbow was a very effective weapon. Maybe nukes would have been invented sooner. People have always been good at figuring out novel ways of killing each other.

[highplainsdem]

11. I know.