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The Asimov short story is 'The Dead Past', I think, my copy of which is in the collection 'The Best of Isaac Asimov'. Such sci-fi (like JG Ballard as well) might suggest to us that our interest might be more in what changing vernacular (and governmental!) ideas of the recent past do - what their effects are - rather than simply seeing such opinions as a kind of popular vindication of the archaeological study of 'one second ago'. DH On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:20:53 +1100, zoharesque <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >This reminds me of one of Isaac Asimov's possibly less renowned short stories about a historian who requests access to the Government's time machine - not a traveling one, but one like a television that allows you to watch the past. He wants to do some research on Carthage and becomes increasingly frustrated as his application is blocked at every turn. The question at the end of the story is about when the past begins. The historian is forced to admit that the past begins one second ago, and hence the time machine can effectively be used as a surveillance device of frightening power. > >I forget the name of the story, alas. > >Alice > > >---- "SCHOFIELD wrote: >> Wayne Cocroft brought the following to my attention: >> >> http://www.bbchistorymagazine.com/feature/history-it-started-second-ago >> >> J >> >> ____________________________________________________________________________ _____ >> >> Concerned about how climate change may affect older properties? What about saving energy? >> Visit our new website www.climatechangeandyourhome.org.uk today. >> >> This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the >> views of English Heritage unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it >> from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in >> any way nor act in reliance on it. Any information sent to English Heritage may become publicly available. >> >> >> -------------------------- >> contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events >> in contemporary and historical archaeology, and >> for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. >> ------- >> For email subscription options see: >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html >> ------- >> Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates: >> http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk >> -------------------------- > >_______________________________________________ >Dr Alice Gorman >Department of Archaeology >Flinders University >GPO Box 2100 Adelaide 5001 > >Mobile: 0428 450 418 >http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/archaeology/department/staff/gorman.php >_______________________________________________ > >-------------------------- >contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events >in contemporary and historical archaeology, and >for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. >------- >For email subscription options see: >http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html >------- >Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates: >http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk >-------------------------- -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates: http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk --------------------------