[SpanishArch1]

Not a very great list for the history of the world in 100 objects in my opinion. Neil could have picked anything but nope. Take the last 5 items representing the past 100 years. No objects representing WW1, WW2 and the computer revolution probably three of the most seminal moments in human history are left out. In its stead is the painting "In the dull village" and a Sharia compliant credit card. The whole list seems painfully diverse and mundane.

[JohnBooty]

The title's a bit tongue in cheek; obviously a complete history of the world could never be told in 100 short snapshots, and it was not meant to be a complete synopsis of all that has ever happened.

It also seemed apparent to me that the objects were chosen based on their ability to reveal something unexpected. WWII is fairly well understood by most in the West at this point, at least when compared to some things that were explained in the Sharia credit card episode.

There are several billion Muslims in the world and Islamic beliefs prohibit moneylending for profit -- in other words, the charging of interest. That's something Jesus is depicted as opposing in the Bible, as well, so this is actually a bit of common heritage between Christian and Islamic cultures.

Yet the charging of interest is a practice so deeply ingrained in the Western financial system that we hardly think about it. When we learn that, it certainly makes us think about a few things. So I thought that was actually an excellent episode.

[bboreham]

He picked objects in the British Museum.

Wars have their own museum in London - the Imperial War Museum - and the computer revolution is somewhat represented in the Science Museum.

[throwupper247]

The Credit Card probably contains a 8051 core, anyhow.