Empathy and literacy

© Painting by Johannes Bjorner

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440. Before that time books were mostly written by hand, one at a time and available to only a few.
The literacy rate in the world have changed dramaticly over the last few centuries.
In the beginning of the sixteen century about 10% for men and 1% for women could read, this is 60 years after the invention of the printing press.
Thus the availability of books and people who could read them have developed dramaticly over  the past 500 years. But modern man, homo sapiens, have been around for about 150000 years. 
If we imagine compressing the time mankind has existed into 1 year, the printing press was invented on December 30th, the same day that Columus reached the American continent.
Availability of electric light ocurred during my fathers childhood.  The invention of television, computers, internet and nuclear bombs happened in my lifetime, that began December 31, at 8 PM in the compressed year. 
The spreading of world connectivity and scientific information sharing has exploded in a few decades, which is mostly good. The invention of weapons of mass destruction likewise, which is bad. Thus a few human beings hold the future (if any!) of mankind in their hands.
Only by spreading worldwide emphaty might we prevent a worlwide disaster.
That means freedom of information on a worldwide scale.

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