I recently stumbled upon Google Ngram View and found it pretty fascinating, especially for those interested in history.
How it works? It simply plots the mentions of any word in the books published over a given time.
While searching for some random words, I found that the inflection points of the curve match pretty well with the timelines we are taught in history. Here are a few examples.
1. Hindutva
The mentions rise at around 1980. BJP was also formed in 1980 (just saying).
2. Kashmir-Palestine
Now you know why India is so soft on Israel's position over Palestine. Both the issues have striking similarity, both in nature and timelines.
3. Islamophobia
Islam is 1400 year old, yet Islamophobia had to wait till the ending of the cold war (1990s).
4. Lenin
Only few people are more famous after death than alive. Lenin died in 1924, his name reached heights in Cold War.
5. Luftwaffe
Nothing depicts the sheer might of German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during World War II better than this graph below. Waiting for Dunkirk.
6. Engine
The two time the graph rises steeply is before the World War I and World War II. Capitalists love war, don't they?
7. Railways
Railways peaked around 1900s and started declining after that, while the mentions of aircraft present a complimentary picture and explains the reason for decline of railways.
8. Electricity
Benjamin Franklin did the famous kite experiment and invented electric charge in 1750s.
9. Cancer
If we extrapolate the graph, cancer will be bigger threat than AIDS soon.
10. Democracy
The two dips in democracy are the period between two world wars and the cold war.
11. Mahatma Gandhi
The two times when Gandhi's curve falls are post 1930 (Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Poona Pact) and post 1975 (Emergency). Although I am not very sure if this is the reason or something else.
12. Nationalism
Epic rise in nationalism from period subsequent to World War I upto the end of World War II. Only decline was during cold war.
13. IITs
Atleast somewhere IIT Kanpur is above IIT Bombay.
14. Science
Gradual increase after the period of enlightenment in Europe. (1700s)
At the end, I would like to add the caveat that all large number of factors are working together to change the course of history and these interpretations provide only the superficial knowledge.
How it works? It simply plots the mentions of any word in the books published over a given time.
While searching for some random words, I found that the inflection points of the curve match pretty well with the timelines we are taught in history. Here are a few examples.
1. Hindutva
The mentions rise at around 1980. BJP was also formed in 1980 (just saying).
2. Kashmir-Palestine
Now you know why India is so soft on Israel's position over Palestine. Both the issues have striking similarity, both in nature and timelines.
3. Islamophobia
Islam is 1400 year old, yet Islamophobia had to wait till the ending of the cold war (1990s).
4. Lenin
Only few people are more famous after death than alive. Lenin died in 1924, his name reached heights in Cold War.
5. Luftwaffe
Nothing depicts the sheer might of German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during World War II better than this graph below. Waiting for Dunkirk.
6. Engine
The two time the graph rises steeply is before the World War I and World War II. Capitalists love war, don't they?
7. Railways
Railways peaked around 1900s and started declining after that, while the mentions of aircraft present a complimentary picture and explains the reason for decline of railways.
8. Electricity
Benjamin Franklin did the famous kite experiment and invented electric charge in 1750s.
9. Cancer
If we extrapolate the graph, cancer will be bigger threat than AIDS soon.
10. Democracy
The two dips in democracy are the period between two world wars and the cold war.
11. Mahatma Gandhi
The two times when Gandhi's curve falls are post 1930 (Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Poona Pact) and post 1975 (Emergency). Although I am not very sure if this is the reason or something else.
12. Nationalism
Epic rise in nationalism from period subsequent to World War I upto the end of World War II. Only decline was during cold war.
13. IITs
Atleast somewhere IIT Kanpur is above IIT Bombay.
14. Science
Gradual increase after the period of enlightenment in Europe. (1700s)
At the end, I would like to add the caveat that all large number of factors are working together to change the course of history and these interpretations provide only the superficial knowledge.
Wow! I wouldn't know many of these! I need to check what more Ngram has for me!
ReplyDeletei know u will never check Ngram.
Delete