Knowing your history gives you a tool for understanding change, especially big planetary and ecosystem changes. The San Francisco Bay Area is my home town, but I have to admit that I had only the fuzziest of ideas of what the Bay's landscape and wildlife looked like 12,000 years ago, during the last ice age.
I watched this short KQED documentary this weekend (it was recommended by our allies at Long Now), and was pleasantly transported outside the boundaries of our present day into a longer view of time.
I, myself, find maintaining that longer view however I can is critical to a healthy outlook in a time when so many of our decisions are monumental and long-lasting, and our moment is so unique.
Plus it's fun to see CGI of Columbian Mammoths running around California.
