h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Potatoes - Fuel To The Moon - A18471882
Author: SWL™ - Santa's an atheist - U1775547

Is this too dry?

Very interesting, but I don't know who Werner whoever is, and why he is important to the story, I also didn't spot the connection of potatoes to the moon, perhaps I am dim or it is too late in the evening for me, but I'll check back tomorrow.

I like this sort of entry though and hope I can suss it out properly tomorrow.

Hmm.

I thought Von Braun was pretty much a universally known figure but I'm obviously wrong. Unfortunately, the only Guide Entry to mention him only does so in passing and doesn't actually give him the proper credit for his work.

If I find an external site, how do I link to it in Guide ML?

Title ... I think, but don't feel you have to link to him, perhaps just a sentence will do, and anyhow, maybe I'm the only person who's never heard of him.

Thanks I've put a link in 'cos it's pretty fundamental to the piece to know who he is as that explains how potatoes are linked to the moon landings. At least, I think so

I've got loads more links to put in yet.

Yes, especially to my potato crisp entry A16455053, since you mention crisps near the end. I'll come back tomorrow and check it out with a clearer head.

This is interesting indeed I do think that most will know who von Braun is. (He gave a great deal of credit for his 'success' to Goddard's work in New Mexico). I did not get the connection right away between von Braun and the potato, but on the second reading I did. (It's late, so I'm less than alert.) I'll read it again tomorrow for more helpful comments.

Very interesting entry, but the title is misleading - I mean, I can see what you're trying to get at, but it doesn't work. There's absolutely no obvious connection between potatoes and the moon, sorry. Why not call it: 'Potatoes- how their dicscovery changed the world' or something similar? Because, after all, that's what the entry is all about. Oh, and you can link to Beth's entry A11873900 The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand .

Yeah, I'm not particularly happy with the title either. I'll see if inspiration comes to me. I'm also only halfway through putting links in, so any suggestions are welcome

Yes, I like it - except the first two paragraphs.
To me there's too big a break between the intro and the main course - it stands up on its own quite nicely, anyway.
Why Werner and not Newton, Darwin, Einstein etc etc etc? I was wondering why him, where's the nuclear engine using spuds?
However, the "giants on whose shoulders we stand" could do it nicely...

OK, I've put a summary in that I think helps to tie it together.

Any more suggestions for links?

There are loads, just make use of the search function :
A399909 The Moon

A429086 Apollo 11, The First Landing

A593048 Jets and Rockets
etc

Hmm, do I stick to one link for a subject or put multiple links in for the same thing?

With regard to that particular one, I looked at a few links and picked the one I thought was most relevant.

BTW, it's extremely frustrating to search for a link, starting with H2G2 and then expanding it to BBC Sites before hitting the web and finding time after time, the best link is Wiki

To be honest, I never link to Wiki, I search h2g2 (usually successful), and if I think something/person absolutely needs a link, I search the web (ok, it's maybe different for me, as I don't need to search the BBC, they don't have any links about things in my entries anyway), and there usually are some links which do just as well as Wiki.

OK, I'm awake now. Still an interesting read, btw. Here's some comments:

'...each revolution...'
revolution of what? If it a metaphorical wheel, then you have 'rise and fall' 'revolution' and 'staggering steps' all mixed together.

Instances of 'Von' should be made lowercase - 'von'

Two instances of 'Whilst' should be changed to 'while' (this is from the h2g2h writing guidelines A266131)

'These dispossessed Irish played a major part in shaping the great democracies of the 20th Century and helped ensure that America joined WWI on the side of Britain rather than Germany'
This is true enough - but perhaps through the use of a judiciously placed link you may add support to the rather broad statement. The Irish had, for example, a great influence on politics and economics through the Tammany Hall Machine (a political machine) (http://www.albany.edu/~dkw42/tweed.html) which appeared right after the blight and subsequent exodus.

'Their full-time soldiers and sailors could range across the oceans of the world, unfettered by the need to return each autumn to harvest grain'
I didn't know that they had been returning home each autumn to harvest. Were sailors were ever farmers given that voyages took years?

'All built on men fed by potatoes.'
I'd suggest 'All built by men fed on potatoes'

That's all I have - It's painted with broad strokes, but it does hang together after all. It's true that one could argue other things took civilisation into space as well, but I think your statement that 'the real roots are thousands of miles away and hundreds of years before' deflects this objection, imo, due to the play on the word roots.

Very good

Btw, I failed to answer to your question about several links for the same thing: it's up to you, but I personally can't see why not, if there are several entries on a similar subject, like the Apollo 11 ypou linked to, and the landing on the moon of apollo11 I found - but you decide.

Thanks pailaway, very constructive I agree with your points and have made some changes.

I don't really want to get into how better crops led to a release of manpower from agricultural work as that is almost a subject in itself. Yes, it's broad strokes as I'm trying to get through five hundred years of history in one succinct entry and it would be very easy to get sidetracked. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Francis Drake yet,(a totally different strain of potatoes btw).

And thanks B'El for the tips on links. I think multiple links might be confusing and picking out just one should be a good starting point for anyone wanting to research further.

Interesting entry.

The only thing I'd query is saying that spuds have 4 times more calories than wheat. Both being mainly starch, I don't think this is true. What I think *is* true is that a field of potatoes gives 4 times as many calories as a field of wheat.


Oh, and Francis Drake!

Well, I think I've possibly been a little disengenuous - wheat gives around 18 MJ/KG whilst potatoes give around 24 MJ/KG, but you can get more calories out of a smaller growing area.

I think I need to re-word it. Cheers

Really interesting read, this!

I'm in agreement with B'Elana on the title though; how about 'Potatoes: Their Impact on World History'?