this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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Dont say Prometheus

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[–] BombOmOm@lemmy.world 42 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It was discovered in pre-history, and almost certainly independently by many, many individuals. You aren't going to get a name on it.

[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 29 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Counterpoint: I heard it was Dave

[–] SGforce@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago

That prick!

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It was the Roman ruler, Biggus Dickus.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 2 points 3 weeks ago

I have a vewy good fwiend in Wome named Biggus Dickus.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

How do you think the first manmade ignition happened?

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 17 points 3 weeks ago

Someone was careless with their cigarette.

[–] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Whe a rock likes another rock very very much

Like flints to the spark

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[–] pmk 3 points 3 weeks ago

My guess would be someone trying to make stone tools by banging rocks together, a spark fell into dry grass, etc. But, you know, just a guess.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Dont say Prometheus

Ok... it was Προμηθεύς.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks for your compliance

[–] Zonetrooper@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We don't know. Hell, we can't even narrow it down to a specific place with certainty. There is strong evidence in human settlements for use of fire anywhere from a few hundred thousand to 1 million years ago. When, exactly, is hard to ascertain; for instance, some sites which are claimed to hold the oldest evidence have been criticized as resembling the aftermath of wildfires.

It is also depends on what you mean by "discovered": Early proto-hominids were almost certainly aware of fire and the concept of burning, so are we counting from when they realized "hey, I can take a burning thing and put it where I want it, and it will spread burning there?" Or are we only counting from when fire began to be used as a tool (e.g., for clearing brush or cooking)? Or when humans discovered how to start fires in the absence of a natural source?

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

That last question is the most interesting to me. I guess it doesn't take much intuition to realize that rubbing things together makes them hot. Rub your arm really fast.

Still, watching experienced woodsmen starting a fire from scratch is an education. Even the best struggle.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Even the best struggle.

I have watched Primitive Technology start fires with a hand drill so many times, he's got it down pat.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Primitive Technology can also select their tools for maximum gain. Apparently it's relatively easy when you've got the right woods and kindling.

When you're somewhere in the wilds your wood might be too hard, too soft or too wet or whatever.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 3 points 3 weeks ago

Oh, of course. He's very familiar with his area and the best materials to use, and has lots of practice. But he's also pretty famous for showing his work without cuts, and I am always amazed with his hand drill skills. He's got an ember in like twenty seconds.

[–] Zonetrooper@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

It really is an interesting question, yes! Fires started by frictional heating are pretty uncommon in nature, but early humans could pretty readily see that objects placed near a fire would begin to smolder and burn just from radiant heat.

It really depends on when we were able to take intellectual leap of realizing that all heat is equivalent, and fire is not a prerequisite of making new fire.

[–] Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago
[–] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

Not Billy Joel.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago
[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 weeks ago

My ancestors.

Your ancestors too.

We have the same ancestors.

We're all really just family you know...

wait... isn't everyone just technically a cousin fucker? 🤔

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Probably a titan. Who created the universe in Greek myth? 🤔

Fire is a fundamental force of nature. Like gravity. So it either wasn't "invented" or was invented by the universe's creator if one exists. Newton didn't invent gravity. He didn't even discover it. He just found a new way to describe it via numbers instead of words (but also so many words).

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Wouldn't it be Hestia because Prometheus stole it from her?

[–] Mediocre_Bard@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

That information is lost to pre-history, but probably either Ug or Urg. Those guys were like the Wright Brothers of cave shit.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Prometheus's dog

[–] Drbreen@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)
[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Various individuals no doubt figured it out independently and then others in their tribe learned it from them. At first people probably took burning material from forest fires and brush fires that had been caused by lightning.

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Nougat@fedia.io 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“‘Inflammable’ means ‘flammable’? What a country!”

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It was always originally "inflammable", as in "able to be inflamed". It wasn't until cargo warning placards came around (for trains, I'm sure), that the meaning got muddled up with "unable to be brought to flame".

There was an official agreement to create the word "flammable", and use that on warning placards instead.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s an old Simpsons quote, from Dr. Nick, a great side character.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 2 points 3 weeks ago

I knew it was a quote from somewhere, I just didn't care. ;)

[–] vane@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

The famous villain John Fireman. He was eventually killed by firefighters.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 4 points 3 weeks ago
[–] tartarin@reddthat.com 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Fire wasn't discovered or invented, it was mastered.

[–] magnetichuman@fedia.io 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] tartarin@reddthat.com 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

What I meant. English isn't my mother tongue. So, I learnt a new word, thanks.

[–] magnetichuman@fedia.io 1 points 3 weeks ago

That wasn't intended as a correction. Mastered is definitely correct. Tamed is a bit more poetic maybe.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

Mowgli invented it.
King Louie discovered it.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 3 points 3 weeks ago

Well, where do you thing Bob got it from?

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 3 points 3 weeks ago

Their name was Fire.

Similar situation to some of the other early inventors.

[–] joyjoy@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago
[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thas fyre not fire

[–] Birch@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Either Arthur Brown or H.P. Baxxter

E: or perhaps Keith Flint

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Some monkey

[–] jbrains@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Les Oulhamr fuyaient dans la nuit épouvantable. Fous de souffrance et de fatigue, tout leur semblait vain devant la calamité suprême: le Feu était mort.

[–] tartarin@reddthat.com 1 points 3 weeks ago

Paul Burner

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