Ancient

[UPDATE: The statement on transportation and chariots was incomplete.  Spinning magnetic fields on a wheel will draw in and compress static electric fields.  It's this combined with magnetic current that can assist with movement and create the appearance of a larger force of opponents. 2022-08-03 10:57 PM]

It's been wondered if civilizations we refer to as "ancient" had technologies more advanced than one would expect.  A short list might be:

• Power or energy sources like electricity or the equivalent.
• Transportation with assisted acceleration or speed.
• Meters or other tools which able to provide things like early warning of storms or lightning.
• Weapons which could kill instantly.

I don't recall hearing the same curiosity about immediate communication technologies like cell phones or data connections.  There may be an extremely good reason for that.

Those types of technologies are always on and ever present.  And while devices like cell phones have been deemed "safe" when tested individually or in small numbers...  No tests I'm aware of have been done at the same densities found in real life.  When it comes to our safety and health that may be backwards.

Here are answers to the list above for those interested:

1. Power or energy sources? YES - Static electric fields themselves were used in that way.  Magnets and magnetic fields were known and employed.
2. Transportation assist? YES - Chariots were designed with a feature not often recognized - look to the wheels.  Energy can be stored in spun magnetic fields themselves so it's available to smooth out the effort needed to move.
3. Meters or tools? YES - I have a few of them but lack time to go into detail.
4. Weapons? YES - The Ark of the Covenant wasn't necessarily considered a weapon but how it could kill an individual instantly when touched is understood.

What civilizations of the past didn't have was a constant need to be reassured by speaking directly with everyone they'd ever known.

Their understanding of the world was reassuring and made sense.

What have we done to ours?