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All Our National Monuments Have a Hidden Geological History

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All human existence is a meaningless blip in the grand scheme of time. Nice thought for a Monday, right? But you knew that already, so here’s another way to think about it: All the grand monuments we build are made of rock thousands of times older than the historical blips they commemorate.

PBS Digital Studios’ “It’s Okay to be Smart” series dives into the ancient, almost unfathomable history behind the building blocks we use to honor the memory of events that just happened, on a geological timeline anyway. There’s no crime in trying to preserve our past, but there’s more than a little irony in using such truly ancient material to do it.

Oh and there is a crime in that backing soundtrack, but if you can tune it out, the message is worth hearing. [It’s Okay to be Smart]

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