How Beer Saved the World

How Beer Saved the World

2011, Society  -   148 Comments
7.11
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Ratings: 7.11/10 from 200 users.

Did you know that beer was critical to the birth of civilization? That’s right - beer.

Scientists and historians line up to tell the amazing, untold story of how beer helped create math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and America.

If you think beer is just something cold and filling to drink during sporting matches or in the kind of bars that you probably shouldn't order wine in, then, boy, are you ever in the dark.

It turns out beer is responsible for, like, all the greatest things on earth. Learn more about what beer did for you.

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SmuggP
SmuggP
4 years ago

Great documentary I watched it a few times.
Not many of these fun facts are not widely known nevertheless it's very entertaining. It is big shame most of you posting comments here don't even see differences between ale, beer and lager and also old time traditional "beer"that was flat and freshly made to entertain the local crowd. Central european beers: German, Czech, Polish Dutch and Belgian are the best and free of gmo(sorry yanks but in eu experiments on mass scale will never be allowed).

Cubo
Cubo
5 years ago

In Ancient Egyptian culture, Osiris is the God of agriculture. He is also known as the God of beer, not Ra (which is pronounced more like "raw" than "ray"). A Greek historian from the time of Julius Caesar once wrote that, “Osiris taught the people how to brew the beverage which is made of barley , which is not greatly inferior to wine in odor and potency.” How in the world could the researchers of this documentary get that wrong? Just goes to show you that just because something is put together into something that someone calls a "documentary" doesn't necessarily make it true.

Taco Bell
Taco Bell
5 years ago

The logical leaps taken in this should qualify them for the olympics

THETRUTH
THETRUTH
7 years ago

in a world full of self proclaimed genius,I find it entertaining that noone asks how much co2 is released from this piss or soda or wine,huh Al Gore? it's hard to be kind when surrounded by idiocy

Fie
Fie
7 years ago

Great documentary. Though the sound and mimics is a little off.. - I really learned a lot and I definetly have some interesting facts the next time I'm at a party.

Donald Hennig
Donald Hennig
7 years ago

Can't see it as Disney has blocked it here. 1 star.

Lee Shafer
Lee Shafer
8 years ago

wow bobart really lost that argument!

Michael Stearns
Michael Stearns
9 years ago

Magic Mushrooms and Visionary Plants is what helped us Evolve and Advance our Minds and Consciousness, NOT ALCOHOL

Mark
Mark
9 years ago

Very entertaining and I've always held alcohol to be mankind's crowning achievement. Total shi*e though!

Kravi
Kravi
9 years ago

Beer now is made from GMO. Keep that in mind!

Ömer Yakar
Ömer Yakar
9 years ago

this documentary is misinforming the public. i think, it is funded by beer companies. i just thought these;
1. beer is not the only alcoholic drink and overvalued here.
2. they do not clearly say that, at ancient times, it was not the same beer we drink today. there are lots of fermented drinks, soups made from barley and wheat which has a lot more nutrition. ancient beer was more like Boza (we drink in Turkey)
3. if it is that important for Boston why is the legal drinking age 21 there?
4. for medicine it is alcohol not beer
5. i am not a drinker but i grabbed a beer while watching this, because of the advertisement.
6. Thank you :)

31jetjet
31jetjet
9 years ago

Are these guys serious? Funny & informative!!! You will never look at beer the same way. Pay attention so you can tell this story at party's.

Zorp
Zorp
9 years ago

What is beer, but piss-colored water?

John Landry
John Landry
9 years ago

Can you imagine the pride of Homer Simpson?

Gaz Smith
Gaz Smith
9 years ago

First documentary I've watched in a while that made me smile.

wiser
wiser
10 years ago

What does it matter anyway? Someone makes a comment and no one gives a s*it, except what they have to sa themselves, and yes thats including me...wtf is going wrong?!

Minch
Minch
10 years ago

This Documentary is a joke. Are Americans actually this s*upid or do they just think that I am?
The notion that Mathematics was created as a means to evenly divide land used for the cultivation of grains used in beer is absurd. Anyone defending the legitimacy of this information is borderline r*tarded.

Ginni E. Burleson
Ginni E. Burleson
10 years ago

Pretty sure this documentary was intended to be fun. While there is truth in it I highly doubt the creators intended it to be gospel. Lighten up people. Obviously beer wasn't the only contribution to the advancement of humanity.

mike_f
mike_f
11 years ago

clearly the persistent support i have provided to the brewing industry has been fundamental to the advancement of society.

of course the pleasure has been all mine and i vow to strive even more mightily to not let up in my pursuit for the social betterment of all men through my beer consumption.

you are all welcome. slainte

AJ Perko
AJ Perko
11 years ago

Interesting how the anti-beer crowd come out to try to find a single point to nitpick, for if they can find a single doubt.... then well, none of it could be true? YES YOUR CHURCH WAS BUILT ON BEER., life was simpler, before people became so righteous and judgemental.

AladdinHiba
AladdinHiba
11 years ago

@ yahoo-L3TGAWGLZX2U63FB5GP77FD5FI, I would think Daron Brinsdon is referring to the entire plethora of American civilizations, some of which built cities still lived in today and roads still used today. Want an example? How about the Inca road system going form north to south along the Andes mountains. This road was well built and structured, and is still used extensively for transportation with little change.

HoboBrewer
HoboBrewer
11 years ago

Seems funny that they would end the documentary with a brewer attempting to brew flat beer. Seem like our drive for beer should fuel the creation of artificial gravity. I figure I will stay put until MillerCoors or someone else uses beer technology to overcome this slight inconvenience. Ain't like we're trying to save the world here, just moving beyond it

Daron Brinsdon
Daron Brinsdon
11 years ago

If beer elevated ancient cultures from hunter gatherer nomads to an agricultural society how do you explain the raft of cultures which had no prior exposure to alcoholic drinks before colonisation but had developed agriculture, written languages, methods of transport etc?

Scott Beer
Scott Beer
11 years ago

As a man with the last name Beer, I feel I should be given royalties (retroactively) THAT will save the world.

ranii02
ranii02
12 years ago

interesting facts and 'facts', and purposed theory. but the presentation was SOO animated, i would like a different one thats more scientific based and not just one that makes inferences to theories

ermal mramori
ermal mramori
12 years ago

It's a great documentary but didn't see "Platp's Quote : He was a wise man who invented beer."

Terry Beaton
Terry Beaton
12 years ago

It would seem that beer is a two sided coin. It's been the source of so much progress and innovation (and plain good times too), and the cause of so much misery. Remember also, all the suffering that alcohol is the cause of in our society. After God gave us fire, he gave us beer. Now he's given us technology. Lets hope he gives us wisdom soon.

N. Obody
N. Obody
12 years ago

I always knew beer was special. I have made beer to 4000 yr old recipes. Was OK but I'm a Bud man . . .

Roger Niceswanger
Roger Niceswanger
12 years ago

Wow! How enlightening ,all this time I thought it was wine that saved the world. Thank you nephew for setting me straight. Only now I find out that I spent twenty years of my career in the wrong industry......Cheers!!!

Derik Davis
Derik Davis
12 years ago

beer is good.. and stuff

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

Millers used to be very good. But not anymore. Yuck.

ecoalex
ecoalex
12 years ago

All you wine snobs take note...beer jump started civilization not wine.

ecoalex
ecoalex
12 years ago

Ancient beer contained tetracycline.Beer is a medicine:)

Richard Senft
Richard Senft
12 years ago

@ Tony - Forward this to angry women, Now they might understand the magic of the after work beer. Regardless I never knew any of this. It almost comical with irony when drinking is one of the most attack social activities.

TonyIII
TonyIII
12 years ago

Funny; irreverant and anti -snob. It also contains more than bit of truth. Beer drinkers will love this. Angry women: keep moving. Nothing to see here.

Lola San
Lola San
12 years ago

Beer is such a life-saver. I agree. When in doubt, fear, pain or anger DRINK beer. When happy, joyful, elated and satisfied DRINK a beer.

Gary V
Gary V
12 years ago

Alcohol the most widely available & socially accepted drug known to man.

qwony
qwony
12 years ago

"Beer...the answer, and solution to, all of lifes problems" -Homer Simpson
Honestly, our world would be a lot better off without beer.

Fred Pacific
Fred Pacific
12 years ago

Not to be watched without a sense of humor... jeez.

chisle
chisle
12 years ago

beer sewed the first farmland? I'm pretty sure it doesnt have hands.

Jo McKay
Jo McKay
12 years ago

that was great :) still smiling... and I'm thinking, gotta get that beer recipe that has antibiotic in it. If our, so called, civilisation, takes us back into the dark ages - well - BEER- might very well save the peasants again! HA

Matti Siukkola
Matti Siukkola
13 years ago

You could also ask what the world could be like WITHOUT beer. Would there be nearly 7 billion of us? Would there be problems with natural resources etc? No offence, I still like beer. The document introduces the beer as our saviour, not the other side of it.

Steven
Steven
13 years ago

Sorry but although obviously important beer isn't what history is all about. This is one big infomerical for the beer industry. Think about it, have you ever seen a history documentary other than this one that puts beer as the beginning and end all of humanity. I was hoping for something more sober :)

batIn
batIn
13 years ago

not aliens..!!!not humans..!!beer built the pyramids..:))

toddy
toddy
13 years ago

Nothing like liquid bread. I am a bit of beer snob Ha haha. Its just that I like beer :).
@3pl3 I was watching it also when i had a beer. Great minds think alike.

Paul
Paul
13 years ago

Tiz brilliant...Darth Vader got a new job as a narrator and all the male experts have more chins than a Chinese facebook!

Lotus
Lotus
13 years ago

This documentary is just cheesy as hell hahah

3pl3
3pl3
13 years ago

I was drinking beer while whatching this ^^ . Perfect Combination!
thank you!!

QueenBee
QueenBee
13 years ago

Great doc!

As tongue-in-cheek as the narrator sounds, everything is certainly plausible. Never underestimate the medicinal properties of beer! Not to mention it's inspirational qualities!

Anto
Anto
13 years ago

oscar wilde once famously said give a man a mask and he will show you his true face, lets just replace mask with the greatest discovery ever BEER!!!!