From Apollo and the Olympics to Carl Sagan and Masters of the Universe

The world created International competition in sports and athletics with the Olympics. The Olympics began in 776 BC. They were designed to “mirror the rise of classic Greek culture”. There were temples, altars, and athletic facilities. The games accomplished what politicians could not, they brought warring tribes together to compete in friendly rivalries. The games encouraged relations and were designed to eventually foster a “Nation State”. The foundations of democracy as a concept was being laid and the Olympics helped to make this happen.

Interestingly in our current world of branding the Olympic Symbol or logo was Zeus on a throne with a winged scepter in his left hand and Nike (winged victory) in his right hand. The Greeks took their ideal of athletic competition and festivals around the Mediterranean. The Greeks believed that the Gods gave power to athletes. Apollo, son of Zeus and god of prophesy, music, and healing gave a prize of a wreath created from a sacred plant, the laurel. Another Brand or symbol that lasted for 2000 years

When the Christians conquered Rome their ruler Theodosius, outlawed the Olympics in 426 on grounds that it was a pagan festival. http://www.pe04.com/olympic/olympia/. The Olympics made a comeback and are now over 2000 years later a part of our modern culture. It is now time in our new fast evolving digital universe to acknowledge the real master of our universe –the human mind.

Knowledge Games

Imagine for a moment that we live in world where all great the scientist, philosophers, religious leaders, writers, generals, and political leaders could all exist at the same time. Imagine that we could collect them all in one area for an Olympic style series of mind games.

Socrates, the Master Of Ceremonies, for the opening round gets the games going with his quote “The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing. “ Carl Sagan responds

“For me it is better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” Einstein responds “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot”

During the ensuing games you will get to know the greatest minds and glimpse their personality. Many of mankind’s great thinkers and leaders lead extremely interesting and colorful lives. Many of these thought leaders had a great sense of humor and enjoyed the sensual pleasures of  nature. They were blessed with both High IQ’s and high personal energy. This combination of energy and intelligence will make Knowledge Games a very entertaining and dynamic competition.

Over the course of history many lifestyles and philosophies and religions have been developed by some of these geniuses. Imagine a Sunni / Shia debate with the best minds in the world as judges and panelist. They could view their seemingly intractable challenge’s with a whole new set of eyes. The collective capacity for new knowledge and ways of thinking would change history.

Team Captains

Napoleon, Poncho Villa, Stalin, Kublai Khan, Hitler,  Hadrian

Judges

Abraham Lincoln, Gabriel Marquez, Jenny Churchill, Voltaire, Emile,

Competitors

Buddha, Kant, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Da Vinci, Mohamed, Mozart, Darwin, Carl Jung, Nietczhe, Bob Dylan, Jesus Christ, Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplin, Bill Gates, Umberto Eco, Warren Buffet, Julian Assange, Martin Luther, Karl Marx, John Locke. Aquinas, St Paul, Dante, Machaivelli, Avicenna

Lists still evolving and open for suggestions