posted
The "Hatrack Experts" topic got real big, real fast, and it's almost a pain to read through, esp. when combined with the questions to the experts that are interspersed in the topic.
I propose putting queries to the experts here.
Query format: Subject: keywords Line 1: experts you noticed from the Hatrack Experts discussion who might know something about your query.
After that, ask your question.
For answers, I humbly request those who mentioned themselves as experts to check the "questions" line every now and then.
Sample: Subject: phd, science, math, academia
Message: micmcd
How many classes would my character have to take to get a PhD in math from a modern university? How much more calculus do you do? I want to have a brainy mathematician guy in grad school, and I just need to understand the gist of stuff that he would do.
My answer: To get a PhD in mathematics (or indeed in just about any science -- I can't speak for the humanities), you go far beyond coursework in your last couple of years. Depending on the program and the discipline, it typically takes you between 4 and 6 years to get a PhD in math, and recently schools have been emphasizing decreasing that time. You can typically get a Master's degree (MS, M.Phil, or MA, depending on the school) only through coursework. A PhD will often do that same level of coursework (~2 years), and then spend another 2 or 3 years doing mostly research and going to seminars. Typically an exam (a 4 hour oral exam when I went through it) is required to switch from the class-taking phase to the research phase. Grades tend to be meaningless as you go on. In mathematics, you have to prove a theorem of your own to get a PhD.
With regards to what you asked about how much calculus -- there is a greater understanding about what mathematics is that you are missing, and you may want to look into this before including a mathematician in your book. I'd be happy to help, but there are actually quite a few popular books aimed at the non-expert explaining a little of what math is. Fermat's Enigma is a good read about a feat of modern mathematical research. The short explanation I can give here, though, is that calculus is more like an old tool to mathematicians, rather than a live branch of science. I've often also said that calculus is something mathematicians use only to stay employed. They teach it to engineering students to pay the bills and then go do interesting work with their spare time.
posted
Not a bad idea. I presume your question was simply an example as you answered your own question, so here's a "for real" question.
Subject: law enforcement, military, historical, medeival
Question: In a fantasy setting (castles, knights, pre-industry, magic, etc) one of my POV characters is going to be a mid/high level officers in what equates to a military/police. My question is probably 2-fold.
First, what is a typical law-enforcement day for a small-mid size town? I presume there isn't a murder or something serious every day. Is it mostly paperwork / organization?
Secondly, what about this type of law enforcement was/would be different in a medievilish type setting. Presuming that a small regiment of soldiers are assigned the task of "policing" a small/middle size town, what would an average day be like? For that matter, what is a "middle" size pre-industry town? Few hundred? Few thousand?
Let's see if this expert query idea works. I'd love to get the opinion of anyone with experience, both in modern-day law enforcement, or a history-buff. =)
posted
Yeah - my first one was just meant as a sample. Probably didn't need to bother with quite that long an answer, given that no one was asking.
Posts: 500 | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Probably not a bad idea. I was just trying to get away from listing all the experts along with all the questions.
Posts: 500 | Registered: May 2008
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posted
AstroStewart, there really was no law-enforcement as we think of it in the middle ages--no police for someone to be an officer in. And medieval europe (and I assume you're thinking of europe) wasn't one big lump. I don't know much about how things were done in what is now Germany or Italy. In England, much of the law enforcement, such as it was, was done either by the local lord or his reeve who was a serf. After the conquest, constables, frequently unpaid, were responsible more as a militia position than as what we would think of as law enforcement. William I was the first English king to appoint judges. The modern idea of a police force paid for by the government wasn't developed until around the 18th Century by legal scholars, primarily the French. Consider that the Metropolitan Police wasn't even in existance until 1829.
As far as population, that depends on when and where you're talking about. There were some steep climbs and declines in population. Consider that there are estimates that 25% to as high as 50% of all towns were abandoned during the Black Death. The Doomsday Book only included 6 in its enquiry but because of the population of these would have varied substantially. And of course the largest cities were cathedral cities.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited June 05, 2008).]
posted
Sheriff (as in of Nottingham) and local Magistrates. More often in the feudal system local lords were the judges--and tongued people, which were listed in 9 types of "automatically believed" witnesses--and their soldiers would "police" their fiefdom.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited June 05, 2008).]
posted
Well, the sheriff (derives from Shire Reeve) wasn't a sheriff as we think of one but was more of a tax collector and in charge of mustering the populace for military service at need. Pretty much if there was law enforcement it was done by the local lord and his appointees.
Posts: 1588 | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
So if someone murdered someone else in the middle ages, say, there was no one who held him legally responsible? I wasn't thinking there was any kind of legal system, nor that there was a separate police force from the military/rulers themselves. But if a local region was governed by a lord, then was the sheriff appointed by the lord? Was there only this single tax-collector person? Was it just mob rule so far as "Bob killed Frank I saw him do it, GET HIM" more than an actual official who upheld the law?
Perhaps the middle ages is a bad example, as level of organization of the military in my WIP is probably more akin to the Roman army than the middle ages. So maybe I should be asking, how did the Roman military deal with law enforcement, or did they even do such a thing? Did the people punish each other for things like stealing, murder, etc. or were there officials of some kind who did the punishing?
Thanks for any/all help. And really, I think it's true now that I think about it, that already on this forum, when people want to "question the experts" they just make a thread and people answer.
posted
As I understand it, the local lord's main job (whether he did it very well or not is another question) was to serve as a judge and administrator of the people under him. That's what he was supposed to be doing when he "held court" or "had audiences." And if he had a lot of people to take care of, he had to travel around to deal with their problems. If he didn't do that, he could lose control.
Posts: 8826 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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posted
In England after the Norman invasion there were judges appointed by the king who handled some of the cases, but those really were an exception and involved what were considered offenses against the king. No, it wasn't mob rule generally -- although with a bad lord it could and at times did deteriorate to that. During the war between King Stephen and Mathilda much of England deteriorated into anarchy, for example.
Posts: 1588 | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Don't forget also there were selected constables of towns and villages. These were usually rotated and went to men believed to have a knack with dealing with trouble makers. later on in history they become local military's and then the police force but still retained the name constables to this day. They handled the average problem like drunkenness, fist-fighting, petty theft, etc - all of which usually ended in some form of town humiliation like the stocks. Matters of foul language and petty flirting would be handled by local church authority, and usually if it was bad enough you could end up whipped with a lash or cane. Everything serious was handled by the military they were the legal enforcers of the time, and they reported to town elders, magistrates, church authorities, and any local to distant nobility they were tied to. Because of war pulling military away, middle class often became the authority based on there own level of personal militias, and often there would be personal wars between factions while military's were gone, the nobles were also usually gone to war or visiting other nobles, this is where church officials usually governed in there absence. Sometimes it fell to the female nobles, sometime not. This is all over the place in history, and no, just because a ruler was female didn't mean that life changed for the better, it was about the same as with the male rulers both good and bad 50/50. Sometimes towns and villages would buy protection from mercenaries and then they become the law enforcement. Churches if wealthy enough bought personal militias also. So it just depends where and when your story is set. But for the most part martial law ruled the world until the modern age. Got a military? Your in charge.
posted
Kathleen, would you recommend making this "The Answer Thread" or doing what halogen suggested above, BACK IN 2008, and having individual Q&A threads?
Posts: 2003 | Registered: Jul 2008
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