Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with generations

Examples of Long-Term Projects?

theefixedstars — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:07:16 -0800

I'm looking for examples where people invest work in projects that they know they will never live to partake in the outcome. I am already familiar with the Long Now Foundation and many examples mentioned in Stewart Brand's book, so as much as I'm awed and inspired by all of that, I'm looking for a larger universe of examples. Historical examples would be especially prized. Also if there is some sort of terminology/theory/readings about this from other perspectives -- anthropological, psychological, what have you, I'd love to hear about them.

Please help me find a country music song

flyingcowofdoom — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:35:43 -0800

I'm looking for a specific country music song that I don't know where I heard. I'm looking for a country song by a male artist that is about growing up in different generations. I think he sings about the 60s, 70s, 80s, etc, from a young person's perspective and about the fads of the time. Anyone have any ideas what song this is? TIA!

Ever Diminishing Circles

ian1977 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:41:41 -0800

What was the study done that showed how subsequent generations of children were exploring smaller and smaller areas? I think it might have been an British study? It asked a few generations of people about where they explored and played as children. The result of the study showed that each generation effectively had a smaller and smaller range.

How do I find authors the same age as me?

aclevername — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:33:08 -0800

Is there any resource online that lists fiction (and possibly non-fiction) authors by age? I'm looking to find and read books by authors of a similar age to me (I'm 29). Similar to the idea that Douglas Coupland, being of Generation X, had a age-based cultural type of writing, I'm curious to read any of "my" generation (whatever that may be).

Really what I'd like is some way to search a list of authors by age or birthdate. Nothing turns up on google. Nothing I want, anyway. My searches have only turned up listings of authors by historical "age" (e.g. Elizabethan, etc).

Short of looking up individual biographies of authors, is there any way to do this?

Quality intergenerational time that transcends disabilities

moreandmoreso — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:26:57 -0800

What activities can I initiate with my substantially-deaf, substantially-blind grandfather? I am 23. A while ago I moved to the same metropolitan area as my grandparents. Grandpa's vision and hearing have been going downhill for a while, leading to his increasing frustration. Grandma is not experiencing such problems. Help me make the most of our quality time together, either just with Grandpa or with both. I could meet with them up to twice a month either alone or with other family members.

They are in their mid-80s and still live in their own lake-front house. They walk (slowly) for exercise every morning and manage to do most of the things they need to do around the house on their own. Active activities would generally be difficult.

The current pattern of activity is Grandma invites 3 of us over for dinner, we chat over dinner, and Grandpa misses most of the conversation. If you take care to speak loudly, slowly, and in his direction, he understands most of it.

General suggestions are welcome, but if you need something to get your imagination going... Grandpa was a chemist before he retired and is interested in science, ancient civilizations, Italy, fiction writing, classical guitar/jazz music and harassing squirrels. He taught me to play chess. Grandma reads the newspaper and crossword puzzles aloud to him every day.

Perhaps activities specifically geared to stimulate touch, taste or smell would be engaging?

Are snobs the new dinosaurs?

grumblebee — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:17:41 -0800

Who is buying music by Shostakovich, watching silent movies, and reading Thackeray? I love classical music, old movies and classic literature. But most of my peers prefer pop music, contemporary films, and graphic novels. So when I want to talk about my passions, I usually have to find someone older than me (I'm 40).

My question is, when I'm 70 and all my elders are dead, will I have anyone to talk to? I know that the big media stores have classical sections -- sometimes quite large -- but who is shopping there? Does classical music sell to people under 30? If not, are we losing our past? Will interest in older works fade to nothing? (I suspect there will always be an audience for Beethoven's 9th Symphony, but what about more obscure pieces that aren't used in commercials or movie soundtracks?)

For a while I suspected that the classics might get lost for a while and then re-discovered, but now I wonder. Often things from the past become trendy in the present, but it's usually stuff from the RECENT past -- like 60s fashions coming back. No one ever wears Elizabethan clothes, unless they're in a play.

So have I just been unlucky in the people I've met? Are there actually tons of 40-year-olds, listening to Mahler and watching Billy Wilder films -- AND passing that love onto their children?

I know some of you could reply to this by saying, "I'm 23, and I love classical music." That's great, but it's not what I'm looking for. I KNOW there are exceptions, and I suspect Metafilter members to be exceptions. I'm talking about general trends. How much of a dinosaur am I?

Where to find a list of 'labeled generations'?

Wild_Eep — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 07:07:50 -0800

Where can I find an extensive list of 'labeled generations'? (i.e. 'X', 'Y', 'The Greatest', 'Baby Boomers', etc.) Is this only a 20th century thing? Were generations, say, around the time of the United States' Civil War labeled as well? Is this just a US thing?

Generation-defining books

Wayman Tisdale — Sun, 13 Feb 2005 19:32:16 -0800

What books have defined your generation?

Age range for different generations?

suchatreat — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 20:13:16 -0800

Generational filter: I am trying to apply an age/birth year range to the following generations: Boomers, GenX, GenY, Nexter. I find conflicting information when I google. [mi] Sources tell me I belong to more than one group, and that my mother is well into the Boomer category when I know she barely made it in. I am curious to know if some of these group titles are interchangeable as well (GenX and Nexter, perhaps?).