From the strange mind of James Lileks:

As we were all taught in grade school, the Eskimos came across the land bridge from Russia, which broke once they were across, and then they settled down and built igloos, invented 37 words for snow, made parkas with fur around the face, and fished. the teacher would note that some continued to go south, and eventually populated the rest of the Americas, where they spent their time raising Maize and not inventing the wheel, hanging around wearing loincloths, and playing a game that involved putting a rubber ball through a stone circle. They also invented chocolate. Then the Spanish came, and –

Hold on, Teacher, why didn’t the Eskimos keep moving south?

We don’t know.

But why would anyone stay there? Especially when the rest of the guys are moving on?

We don’t know.

So the Eskimos are sitting in snow up to their eyebrows, and some guys say “hey, we’re going to keep moving, because this sucks,” and the Eskimos stay because they think it can’t possibly get any better?

We don’t know.

Also, some technological prognostication: videopaint.