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Leo Strauss was not just an ordinary philosopher or political thinker; his influence spanned continents and still generates discussion long after he died in 1973. So, who exactly was Leo Strauss? By delving into his time at the University of Chicago, how he approached classic texts controversially, and the lasting impact of his teachings, one […]
The Domesday Book is a record of landholding in England from the reign of the Conqueror, surviving in its original manuscript and kept at the National Archives. The manuscript as we have it, as well as several of its antecedents, give insight into an extraordinary process of information gathering that leading Domesday historian Stephen […]
Living in isolated Alaska has its risks. Particularly in the early days of its development, Alaskan citizens had limited access to resources, especially in the winter when the snow and ice made transport by traditional means difficult. In 1925, disaster struck when an outbreak of diphtheria hit the town of Nome. With the route […]
When you imagine Beijing, China’s characteristic architecture likely comes to mind — red walls, tiled roofs, and quaint courtyard dwellings. What visitors might not expect is to see skyscrapers and fantastical modern architecture that wouldn’t look out of place in Singapore or London. Before hosting the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing underwent a transformation of […]
Life in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century was unstable; wars, economic crises, a pandemic—it was hard not to feel humanity was facing one “existential crisis” after another. One philosophical response to this historical context was the philosophy of existentialism. There were shared themes explored by “existentialists,” but also important differences […]
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A promotional comic from 1960 called Space Explorer. It was part of the comic series Boys’ and Girls’ March of Comics, #202. These promotional comics were distributer to retailers who would brand them with their name and give them away to customers to attract them to shop at that store (like stores that sell Jumping-Jacks shoes.) Space Explorer is the story of a brave astronaut who survives trials and tribulations to make it to Phobos (of Mars) to discover via telescope new information about Martian canals. Spoiler alert: Mars has primitive plants but no intelligent life made the canals. Space Explorer. (Promotional comic.) Boys’ and Girls’ March of Comics, #202. Poughkeepsie, NY: Western Printing and Lithographing Co. (18 p.) 1960.
This week (and probably next) I want to talk a bit more Tolkien, but in a somewhat different vein from normal. Rather than discussing the historicity of Tolkien’s world or adaptations of it, I want to take a moment to discuss some of the themes of Tolkien’s work, which express themselves in the metaphysical architecture … Continue reading Collections: Why Celebrimbor Fell but Boromir Conquered: the Moral Universe of Tolkien →
Alien Sex Fiend played at Camden Palace on February 13, 1990, as part of the venue’s Feet First indie nights. Posters advertising the show went up around the area in other parts of London, featuring the faces of lead singer Nicholas Wade (aka Nik Fiend) and Christine Wade (Mrs Fiend). Peter Marshall saw those posters … Continue reading "Gigs, Fights And An Alien Sex Fiend: Posters In London, c. 1990" The post Gigs, Fights And An Alien Sex Fiend: Posters In London, c. 1990 appeared first on Flashbak.
Until the end of his life, Carl Sagan (1934–1996) continued doing what he did all along — popularizing science and “enthusiastically conveying the wonders of the universe to millions of people on television and in books.” Whenever Sagan appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the 70s and 80s, his goal was to […]
