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Trying to Understand...
Stone, Scissors, Paper. Or, Europe after Ukraine.
6 months ago
Patterns in Humanity
Sub-replacement fertility in pre-baby boom Europe Past perspectives on fertility decline
6 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Macedonia Before Alexander the Great Were the Macedonians Greek?
2 months ago
Flashbak
Have A Weird Christmas With Our Album Of Vintage Photo Oddities There’s a weird vibe running through this album of Christmas images. Harvested from Robert E....
8 months ago
57
8 months ago
There’s a weird vibe running through this album of Christmas images. Harvested from Robert E. Jackson’s phenomenal collection of snapshots we see all kinds of unusual goings on. One Christmas card features a photo of the sender covered in rats; on another a man canoodles a...
Flashbak
Lee Balterman’s Chicago in the 1950s Lee Balterman (1920 – March 16, 2012) was born in Chicago, took night classes in drawing and...
a year ago
47
a year ago
Lee Balterman (1920 – March 16, 2012) was born in Chicago, took night classes in drawing and painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago – the only formal training of his career – and until his death lived and photographed almost daily in Chicago for newspapers,...
Res Obscura
Why did clothing become boring? An investigation into when, how, and why everyone started dressing the same — and what it was like...
8 months ago
93
8 months ago
An investigation into when, how, and why everyone started dressing the same — and what it was like when they didn't
Open Culture
The Architectural History of the Louvre: 800 Years in Three Minutes Setting aside just one day for the Louvre is a classic first-time Paris visitor’s mistake. The place...
6 months ago
39
6 months ago
Setting aside just one day for the Louvre is a classic first-time Paris visitor’s mistake. The place is simply too big to comprehend on one visit, or indeed on ten visits. To grow so vast has taken eight centuries, a process explained in under three minutes by the official video...
TheCollector
Balto the Dog: A Famous Canine Hero In the 1920s, Alaska was one of America’s last remaining frontiers. The isolated region was one full...
4 months ago
45
4 months ago
In the 1920s, Alaska was one of America’s last remaining frontiers. The isolated region was one full of hardship but offered a quiet existence. After a mining boom that waned in the early 20th century, Nome, on the Western coast, became a city occupied by brave souls. Driving, or...
Dr Alun Withey
News Just In: Dr W Joins TikTok – @dralun7 Yes, it’s true – I’ve finally joined the 21st century and decided to try something new. I am still...
8 months ago
99
8 months ago
Yes, it’s true – I’ve finally joined the 21st century and decided to try something new. I am still only setting things up, so please be patient with the extremely cheesy and clunky vids as I try to work out what I’m doing! I’ve only got a couple of videos up at the moment too, …...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Anger and Alexander
5 months ago
TheCollector
9 Defining Moments in British Medieval Warfare Interestingly, the medieval period in Britain begins with a battle. In 1066 CE, the Battle of...
6 months ago
24
6 months ago
Interestingly, the medieval period in Britain begins with a battle. In 1066 CE, the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of Norman rule and a new era in Britain. Medieval warfare in Britain was often used as a tool to help implement feudalism and maintain the centralization of...
Hundred Rabbits
Summary of changes for March 2023 Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of...
over a year ago
17
over a year ago
Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of March. Summary Of Changes Donsol, added 100r logo to splash screen on the rom. 100r.co, added a new page: diy carbonation system. Updated Saving fuel, Engine rebuild and...
Global Inequality...
Three steps to freedom Secessionism and the collapse of Communist federations
a year ago
Flashbak
John Martin’s Thrilling Illustrations for Paradise Lost (1827) “Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death...
8 months ago
58
8 months ago
“Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death into the World, and all our woe” – The opening lines to Paradise Lost by John Milton, illustrated by John Martin     John Milton’s (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) epic poem...
TheCollector
The Forgotten Claudian Heirs Who Shaped Imperial Rome The Julio-Claudians were the first dynasty of imperial Rome, descended from the Julian gens through...
a month ago
11
a month ago
The Julio-Claudians were the first dynasty of imperial Rome, descended from the Julian gens through Julius Caesar and Augustus. The Claudian side came through the empress Livia, herself a Claudian, and her ex-husband Tiberius Claudius Nero, whose name is preserved by three of...
Trying to Understand...
A Wasting Asset? Europe turns away from America.
9 months ago
TheCollector
Why Did Ethiopian Rulers Claim to Be Descendants of King Solomon? Upon converting to Christianity in the 4th century, Ethiopia’s rulers took their new religion and...
a month ago
14
a month ago
Upon converting to Christianity in the 4th century, Ethiopia’s rulers took their new religion and invested themselves with an entirely new national mythos. Dynasties traced their roots back as far as possible (and even beyond) in order to solidify their legitimacy. And where...
Classical Wisdom
Odysseus in Hell Classics and the Divine Comedy
4 months ago
TheCollector
The Weighing of the Heart Ceremony & Its Role in the Egyptian Afterlife One of the most famous scenes surviving from ancient Egyptian art is the Weighing of the Heart...
a month ago
23
a month ago
One of the most famous scenes surviving from ancient Egyptian art is the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, during which the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Ma’at. If the heart was lighter than the feather, they passed into ancient Egypt’s paradisical...
TheCollector
How King Arthur Proved His Right to Rule The incident of the Sword in the Stone is one of the most famous stories in the Arthurian legends....
a week ago
10
a week ago
The incident of the Sword in the Stone is one of the most famous stories in the Arthurian legends. This account tells how Arthur was accepted as the rightful king of the Britons. Arthur proved his right to rule by withdrawing a special sword that had been stuck in a stone. The...
TheCollector
The Incredible Life & Military Campaigns of the Assyrian King Sargon II Sargon II ascended the Assyrian throne in 722 BCE and reigned until 705 BCE. Little is known about...
2 months ago
17
2 months ago
Sargon II ascended the Assyrian throne in 722 BCE and reigned until 705 BCE. Little is known about him before his contentious rise to power. Throughout his tenure as king, Sargon II entangled himself in political disputes, which often led to war, and in most cases, he emerged...
TheCollector
Calypso, the Nymph Who Held Odysseus Captive Calypso was a beautiful nymph who lived alone on the isolated island of Ogygia. Her solitude changed...
a month ago
23
a month ago
Calypso was a beautiful nymph who lived alone on the isolated island of Ogygia. Her solitude changed when the shipwrecked hero Odysseus washed ashore. Calypso fell in love with him and offered him immortality and an idyllic paradise in exchange for staying with her and marrying...
TheCollector
Are We Prediction Machines? Predictive Processing & Brain Science Traditional neuroscience has reached an impasse, a plateauing in understanding. Mainly relying on...
3 months ago
17
3 months ago
Traditional neuroscience has reached an impasse, a plateauing in understanding. Mainly relying on technological advancements to further its understanding of the brain’s neurology, it is now severely lacking in theory. Pure data gives little insight without theory, yet...
TheCollector
Interview With Adriano Marinazzo: Michelangelo Masterpieces in the US TheCollector recently had the pleasure of speaking with curator Adriano Marinazzo about...
6 months ago
26
6 months ago
TheCollector recently had the pleasure of speaking with curator Adriano Marinazzo about Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, an exciting new exhibition held at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. On view from March 6 to May 28, 2025, the...
Flashbak
Dear Me: Letters by Famous Faces to Their Teenage Selves Alun CummingAmongst letters to their 16-year-old selves, writer Stephen King advises against taking...
6 months ago
38
6 months ago
Alun CummingAmongst letters to their 16-year-old selves, writer Stephen King advises against taking recreational drugs. Musician Alice Cooper has words of romance –  “Trashy girls are exciting for about five minutes… Keep your eye out for a good-lookin’ church girl. Then you’ll...
TheCollector
Who Are the Philistines That Appear in the Bible? The Bible presents the Philistines as notable enemies of Israel and they are involved in some iconic...
4 months ago
26
4 months ago
The Bible presents the Philistines as notable enemies of Israel and they are involved in some iconic scenes from the Old Testament. Among these are the narratives of David and Goliath, the Philistine giant warrior who was defeated by a shepherd boy, and the time when the Ark of...
Flashbak
More Glorious Colour Photographs of London in 1972 It’s been a while since we shared pictures of someone’s trip to London in 1972. Here are more from...
5 months ago
43
5 months ago
It’s been a while since we shared pictures of someone’s trip to London in 1972. Here are more from the series. All we know about these great photos is that they were more than likely taken by an American tourist. They are from the collection of Glen F, who notes: I’ve found that...
Flashbak
Snapshots of London Going Mad For Christmas In the 1980s When they unpacked the 76h Christmas tree sent to the people of London from the City of Oslo as a...
a year ago
27
a year ago
When they unpacked the 76h Christmas tree sent to the people of London from the City of Oslo as a token of gratitude for British support to Norway during the Second World War, it looked bedraggled. So before it went up on Trafalgar Square, the decorators nailed some of the...
African History...
Kingdoms at the forest's edge: a history of Mangbetu (ca. 1750-1895) The northern region of central Africa between the modern countries of D.R.Congo and South Sudan has...
a year ago
92
a year ago
The northern region of central Africa between the modern countries of D.R.Congo and South Sudan has a long and complex history shaped by its internal cultural developments and its unique ecology between the savannah and the forest. Among the most remarkable states that emerged in...
TheCollector
Digging Through Detroit’s Past: A History Lover’s Top 10 As big cities go, Detroit is unlike anywhere else in the United States. From its contributions to...
4 months ago
9
4 months ago
As big cities go, Detroit is unlike anywhere else in the United States. From its contributions to music and art to its rapid industrialization and deindustrialization, the city continues to evolve and inspire. Below are the top 10 places to experience Detroit’s historical legacy....
TheCollector
What Were Wizard Merlin’s Historical Origins? Merlin is one of the most famous figures from the Arthurian legends. He is the infamous wizard who...
5 months ago
20
5 months ago
Merlin is one of the most famous figures from the Arthurian legends. He is the infamous wizard who served and guided King Arthur throughout his reign. In some versions of the tale, he was entrusted with raising Arthur as a youth. In reality, the development of this legendary...
TheCollector
First Servile War: The Prophet’s Revolt That Shook Rome All parts of the Greek and later Roman world were built upon exploiting either their conquered foes...
4 months ago
23
4 months ago
All parts of the Greek and later Roman world were built upon exploiting either their conquered foes or those with the simple misfortune of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite its supreme importance in daily life, there were several attempts by slaves to throw...
TheCollector
James II vs. William of Orange (Williamite War in Ireland) The Glorious Revolution of 1688 that brought Prince William of Orange to the throne of England at...
2 months ago
20
2 months ago
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 that brought Prince William of Orange to the throne of England at the expense of King James II soon caused Ireland to be dragged into a European war as part of a contest involving Britain, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire....
The Universe of...
Genealogy of the House of Reuss A couple of years ago I lamented the difficulty I had in verifying what appeared to be a simple...
9 months ago
18
9 months ago
A couple of years ago I lamented the difficulty I had in verifying what appeared to be a simple statement of fact: [Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman] was the seventh son of the Emir of the Second Saudi State, Abdul Rahman bin Faisal. The essential problem is that Saudi princes have at...
The Universe of...
A complex bug with a ⸢simple⸣ fix Last month I did a fairly complex piece of systems programming that worked surprisingly well. But...
11 months ago
43
11 months ago
Last month I did a fairly complex piece of systems programming that worked surprisingly well. But it had one big bug that took me a day to track down. One reason I find the bug interesting is that it exemplifies the sort of challenges that come up in systems programming. The...
Open Culture
When Neapolitans Used to Eat Pasta with Their Bare Hands: Watch Footage from 1903 Even if you don’t speak Italian, you can make a decent guess at the meaning of the word...
7 months ago
40
7 months ago
Even if you don’t speak Italian, you can make a decent guess at the meaning of the word mangiamaccheroni. The tricky bit is that maccheroni refers not to the pasta English-speakers today call macaroni, tubular and cut into small curved sections, but to pasta in general. Or at...
Flashbak
Len Deighton’s Action Cookbook : How To Seduce With An Omelette (1965) Len Deighton’s Action Cookbook (1965) began life as cookery strips (aka ‘cookstrips’) when Leighton...
a year ago
45
a year ago
Len Deighton’s Action Cookbook (1965) began life as cookery strips (aka ‘cookstrips’) when Leighton was a student at London’s  Royal Academy and St Martin’s art school, and living with classmate Bob Hyde. Aimed at “an audience of men unskilled at knowing their way around the...
Flashbak
Salford in 1977: People Of Langworthy, Ordsall and the Adelphi In 1977, Phil Portus photographed life on the streets of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. A...
a year ago
62
a year ago
In 1977, Phil Portus photographed life on the streets of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. A member of the Reflex photography group, led by documentarian Diane Bush, a young American established documentary photographer, Portus wanted to show the everyday things people...
Classical Wisdom
Marcus Aurelius' Stoic Paradoxes Contradictions that Rewire Us
7 months ago
Flashbak
The Incredible And True Story Of How Elvis Presley Became Orion, The Masked Singer Destined to be a leading light to the world, James Hodges Ellis (born James Hughes Bell, February...
a year ago
51
a year ago
Destined to be a leading light to the world, James Hodges Ellis (born James Hughes Bell, February 26, 1945 – December 12, 1998) was known to his fans as Orion. To others he was Elvis Presley. Ellis appeared with many artists, including Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tammy...
Trying to Understand...
No Left Turn Workers and Peasants we are not.
a year ago
Overcoming Bias
UFO As Aliens Odds, Spending The following are some (lognormal fit) median estimates from some X polls I just ran.
6 months ago
TheCollector
What Ancient Greek Philosophers Said About Friendship (Philia) In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one...
a month ago
16
a month ago
In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one thought, acted, and organized society. However, we will see that thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates viewed the matter rather differently from how we might today. Of...
Flashbak
William Blake, The Great Red Dragon Paintings “And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads....
a year ago
40
a year ago
“And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” — Revelations 12:3-4, King James Bible   The Red Dragon Paintings are four watercolours by...
Global Inequality...
Capitalism of finitude: pessimism and bellicosity Review of Arnaud Orain’s "Le Monde Confisqué"
5 months ago
TheCollector
The Celtic Gods Hiding in Welsh Mythology Welsh mythology is a product of medieval Britain. It is found in medieval documents from Wales in...
6 days ago
7
6 days ago
Welsh mythology is a product of medieval Britain. It is found in medieval documents from Wales in various forms, such as poems, prose tales, and triads containing brief references to otherwise forgotten stories. Significantly, the Welsh are, along with the Cornish and the...
Trying to Understand...
What Is This "War" Of Which You Speak? Do we mean what they mean?
4 months ago
Wrong Side of...
Why we need an insufferable liberal elite The Great Migration to Bluesky
9 months ago
Trying to Understand...
When Ukraine Is Over ... How will they turn out the lights?
7 months ago
Open Culture
Watch an Avant-Garde Bauhaus Ballet in Brilliant Color, First Staged in 1922 We credit the Bauhaus school, founded by German architect Walter Gropius in 1919, for the aesthetic...
7 months ago
48
7 months ago
We credit the Bauhaus school, founded by German architect Walter Gropius in 1919, for the aesthetic principles that have guided so much modern design and architecture in the 20th and 21st centuries. The school’s relationships with artists like Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Laszlo...