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Flashbak
Man Ray’s Mathematics Objects (1934-36) The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at...
5 months ago
33
5 months ago
The collection of 19th-century three-dimensional models of algebraic and differential equations at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris made a great impression on Surrealist artists.     When German artist Max Ernst (2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) saw a series of 19th Century wood,...
Classical Wisdom
The Mother Goddess of Rome And Her Controversial Religion
a year ago
Open Culture
Mahatma Gandhi’s List of the Seven Social Sins; or Tips on How to Avoid Living the Bad Life Image via Wikimedia Commons In 590 AD, Pope Gregory I unveiled a list of the Seven Deadly Sins –...
7 months ago
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7 months ago
Image via Wikimedia Commons In 590 AD, Pope Gregory I unveiled a list of the Seven Deadly Sins – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride – as a way to keep the flock from straying into the thorny fields of ungodliness. These days, though, for all but the most devout,...
Patterns in Humanity
Are women better at jigsaw puzzles? An analysis of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship
7 months ago
History Today Feed
Jane Austen: A Partial and Prejudiced Historian Jane Austen: A Partial and Prejudiced Historian JamesHoare Mon, 04/28/2025 - 08:57
4 months ago
TheCollector
Aristotle’s Four Causes That Explain the Why and How of Existence Have you ever wanted to know why things are how they are, not just what they are? Aristotle’s Four...
3 weeks ago
4
3 weeks ago
Have you ever wanted to know why things are how they are, not just what they are? Aristotle’s Four Causes can help. These ancient principles of explanation still influence us today in how we do science or even just think about daily stuff. In this piece, we’ll examine each Cause...
TheCollector
Stories from WWII Croatia (Ustasha-era) The Independent State of Croatia, founded in 1941, did not have the same impact on Europe’s...
a month ago
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a month ago
The Independent State of Croatia, founded in 1941, did not have the same impact on Europe’s demographics that Nazi Germany did. Nonetheless, the brutality of the genocidal campaign it conducted against its Serbs, Roma, and Jews is haunting. Its history and the memory thereof also...
History Today Feed
Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters JamesHoare Tue, 04/08/2025 - 09:01
4 months ago
TheCollector
What Happened to Anne Boleyn’s Iconic “B” Necklace? The tale of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fiercest queen, is as captivating as it is shocking. Despite...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The tale of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fiercest queen, is as captivating as it is shocking. Despite Henry’s efforts to erase her from history as if she were Nefertiti instead of a woman in the modern era, Anne’s legacy persists — she was, after all, mother to the monarch who ruled...
TheCollector
Why Do We Keep Finding Mayan Pyramids? Traditionally, excavations deep in the jungles of Mexico, Central, and South America are difficult...
3 months ago
36
3 months ago
Traditionally, excavations deep in the jungles of Mexico, Central, and South America are difficult at best and dangerous at worst. With rough terrain, violent storms, and the watchful eyes of local animals, archeologists often turn to modern equipment to cover as much ground as...
TheCollector
10 Masterpieces of Ottoman Architecture In its early years, the Ottoman Empire was inspired by Persio-Islamic and Byzantine culture. This...
2 months ago
22
2 months ago
In its early years, the Ottoman Empire was inspired by Persio-Islamic and Byzantine culture. This affected the style of Ottoman architecture, and Mosques, madrasas, hospitals, bazaars, and palaces reflected this rich cultural blend. Learn about ten architectural marvels from the...
Res Obscura
A very deep history of Halloween Or, how far back can historical analysis take us?
10 months ago
TheCollector
4 Ways that Magical Realism Rewrites History In a particularly striking scene from Gabriel García Márquez’s Nobel prize-winning novel One Hundred...
a month ago
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a month ago
In a particularly striking scene from Gabriel García Márquez’s Nobel prize-winning novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, a trickle of blood takes on a life of its own, flowing from room to room, going around the carpets, crossing terraces, and climbing over curbs as it makes its...
Hundred Rabbits
Summary of changes for February 2023 Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects and apps during the...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects and apps during the month of February. We'll also be reporting in our on position in the world, and on our future plans. Summary Of Changes Wiktopher, added back corrected chapters 1-7 to...
Classical Wisdom
The First Greek Philosopher Beyond Mythology
7 months ago
TheCollector
John Smith: Champion of Jamestown or Tall-Tale Weaver? There is no denying that Captain John Smith led an extraordinary life. From humble beginnings on a...
3 months ago
20
3 months ago
There is no denying that Captain John Smith led an extraordinary life. From humble beginnings on a farm to life as a soldier and later a founding member of Jamestown’s Virginia Colony, Smith’s existence was rife with adventure and accomplishments. Contemporary accounts, then...
TheCollector
Battle of the Milvian Bridge: The Battle That Shaped Christianity? The victory of Emperor Constantine during a civil war allowed for some of the most dramatic events...
4 months ago
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4 months ago
The victory of Emperor Constantine during a civil war allowed for some of the most dramatic events in Roman history. The emperor’s tale of divine intervention at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge proved to be the key event in the legalization of Christianity and its subsequent...
A Collection of...
Collections: On Bread and Circuses Coming off of some of the discussion of Gladiator II (I, II), this week I want to discuss the place...
8 months ago
97
8 months ago
Coming off of some of the discussion of Gladiator II (I, II), this week I want to discuss the place of ‘bread and circuses’ in the narrative of Roman decadence and decline. This is one of those phrases which long ago entered the standard lexicon, but which gets used and...
Flashbak
Emma Willard’s Time Maps “Education cannot prosper in any community unless…the best and most cultivated talents of that...
a year ago
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a year ago
“Education cannot prosper in any community unless…the best and most cultivated talents of that community can be brought in to exercise the way.” – Emma Hart Willard   Emma Willard (February 23, 1787 – April 15, 1870) was a trailblazing American educator who founded the first...
Flashbak
The Metamorphoses du Jour by JJ Grandville – 1829 Told in 73 coloured lithographs, Les Metamorphoses du Jour (1829) by French artist J.J. Gandville...
8 months ago
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8 months ago
Told in 73 coloured lithographs, Les Metamorphoses du Jour (1829) by French artist J.J. Gandville (born Jean-Ignace-Isidore Gérard; 1803-1847) is a satire on the bourgeois middle class of Parisian society in the Romantic period. Grandville’s characters have a human body and an...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Historic Sites in Maine Maine’s history is a rich blend of Indigenous heritage, colonial conflict, maritime industry, and...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Maine’s history is a rich blend of Indigenous heritage, colonial conflict, maritime industry, and cultural resilience. Once part of Massachusetts, Maine played a pivotal role in early American warfare, from French and Indian battles to Revolutionary outposts like Fort Western and...
Flashbak
Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Was A Trekkie Who Convinced Nichelle Nichols To Stay On The Show Actress Nichelle Nichols (December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) once recalled how Dr. Martin Luther...
a year ago
19
a year ago
Actress Nichelle Nichols (December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) once recalled how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) convinced her to remain on Star Trek after she had decided to leave the series for a starring role on Broadway. In 1966, Star Trek creator...
TheCollector
What Is Confirmation Bias and How Does It Impact Your Decisions? Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to search, interpret, or recall information in a way that...
a week ago
3
a week ago
Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to search, interpret, or recall information in a way that confirms our initial views and assumptions. Effectively, we end up trapped in a cycle of reaffirming our existing assumptions, perspectives, or expectations. Given that our...
TheCollector
Why Did René Descartes Say “I Think, Therefore I Am”? “Cogito, ergo sum”, Latin for “I think, therefore I am”, is René Descartes’ most celebrated and...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
“Cogito, ergo sum”, Latin for “I think, therefore I am”, is René Descartes’ most celebrated and influential contribution to humanity. The statement was the prized conclusion of his famous journey of radical skepticism, one that served as the solid foundation of his philosophy. In...
TheCollector
The Fragile Beauty of Glass Art (From Ancient Glassware to Modern Art) Glass is an ancient artistic material, used by artists of all cultures for millennia. Despite its...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Glass is an ancient artistic material, used by artists of all cultures for millennia. Despite its fragility, it managed to preserve quite well, with traditions and artifacts being passed down from generation to generation of artists. Read on to take a look at the long history of...
TheCollector
The Great Greek Revolt Against Macedonia After Alexander’s Death More than a decade after Greek freedom was said to have died at the hands of the Macedonians at the...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
More than a decade after Greek freedom was said to have died at the hands of the Macedonians at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BCE), a new Greek alliance challenged Macedonian dominance. A Greek revolt was triggered by events shortly before Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BCE,...
Flashbak
An Interview with Andrew Loog Oldham “I didn’t think. I had no reference point. I had no fear. It was all really simple. Peter Jones of...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
“I didn’t think. I had no reference point. I had no fear. It was all really simple. Peter Jones of the Record Mirror told me to go and see them. I did. It was good for everybody… I was quite happy doing PR and I became happier managing the Rolling Stones.” – Andrew Loog Oldham …...
Flashbak
American Noir: Mugshots And Crimes From A Small Pennsylvanian Town (1930s – 1950s) Small Town Noir is a study of life and crime in New Castle, western Pennsylvania. The site compiles...
a year ago
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a year ago
Small Town Noir is a study of life and crime in New Castle, western Pennsylvania. The site compiles the mugshots of criminals who lived in the town in the 1930, 40s and 50s, with notes on their offences. The mugshots were pulled from the rubbish when the town’s police department...
Classical Wisdom
Should We Be Skeptics? Is it good to question everything?
a year ago
TheCollector
The 6 Foundational Shinto Myths Shinto, “the way of the Gods,” has been the folk religion of Japan for thousands of years, even...
2 months ago
20
2 months ago
Shinto, “the way of the Gods,” has been the folk religion of Japan for thousands of years, even after being partially subsumed into Buddhism. It resembles Taoism in many ways, with a focus on harmony with nature and ancestor veneration. Another key part of Shinto is the worship...
Overcoming Bias
No Meta Status Orgs In health and medicine, we have many government agencies, and private philanthropies, devoted to...
9 months ago
19
9 months ago
In health and medicine, we have many government agencies, and private philanthropies, devoted to many specific medical conditions, and also to studying and reforming medicine in general, at a meta level.
TheCollector
The Most Important Phoenician Cities The Phoenicians, renowned for their trading and maritime skills, originated in what’s modern...
6 days ago
9
6 days ago
The Phoenicians, renowned for their trading and maritime skills, originated in what’s modern Lebanon. They called themselves Canaanites, related to similar peoples in the region. The term Phoenician derived from the Greek word “phoinix” meaning purple, referencing the famous...
History Today Feed
Early Modern Millers’ Tales Early Modern Millers’ Tales JamesHoare Thu, 04/03/2025 - 09:05
5 months ago
The Universe of...
Hangeul sign-engraving machine Last summer I was privileged to visit the glorious Letterpress Museum in Paju Book City, where I...
8 months ago
28
8 months ago
Last summer I was privileged to visit the glorious Letterpress Museum in Paju Book City, where I spent several hours and took a collection of photos that are probably not of interest to anyone but letterpress geeks, and perhaps not even to them. Looking back at the photos it's...
African History...
A complete history of Jenne: 250BC-1893AD Journal of African cities chapter 6
over a year ago
Open Culture
See Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Visualized in Colorfully Animated Scores Music is often described as the most abstract of all the arts, and arguably the least visual as...
6 months ago
49
6 months ago
Music is often described as the most abstract of all the arts, and arguably the least visual as well. But these qualities, which seem so basic to the nature of the form, have been challenged for at least three centuries, not least by composers themselves. Take Antonio Vivaldi,...
Flashbak
Riddle Me This: Question Marks In Vintage Photographs The Riddler: “Riddle me this! There are three men an a boat with a pack of cigarettes and no...
9 months ago
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9 months ago
The Riddler: “Riddle me this! There are three men an a boat with a pack of cigarettes and no matches. How did they manage to smoke?” Robin: “They threw one cigarette overboard and the boat became a cigarette lighter.” – The Question asked in Batman, 1966     The question mark...
Classical Wisdom
Volcanoes in the Ancient World Cataclysm and Change
2 months ago
Wrong Side of...
The First Briton James I, the wise fool who dreamed of a Great Britain
5 months ago
TheCollector
What Was the Cultural Impact of the Silk Road? The renowned Silk Road was a network of trade routes that spanned the Asian, North African, and...
3 months ago
24
3 months ago
The renowned Silk Road was a network of trade routes that spanned the Asian, North African, and European continents between 130 BCE and 1453 CE. For a long time, the network was considered to be one of the primary nerve-centers of the early global economy. In the era in which it...
TheCollector
What Did Emperor Constantine Do at the Council of Nicaea? The Council of Nicaea, held in 325 CE at the request of Constantine the Great, is one of the...
a week ago
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a week ago
The Council of Nicaea, held in 325 CE at the request of Constantine the Great, is one of the earliest pivotal moments of Christian history. Constantine was deeply involved in each step of the Council’s proceedings, and it is possible that without his influence, the council would...
Res Obscura
Post-postal What did we lose when we stopped writing letters?
10 months ago
Classical Wisdom
The Ancient Ozempic Was Theriac a Miracle Drug?
11 months ago
TheCollector
The Liberation of Rome in WWII: Here’s What Happened In September 1943, the Western Allies—the US, Britain, and Canada—invaded fascist Italy, which was...
5 months ago
41
5 months ago
In September 1943, the Western Allies—the US, Britain, and Canada—invaded fascist Italy, which was allied with Nazi Germany by longtime dictator Benito Mussolini. Although the Allies had made secret plans that would lead to the bloodless surrender of the weakest Axis power, the...
Trying to Understand...
Getting Used To Being Weak. It's worse than you probably imagine.
a year ago
Open Culture
Bob Dylan Explains Why Music Has Been Getting Worse One often hears that there’s no money to be made in music anymore. But then, there was no money to...
5 months ago
42
5 months ago
One often hears that there’s no money to be made in music anymore. But then, there was no money to be made in music when Bob Dylan started his career either—at least according to Bob Dylan. “If you could just support yourself, you were doin’ good,” he says in an interview clip...
Flashbak
Breaking Through To The Other Side: The Flammarion Engraving, c.1888 The so-called ‘Flammarion engraving’ is a wood engraving by an unknown artist that first appeared in...
a year ago
55
a year ago
The so-called ‘Flammarion engraving’ is a wood engraving by an unknown artist that first appeared in French writer Camille Flammarion’s L’Atmosphère: Météorologie populaire (1888) in a chapter called ‘The Shape of the Sky’. The image is of a man crawling under the edge of the...
Res Obscura
How to use generative AI for historical research Four real-world case studies, and some thoughts on what not to do
a year ago
Open Culture
Watch 950 Weather Reports Presented by David Lynch, Straight from His Los Angeles Home Los Angeles is hardly a city known for its varied weather, but if one lives there long enough, one...
7 months ago
48
7 months ago
Los Angeles is hardly a city known for its varied weather, but if one lives there long enough, one does become highly attuned to its many subtleties. (Granted, some of the local phenomena involved, like the notorious Santa Ana winds, can produce far-from-subtle effects.) The late...
TheCollector
How Many People Died From the Black Plague? The Black Plague, also referred to as the Black Death, stands as one of the deadliest pandemics ever...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
The Black Plague, also referred to as the Black Death, stands as one of the deadliest pandemics ever recorded in history. It started to spread in Europe and Asia in the mid-14th century and killed millions of people before it finally subsided. Because medieval records are...