Full Width [alt+shift+f] Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]
Top Categories > history
#all #programming #technology #startups #life #science #history #literature #architecture #creative #design #finance #travel #AI #comics #indiehacker #cartography Muted Categories [alt+←][alt+→]
A Collection of...
Collections: The Siege of Eregion, Part IV: What Siege Equipment? This is the fourth part of our [five? -ish? I, II, III] part series on the Siege of Eregion in...
4 weeks ago
22
4 weeks ago
This is the fourth part of our [five? -ish? I, II, III] part series on the Siege of Eregion in Amazon’s Rings of Power. Last week, we took the opportunity presented by Adar’s absurd plan to dam a river using catapults to collapse a mountain to discuss the capabilities and...
Res Obscura
When Jorge Luis Borges met one of the founders of AI One reason I became a historian is the joy of encountering moments in the past that are foreign, yet...
2 weeks ago
20
2 weeks ago
One reason I became a historian is the joy of encountering moments in the past that are foreign, yet also oddly familiar.
A Collection of...
Gap Week: March 28, 2025 Hey folks! The conclusion of our look at the Siege of Eregion in Rings of Power will have to wait a...
3 weeks ago
19
3 weeks ago
Hey folks! The conclusion of our look at the Siege of Eregion in Rings of Power will have to wait a week because I am off to a conference this week, the annual meeting of the Society for Military History, this year in Mobile, Alabama! I’m set to talk about how Roman military...
Trying to Understand...
Playing with Politics Everything is permitted but nothing is possible.
3 weeks ago
Hidden History
Sailing Ship “Star of India” The Star of India is an iron-hulled merchant sailing ship built in England in 1863. On display at...
3 weeks ago
18
3 weeks ago
The Star of India is an iron-hulled merchant sailing ship built in England in 1863. On display at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, she is billed as “the world’s oldest active sailing ship”. In 1863, the Gibson, McDonald & Arnold shipbuilding company, on the Isle of Man, began...
Open Culture
A Rare Smile Captured in a 19th Century Photograph Just look at this photo. Just look at this young girl’s smile. We know her name: O‑o-dee. And we...
2 weeks ago
18
2 weeks ago
Just look at this photo. Just look at this young girl’s smile. We know her name: O‑o-dee. And we know that she was a member of the Kiowa tribe in the Oklahoma Territory. And we know that the photo was taken in 1894. But that smile is like a time machine. O‑o-dee might just as […]
Dreams of Space -...
The Spaceman at Home and at School (1958) The Spaceman at Home and at School was a pamphlet for elementary school teacher. It gave them ideas...
4 weeks ago
18
4 weeks ago
The Spaceman at Home and at School was a pamphlet for elementary school teacher. It gave them ideas about how to teach about space flight in the classroom with vivid examples. It was not about the history of spaceflight but rather how to build on the "Space Race" excitement...
Classical Wisdom
Was Aristotle Right About Happiness? LIVE Substack Session: Wednesday @ 1pm
3 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
Being Non-Transactional. Beyond "What's in it for me?"
2 weeks ago
African History...
Africans in ancient Greece and Cyprus Africans were already present on the European mainland by the time Herodotus —the so called father...
3 weeks ago
18
3 weeks ago
Africans were already present on the European mainland by the time Herodotus —the so called father of history— wrote his monumental work, The Histories.
Open Culture
How Italy Became the Most Divided Country in Europe: Understanding the Great Divide Between North &... Prada, Alfa Romeo, Pellegrino, Ferrari, Illy, Lamborghini, Gucci: these are a few Italian...
2 weeks ago
18
2 weeks ago
Prada, Alfa Romeo, Pellegrino, Ferrari, Illy, Lamborghini, Gucci: these are a few Italian corporations we all know, though we don’t necessarily know that they’re all from the north of Italy. The same is true, in fact, of most Italian brands that now enjoy global recognition, and...
The Scholar's Stage
The Eight Tribes of Trump and China LAST OCTOBER I published a short breakdown of four geopolitical ‘schools’ that might shape China...
2 weeks ago
17
2 weeks ago
LAST OCTOBER I published a short breakdown of four geopolitical ‘schools’ that might shape China strategy under Trump. That piece was a pre-election preview of a much larger report I was writing for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. I published the preview as security: Trump...
CrimethInc.
The Anti-Deportation Collective : Fighting the Machinery of Deportation in France in the 1990s In the following account, the author recounts scenes from the movement against deportations in Paris...
3 weeks ago
17
3 weeks ago
In the following account, the author recounts scenes from the movement against deportations in Paris in the late 1990s. As Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their lackeys scapegoat the undocumented and kidnap immigrants who oppose genocide even when they hold green cards, it is a good...
Global Inequality...
Do you want to be a synonym? I had a dinner with a friend tonight and we spoke of how the new era which has just begun makes lots...
2 weeks ago
17
2 weeks ago
I had a dinner with a friend tonight and we spoke of how the new era which has just begun makes lots of our knowledge, or the ways of thinking, about international relations, economic policies, poverty and wealth etc.
Open Culture
Superman vs. the KKK: Hear the 1946 Superman Radio Show That Weakened the Klan Years ago, back in 2016, we featured a 1950 Superman poster that urged students to defend the...
3 weeks ago
17
3 weeks ago
Years ago, back in 2016, we featured a 1950 Superman poster that urged students to defend the American way and fight discrimination everywhere. Today, we present another chapter from Superman’s little-known history as a Civil Rights defender. The year is 1946. World War II has...
Hidden History
The Assassination of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Civil rights icon Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, on a motel...
2 weeks ago
17
2 weeks ago
Civil rights icon Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, on a motel balcony in Memphis. One of the earliest successes of the civil rights movement was a boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.  In 1955, after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her...
Overcoming Bias
What Do I Want? It is relatively easy to identify a list of things that we want, in the sense of preferring a life...
4 weeks ago
17
4 weeks ago
It is relatively easy to identify a list of things that we want, in the sense of preferring a life with more of them to less of them.
Flashbak
Sex In A Japanese Love Hotel “These venues have a very ‘talkative’ quality visually – they‘re expressive in design, reflecting...
3 weeks ago
17
3 weeks ago
“These venues have a very ‘talkative’ quality visually – they‘re expressive in design, reflecting aspects of local culture, values, and even fantasies” – François Prost, Love Hotels     There are about 37,000 Love Hotels in Japan. Sex on the clock in a rented room is big business...
Open Culture
Man Ray’s Surrealist Cinema: Watch Four Pioneering Films From the 1920s Man Ray was one of the leading artists of the avant-garde of 1920s and 1930s Paris. A key figure in...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
Man Ray was one of the leading artists of the avant-garde of 1920s and 1930s Paris. A key figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements, his works spanned various media, including film. He was a leading exponent of the Cinéma Pur, or “Pure Cinema,” which rejected such “bourgeois”...
Open Culture
This Is What a Nuclear Strike Would Feel Like: The New York Times Creates a Precise Simulation Though certain generations may have grown up trained to take cover under their classroom desks in...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
Though certain generations may have grown up trained to take cover under their classroom desks in the case of a nuclear showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union, few of us today can believe that we’d stand much chance if we found ourselves anywhere near a detonated...
Open Culture
Every Hidden Detail of New York’s Classic Skyscrapers: The Chrysler, Empire State & Woolworth... Currently, the tallest buildings in New York City are One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower,...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
Currently, the tallest buildings in New York City are One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower, and 111 West 57th Street. All of them were completed in the twenty-twenties, and all of them have attracted comment, sometimes admiring, sometimes bewildered. But none of them, fair...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Anger and Alexander
3 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Turn The Ship Or Leave on Lifeboats To those who see just how much better is a civilized life, one of the most terrifying things one can...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
To those who see just how much better is a civilized life, one of the most terrifying things one can learn from history is that pretty much all past civilizations fell.
African History...
The Knights of ancient Nubia: horsemen and charioteers from the kingdom of Kush (ca. 1600BC-400CE) Among the groups of foreigners present in the Assyrian capital of Nimrud in 732 BC, was a community...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
Among the groups of foreigners present in the Assyrian capital of Nimrud in 732 BC, was a community of horse experts from the kingdom of Kush led by an official who supplied horses to the armies of Tiglath-Pileser III.
Open Culture
Spike Jonze Creates a New Short Film (aka Commercial) for Apple ?si=UQ0XdCH-cVGe26AC With his iconic Super Bowl ad in 1984, Ridley Scott began a tradition of...
3 weeks ago
16
3 weeks ago
?si=UQ0XdCH-cVGe26AC With his iconic Super Bowl ad in 1984, Ridley Scott began a tradition of accomplished filmmakers creating advertisements for Apple. In the years since, we’ve seen David Fincher shoot an ad promoting the iPhone 3GS, Michel Gondry direct a spot showcasing the...
Classical Wisdom
How to Be Happy, According to Aristotle A recording from Classical Wisdom and Evan Amato's live video
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
Have We Forgotten How to Listen to Lectures? Have We Forgotten How to Listen to Lectures? JamesHoare Wed, 03/26/2025 - 09:04
3 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
Tolerance and terror Reflections on ‘Reflections on the Revolution in Europe’, Part Seven
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
Did Charles I Have to Die? Did Charles I Have to Die? JamesHoare Thu, 03/27/2025 - 09:06
3 weeks ago
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...
4 weeks ago
15
4 weeks 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...
Wrong Side of...
The First Briton James I, the wise fool who dreamed of a Great Britain
3 weeks ago
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, April 4, 2025 Fireside this week! I am still a bit behind after attending the annual meeting of the Society for...
2 weeks ago
15
2 weeks ago
Fireside this week! I am still a bit behind after attending the annual meeting of the Society for Military History – conferences always leave me a bit tired and slow to get back to writing, even as they also stimulate my thinking – so the conclusion of our look at Rings of Power...
Flashbak
15 Signs of the Last Judgement and End of Days: 1450 – 1470 The Livre de la vigne nostre Seigneur is an anonymous illustrated treatise on the Antichrist, Last...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
The Livre de la vigne nostre Seigneur is an anonymous illustrated treatise on the Antichrist, Last Judgement, Hell, Heaven, Christ and Antichrist. It features 15 illustrations that mark the End of Days. What makes the series particularly interesting is its lack of human figures...
Wrong Side of...
Welcome to the hub What explains the strange ubiquity of this word?
3 weeks ago
Open Culture
NASA Visualizes the Ocean Currents in Motion: A Mesmerizing View of Earth’s Underwater Highways The mesmerizing video above lets you visualize the ocean currents around the world. Using data from...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
The mesmerizing video above lets you visualize the ocean currents around the world. Using data from spacecraft, buoys, and other measurements, the visualization shows the ocean in motion, with the currents creating Van Gogh-like swirls around the globe. According to NASA, “the...
TheCollector
11 Historical Places to Visit in Oxfordshire Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of Oxfordshire can trace its roots back 5,000 years to Neolithic times. Discover C. S. Lewis’s house, Oxford’s Castle and Prison, abbey ruins, an ancient Iron Age Hillfort, and a wealth of...
Overcoming Bias
Futarchy For Fundraising The Making of Modern Corporate Finance: A History of the Ideas and How They Help Build the Wealth of...
2 weeks ago
14
2 weeks ago
The Making of Modern Corporate Finance: A History of the Ideas and How They Help Build the Wealth of Nations (quotes below), by Donald Chew, persuaded me that for-profit-firm capitalism has varied quite a lot over space and time, and that the U.S.
Open Culture
When The Twilight Zone Imagined Fascism in America in a 1963 Episode Starring Dennis Hopper Watch through The Twilight Zone, and you’ll find yourself spotting no end of familiar faces: Julie...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
Watch through The Twilight Zone, and you’ll find yourself spotting no end of familiar faces: Julie Newmar, Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, Elizabeth Montgomery, William Shatner, even Buster Keaton. The 1963 episode “He’s Alive” is at least doubly notable in that respect, featuring...
TheCollector
How World War I Reshaped Fernand Léger’s Art The first truly global military conflict, World War I, scarred and reshaped entire generations of...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
The first truly global military conflict, World War I, scarred and reshaped entire generations of men and women. For many, it seemed that art in its usual sense could no longer exist after such destruction. For a promising young Cubist called Fernand Léger, combat was a traumatic...
Open Culture
Watch Jazz ‘Hot’, the Rare 1938 Short Film With Jazz Legend Django Reinhardt Here’s a remarkable short film of the great jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, violinist Stéphane...
2 weeks ago
14
2 weeks ago
Here’s a remarkable short film of the great jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, violinist Stéphane Grappelli and their band the Quintette du Hot Club de France performing on a movie set in 1938. The film was hastily organized by the band’s British agent Lew Grade as a way to...
Open Culture
Who Really Built the Egyptian Pyramids—And How Did They Do It? Although it’s certainly more plausible than hypotheses like ancient aliens or lizard people, the...
2 weeks ago
14
2 weeks ago
Although it’s certainly more plausible than hypotheses like ancient aliens or lizard people, the idea that slaves built the Egyptian pyramids is no more true. It derives from creative readings of Old Testament stories and technicolor Cecil B. Demille spectacles, and was a classic...
Open Culture
When Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Pastor, Theorized How Stupidity Enabled the Rise of the Nazis... Two days after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, the Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer...
3 weeks ago
14
3 weeks ago
Two days after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, the Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer took to the airwaves. Before his radio broadcast was cut off, he warned his countrymen that their führer could well be a verführer, or misleader. Bonhoeffer’s anti-Nazism lasted...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Aristotle and Happiness
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Blade Runner – Starring Divine and Grace Jones, 1982 ” All he’d wanted were the same answers the rest of us want. Where did I come from? Where am I...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
” All he’d wanted were the same answers the rest of us want. Where did I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got? All I could do was sit there and watch him die.” – Deckard, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner,1982     In another world, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) was …...
History Today Feed
‘Vietdamned’ by Clive Webb review ‘Vietdamned’ by Clive Webb review JamesHoare Mon, 03/24/2025 - 09:17
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
Ibiza Undressed – Uninhibited Clubbing in the 1980s (NSFW) “Happiness isn’t forever. We were happy and we didn’t know it.” – Alex Maspon on Ibiza in the 1980s...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
“Happiness isn’t forever. We were happy and we didn’t know it.” – Alex Maspon on Ibiza in the 1980s     In these straightened times of polarised debate, herd mentality, religious fundamentalism and social conformity we need Oriol Maspons’ pictures of 1980s Ibiza. The Spanish...
Flashbak
Vintage Architectural Stationery Vignettes The images below are from Columbia University’s collection of commercial stationery, featuring...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
The images below are from Columbia University’s collection of commercial stationery, featuring architectural illustrations and gorgeous typography for factories, warehouses, mines, offices, stores, banks and hotels. Industries in this album of architectural stationery vignettes...
Classical Wisdom
Athens' Most Important Woman Secret Mover of History
4 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Rehabilitating Aspasia Separating Evidence from Comic Slander
3 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Join We Meta-Adaptionists Standard decision theory says that all decisions combine two key factors: opinions on values, and...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
Standard decision theory says that all decisions combine two key factors: opinions on values, and beliefs about facts.
TheCollector
4 Fashion Designers Who Celebrate Craftsmanship The unsettlingly rapid development of ultra-fast fashion altered our relationship with clothes and...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
The unsettlingly rapid development of ultra-fast fashion altered our relationship with clothes and the cost of their creation. With thousands of items of clothing available at just one click, fashion historians, anthropologists, and environmental activists are concerned about the...
History Today Feed
‘Buddhism’ by Donald S. Lopez Jr. review ‘Buddhism’ by Donald S. Lopez Jr. review JamesHoare Mon, 03/31/2025 - 08:57
2 weeks ago
Hundred Rabbits
Summary of changes for March 2025 Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of...
2 weeks ago
13
2 weeks 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 In the above illustration, little Ninj is going through a first-aid kit, looking through our supplies to see what needs to be topped off and what is...
Classical Wisdom
The Bohemian Philosophy From Socrates to Mick Jagger
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Devil Wears Galliano: A Look at Fashion’s Enfant Terrible The creative genius of John Galliano rose four decades ago but managed to remain relevant and...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
The creative genius of John Galliano rose four decades ago but managed to remain relevant and exciting. He is known for being scandalous and provocative, both in his work and, sometimes, in his life. Despite all controversies and scandals, Galliano seems to have redeemed his...
Dreams of Space -...
Caroline Sur La Lune (Caroline on the Moon) 1965 A nice treat today as Caroline goes to the Moon! This was a popular French fictional series but I...
2 weeks ago
13
2 weeks ago
A nice treat today as Caroline goes to the Moon! This was a popular French fictional series but I had not been able to find the one about the Moon trip until recently. The illustrations are beautiful and full color. Well worth examining each one for its details. Pierre Probst...
TheCollector
American Civil War: Maps, Battlefields, and Generals The fighting of the American Civil War ultimately reached nearly every state in the Northern and...
3 weeks ago
13
3 weeks ago
The fighting of the American Civil War ultimately reached nearly every state in the Northern and Southern territories, with key battles fought in places like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. While Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant led their respective armies,...
Open Culture
The Only Illustrated Manuscript of Homer’s Iliad from Antiquity Despite its status as one of the most widely known and studied epic poems of all time, Homer’s Iliad...
2 weeks ago
13
2 weeks ago
Despite its status as one of the most widely known and studied epic poems of all time, Homer’s Iliad has proven surprisingly resistant to adaptation. However much inspiration it has provided to modern-day novelists working in a variety of different traditions, it’s translated...
Open Culture
Watch Bob Dylan Make His Debut at the Newport Folk Festival in Colorized 1963 Footage ?si=l7KWVf9NZBUkPyM6 In July 1963, Bob Dylan made his first appearance at the Newport Folk Festival....
2 weeks ago
13
2 weeks ago
?si=l7KWVf9NZBUkPyM6 In July 1963, Bob Dylan made his first appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. On opening night, he captivated a crowd of 13,000 with a performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” accompanied by Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Then, the...
TheCollector
Who Was Edward Said & His Groundbreaking Orientalism? Edward Said grew up in Palestine before moving to the United States. His lived experience and his...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
Edward Said grew up in Palestine before moving to the United States. His lived experience and his study of Western perceptions of the Middle East were the basis for Orientalism, which contends that Western superiority complexes are concealed behind depictions of the East that...
Classical Wisdom
The 7 Sages of Ancient Greece From Dwarfs to Wise Men... What's Up With the Number 7?
2 weeks ago
History Today Feed
‘The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism’ by Martyn Percy review ‘The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism’ by Martyn Percy review JamesHoare Wed, 04/02/2025 - 09:13
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
The Steps a President Would Take to Destroy His Nation, According to Grok Just out of curiosity, and apropos of nothing, we asked Grok (the AI chatbot created by Elon Musk)...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
Just out of curiosity, and apropos of nothing, we asked Grok (the AI chatbot created by Elon Musk) the following question: If a president of a superpower wanted to destroy his own country, what steps would he take? Here’s what Grok had to say: If a president of a superpower aimed...
TheCollector
Voter Turnout and Political Ideologies in the US: An Overview Today, we frequently hear that we are in unprecedented times when it comes to politics and voting....
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
Today, we frequently hear that we are in unprecedented times when it comes to politics and voting. But is that actually the case? Are there historical parallels and precedents to today’s political landscape? Over time, voter turnout and political ideologies have evolved in the...
Open Culture
Why the Romans Stopped Reading Books Nobody reads books anymore. Whether or not that notion strikes you as true, you’ve probably heard it...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
Nobody reads books anymore. Whether or not that notion strikes you as true, you’ve probably heard it expressed fairly often in recent decades — just as you might have had you lived in the Roman Empire of late antiquity. During that time, as ancient-history YouTuber Garrett Ryan...
CrimethInc.
“This Hotel Is a Detention Center” : An Account from the Front Lines of the Fight against... This account picks up where our previous article about the Anti-Deportation Collective left off,...
a week ago
12
a week ago
This account picks up where our previous article about the Anti-Deportation Collective left off, chronicling scenes from the movement against deportations in Paris in the late 1990s. As Donald Trump attempts to put $45 billion towards expanding the gulag system of immigrant...
Patterns in Humanity
The Assimilation Myth: America Persistence and the Not-So Melting Pot
a week ago
Flashbak
‘Goldfish Are Wankers’: London Graffiti, 1984-1994 In 1994, the graffiti on the wall that ran along the Riverside Path in London’s Thamesmead told...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
In 1994, the graffiti on the wall that ran along the Riverside Path in London’s Thamesmead told everyone that “GOLDFISH ARE WANKERS”.  We’ve seen “LESBIAN TURDS“, learned that “Cats like plain Crisps” and that you can “FREE KUWAIT WITH TIGER TOKENS“, but this is the first...
Flashbak
The Mystery Remains: Found Kodachrome Photos From 1960s San Francisco In 2020, David Gallagher, who runs SF Memory, opened a cabinet found abandoned in San Francisco’s...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
In 2020, David Gallagher, who runs SF Memory, opened a cabinet found abandoned in San Francisco’s Mission District, somewhere around Tiffany and Duncan streets. Inside were 920 Kodachrome slides by a then unknown photographer capturing life in the city throughout the 1960s. They...
TheCollector
Psychology of Color: Why Are We Attracted to Gold? Gold is among the most coveted colors in jewelry, fashion, decor, artifacts, and designs....
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
Gold is among the most coveted colors in jewelry, fashion, decor, artifacts, and designs. Historically, it has been cherished across all cultures and generations. What is the secret behind our timeless love of gold? Does it merely represent luxury and status for us, or does its...
TheCollector
An Overview of the Xia, Shang, & Zhou Chinese Dynasties According to Chinese tradition, Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old, though the ancient China of...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
According to Chinese tradition, Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old, though the ancient China of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties was far smaller than modern China and largely confined to the Yellow River basin. Over time, its peoples expanded further afield and...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of James About? The Book of James is a short but powerful epistle with similarities to Proverbs. The author writes...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
The Book of James is a short but powerful epistle with similarities to Proverbs. The author writes to an audience of Jewish descent to instruct them on a range of issues and to encourage them to stand firm in times of trial. His view on difficult times was that they provide...
Trying to Understand...
Another Country. And other peoples' heroes.
a week ago
Global Inequality...
Rich life He would always set his alarm for 8.
a week ago
Wrong Side of...
40k Wrong Side of History Newsletter #61
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Painted Ants Scurry Over Vintage Porcelain by Evelyn Bracklow German artist Evelyn Bracklow’s porcelain cups, saucers, teapots and dinner service is covered in...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
German artist Evelyn Bracklow’s porcelain cups, saucers, teapots and dinner service is covered in ants. On some she’s painted a piece of food and then had her hand-painted black ants congregate around it. The effect is fascinating stuff and unsettling. We know that ants exist in...
Hidden History
Hominins The first diary in a series which looks at significant species in the evolution of humans. Humans...
a week ago
11
a week ago
The first diary in a series which looks at significant species in the evolution of humans. Humans evolved from apelike ancestors. This idea was first put forth in 1859, when Charles Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species and spelled out his idea of evolution through natural...
Open Culture
How Dave Brubeck’s Time Out Changed Jazz Music video essay maestro Polyphonic is back. What I dig about his videos is that he takes on some...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Music video essay maestro Polyphonic is back. What I dig about his videos is that he takes on some of the true warhorses of modern popular music and manages to find something new to say. Or at least he presents familiar stories in a new and modern way to an audience who may be...
History Today Feed
Wool Aliens of the British Empire Wool Aliens of the British Empire JamesHoare Tue, 04/01/2025 - 09:07
2 weeks ago
Wrong Side of...
Fiction is truer than fact Willing suspension of disbelief is not a good basis for lawmaking
2 weeks ago
African History...
What did they write about? : An intellectual history of Timbuktu ca. 1450-1900. No single body of primary sources in the literary heritage of West Africa has attracted as much...
a week ago
11
a week ago
No single body of primary sources in the literary heritage of West Africa has attracted as much attention and attained as much celebrity as the fabled manuscripts of Timbuktu.
TheCollector
Joséphine Bonaparte: Empress of the French Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the world and conquered most of Europe in armed conflicts that would see the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.   Behind the man who led armies into battle was his wife,...
Open Culture
In 1927, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis Created a Dystopian Vision of What the World Would Look Like in... Ultra-tall high-rises against dark skies. A huge distance between the rich and the poor. Robber...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Ultra-tall high-rises against dark skies. A huge distance between the rich and the poor. Robber barons at the helm of large-scale industrial operations that turn man into machine. Machines that have become intelligent enough to displace man. These have all been standard elements...
Classical Wisdom
The Madness of Messalina What Sort of Woman Makes History?
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Elizabethan vs. Jacobean Theatre: What are the Differences? Before Elizabeth I ascended to the British throne, theatre was broadly seen as sinful and crude. The...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Before Elizabeth I ascended to the British throne, theatre was broadly seen as sinful and crude. The Renaissance, accompanied by the Reformation and philosophical Humanism, elevates the artform from traditional church led ‘mystery plays’ to classical drama. It could be argued...
TheCollector
What Is an Ideal Government? A Philosophical Approach What makes a perfect government? Is it one governed by the wisest people or one that ensures the...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
What makes a perfect government? Is it one governed by the wisest people or one that ensures the greatest possible happiness for the largest number of citizens? These questions have fascinated thinkers since ancient times—from Plato and other classical philosophers to John Locke...
TheCollector
Centuries-Old Buddhist Temple Destroyed by Wildfires Wildfires tearing through the southern regions of South Korea have killed at least 28 people and...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Wildfires tearing through the southern regions of South Korea have killed at least 28 people and destroyed or threatened hundreds of historical sites. As of Thursday, the wildfires have burned at least 88,980 acres of land, according to the South Korean government’s disaster...
TheCollector
Frick Collection Unveils $220 Million Renovation Situated alongside New York City’s Central Park, the famed Frick Collection is reopening to the...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
Situated alongside New York City’s Central Park, the famed Frick Collection is reopening to the public after its first-ever comprehensive upgrade. With an expanded suite of exhibition and programmatic spaces, the new Frick’s inaugural events season will include a two-week music...
TheCollector
Ancient Tomb with Gladiator Epitaph Discovered in Italy Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate tombs—one of which belonged to a gladiator, according to an etched marble epitaph.   “This necropolis, thanks to its excellently preserved wall structures and tombs, adds an important...
Classical Wisdom
Odysseus in Hell Classics and the Divine Comedy
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Who Are Jannes and Jambres in the Bible? When Paul mentioned Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8, his audience likely knew who these men...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
When Paul mentioned Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8, his audience likely knew who these men were, but readers today often do not. According to Jewish tradition, they were the magicians who opposed Moses when he called on Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. On...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Monuments on the Acropolis Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, has stood as a beacon of culture, philosophy, and...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, has stood as a beacon of culture, philosophy, and democracy for over 3,000 years. Once the heart of ancient Greece, this city flourished during the 5th century BCE, producing legendary figures like Socrates, Plato, and Pericles. Its...
Open Culture
The Great Gatsby: A Free Audio Book April 10th will mark the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel, The...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
April 10th will mark the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel, The Great Gatsby. As A.O. Scott notes in a recent tribute, when first published, The Great Gatsby got off to a slow start. Initially, “Reviewers shrugged. Sales were sluggish. The novel...
TheCollector
Grace Kelly: Her Life, Death, & Royal Legacy Grace Kelly is a ubiquitous name in history. She was the symbol of a sort-of American fairytale as a...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Grace Kelly is a ubiquitous name in history. She was the symbol of a sort-of American fairytale as a famous actress in her own right who met and fell in love with the Prince of Monaco. Grace Kelly’s life and death are still the subject of modern intrigue, as she is one of the […]
History Today Feed
Early Modern Millers’ Tales Early Modern Millers’ Tales JamesHoare Thu, 04/03/2025 - 09:05
2 weeks ago
Overcoming Bias
Unleash Capitalism Capitalism today is in chains, allowed to perform many social functions, but held back from...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
Capitalism today is in chains, allowed to perform many social functions, but held back from realizing its full potential.
Flashbak
Terrible Visions of Death And Evil on Alfred Kubin’s Journey Back To The Womb “I definitely prefer the four-horned cow to the one having only two horns” – Alfred Kubin (10 April...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
“I definitely prefer the four-horned cow to the one having only two horns” – Alfred Kubin (10 April 1877 – 20 August 1959), 1911   In Alfred Kubin’s bizarre and horrific illustrations, humans appear as skeletal, ghost-like creatures or hideously deformed things. They share...
History Today Feed
‘Queen James’ by Gareth Russell review ‘Queen James’ by Gareth Russell review JamesHoare Mon, 04/07/2025 - 09:00
a week ago
TheCollector
Socialism vs. Capitalism: What’s the Difference? As philosophy, politics, and economics evolve, the debate between socialism and capitalism becomes...
a week ago
10
a week ago
As philosophy, politics, and economics evolve, the debate between socialism and capitalism becomes increasingly important. These ideologies differ in how they distribute resources and structure society. Socialism aims for more equality by having shared ownership. Capitalism...
TheCollector
Who Were Ancient Israel’s Boy Kings? After Solomon’s death, the ancient Kingdom of Israel split into two realms. The northern half was...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
After Solomon’s death, the ancient Kingdom of Israel split into two realms. The northern half was called Israel and the southern Judah. At different times in the period that followed, known as the Divided Kingdom, three boys under thirteen-years-old—Joash, Manasseh, and...
Wrong Side of...
The return of the Europeans Reflections on ‘Reflections on the Revolution in Europe’, Part Eight
2 weeks ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz To Hell and Back!
a week ago
African History...
Online resources for African history: links to African collections held at 33 Western Museums Up to 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy is kept outside of the continent,...
a week ago
10
a week ago
Up to 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy is kept outside of the continent, according to a French government-commissioned 2018 report by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Bénédicte Savoy.
Wrong Side of...
Against Critical Trade Theory He’s given the word populism a bad name
a week ago
A Collection of...
Collections: The Siege of Eregion, Part V: What Tactics? This is the final part of our five part (I, II, III, IV) series on the Siege of Eregion in Amazon’s...
a week ago
10
a week ago
This is the final part of our five part (I, II, III, IV) series on the Siege of Eregion in Amazon’s Rings of Power. Last time, we looked at the orc siege and marveled at both their lack of works and also their nonsensical siege engines, concluding that Adar had launched a siege...
TheCollector
The Shocking Truth About Salvador Dali The king of Surrealism, the revolutionary filmmaker, and one of the greatest businessmen of his...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
The king of Surrealism, the revolutionary filmmaker, and one of the greatest businessmen of his era—these titles all righteously belong to Salvador Dali. But there are also other characteristics: domestic abuser, violent narcissist, fascist, and a terrible friend. These bold...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in North Carolina North Carolina has played a major role in American history, from being the first colony to call for...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
North Carolina has played a major role in American history, from being the first colony to call for independence with the Halifax Resolves in 1776 to its significance in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Its early settlements shaped politics, trade, and industry, leaving...
Open Culture
Did the Tower of Babel Actually Exist?: A Look at the Archaeological Evidence For all the means of communication and exchange we’ve established between the cultures of the world,...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
For all the means of communication and exchange we’ve established between the cultures of the world, no matter how distant they may be from one another, we still have no truly universal single human language. The reason could date back to antiquity, when we first attempted a...
Classical Wisdom
How Extra Virgin Olive Oil Got its Name The Ancient History in Your Kitchen
2 weeks ago
Open Culture
Actor John Lithgow Reads 20 Lessons on Tyranny, Penned by Historian Timothy Snyder In 2017, historian Timothy Snyder wrote the concise book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the...
a week ago
10
a week ago
In 2017, historian Timothy Snyder wrote the concise book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, which went on to become a New York Times bestseller. A historian of fascism (then at Yale, now at U. Toronto), Snyder wanted to offer Americans a useful guide for...
TheCollector
Snorri Sturluson: Our Most Important Source for Norse Myth? Most of the surviving information we have about Norse mythology and legendary Viking history was...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Most of the surviving information we have about Norse mythology and legendary Viking history was written by Snorri Sturluson, a Christian historian and politician living in Iceland in the 13th century. Consequently, much of what we know about Norse mythology and Viking religion...
TheCollector
An Overview of the Qin and Han Chinese Dynasties In 221 BCE, King Ying Zheng of Qin conquered the rival warring states and established the Qin empire...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
In 221 BCE, King Ying Zheng of Qin conquered the rival warring states and established the Qin empire as Qin Shi Huangdi (The First August Emperor of Qin). The Qin emperor centralized state administration, built an extensive road network, and built the first Great Wall.   While...
TheCollector
A Brief History of the Hungarian Soviet Republic The idea of a communist Hungary is usually associated with the Cold War that arose post-World War...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
The idea of a communist Hungary is usually associated with the Cold War that arose post-World War II. Hungary, however, had a brush with communist leadership several decades before, in the aftermath of the First World War.   The short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic ultimately...
TheCollector
Antiochus IV & the Siege of Jerusalem: What Really Happened For centuries, the people of Judaea had seen many foreign dynasts claim hegemony over them; the...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
For centuries, the people of Judaea had seen many foreign dynasts claim hegemony over them; the Greeks were but the latest. Antiochus IV’s interactions with the Judaeans were, to put it mildly, troubled. Does Antiochus IV deserve the mantle of villainy that ancient sources such...
TheCollector
Excavations at Pompeii Reveal Rare Life-Sized Statues An ongoing excavation at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii yielded an unusual pair of marble...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
An ongoing excavation at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii yielded an unusual pair of marble funerary statues. The figures depict a man in a toga and a bejeweled woman, who experts believe may have been a Pompeiian priestess.   Statues Found at Pompeii’s Porta Sarno Necropolis  ...
Overcoming Bias
Seek What Outcomes Via Futarchy? There’s an off chance that futarchy might solve cultural drift, if we could show that it works, then...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
There’s an off chance that futarchy might solve cultural drift, if we could show that it works, then get some big place to adopt it, and also get them to set an outcome metric in conflict with civ collapse.
TheCollector
Archaeologists Unearth First Roman Aqueduct in Slovakia Amidst excavations at a historic mansion in Bratislava, archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Amidst excavations at a historic mansion in Bratislava, archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman aqueduct system hidden beneath the dirt. It is the first of its kind to be discovered in Slovakia.   Ancient Aqueduct Found at 19th-Century Mansion   While working to research and...
TheCollector
Facts and Myths About Harriet Tubman There are few Americans today who do not know the name Harriet Tubman. Famous for her work on the...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
There are few Americans today who do not know the name Harriet Tubman. Famous for her work on the Underground Railroad, Tubman is a beloved historical figure of the Civil War era. Yet common knowledge about her and her work is plagued by half-truths and exaggerations. As...
TheCollector
Yoko Ono’s Tate Modern Retrospective Heads to US After a sell-out stint at London’s Tate Modern, a major Yoko Ono retrospective is hopping across the...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
After a sell-out stint at London’s Tate Modern, a major Yoko Ono retrospective is hopping across the pond. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago announced it will be the only American institution to host Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. The exhibition will open on October 18, 2025,...
TheCollector
The Impact of NASA’s Shuttle-Mir Program on Space Exploration When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working together like never before. The culmination of the new partnership was the Shuttle-Mir program, a mission that took place over several years and saw American astronauts working...
CrimethInc.
May Day Means Resistance : A Call to Take Action on May First This May Day, gather in defiance of tyranny and oppression. Gather to create communities based in...
a week ago
10
a week ago
This May Day, gather in defiance of tyranny and oppression. Gather to create communities based in solidarity and mutual aid. Gather with everyone who wants a better life. Gather to honor those who fought before us. Gather to show that another world is possible. As May Day 2025...
TheCollector
Lucrezia Borgia: Femme Fatale or Innocent Pawn? Five centuries ago, Italy was a dangerous and brutal place for the nobility and the general...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Five centuries ago, Italy was a dangerous and brutal place for the nobility and the general populace. Political machinations resulted in swift changes, with assassinations and war commonplace.   Born into this dynamic was Lucrezia Borgia, one of the most complex and intriguing...
TheCollector
What Was Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy? Isaiah Berlin had a major influence on 20th-century political philosophy that continues to be felt...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Isaiah Berlin had a major influence on 20th-century political philosophy that continues to be felt today through his essay “Two Concepts of Liberty.” In this work, Berlin examines the tension between individual freedom and collective governance. Negative liberty is about being...
TheCollector
What Is the Armor of God in Christianity? Paul often used metaphors his audience would have been familiar with to explain spiritual realities....
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Paul often used metaphors his audience would have been familiar with to explain spiritual realities. In Ephesians 6 he identifies the enemy in distinctly spiritual terms, using phrases such as “… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,” “cosmic powers over this present...
Overcoming Bias
Should I Be Clearly Conservative? A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is...
a week ago
9
a week ago
A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it. ― William F.
TheCollector
What Did Einstein Say About Capitalism? Albert Einstein’s brain, Roland Barthes once wrote, “is a mythical object.” His genius is...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Albert Einstein’s brain, Roland Barthes once wrote, “is a mythical object.” His genius is immortalized in the public imagination through a single, elegant equation: E = mc². His theories of relativity, his wild grey hair, and his outstretched tongue define his image. However, far...
TheCollector
The Truth About the Electoral College & How Your Vote Matters When US citizens vote in presidential elections every four years, it’s the controversial Electoral...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
When US citizens vote in presidential elections every four years, it’s the controversial Electoral College that determines the winner, not the popular vote. This unique and somewhat convoluted system devised by the Founding Fathers impacts everything from where candidates...
TheCollector
Archaeologists Find Ancient Tomb of Egyptian Military Commander The ancient tomb of a military commander has been uncovered in Egypt, reported the country’s...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
The ancient tomb of a military commander has been uncovered in Egypt, reported the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The burial site belonged to a high-ranking leader who served under King Ramesses III, who is considered to be the last pharaoh of Egypt’s New Kingdom...
CrimethInc.
A Demonstrator's Guide to Lockdowns and Blockades A complete guide to assembling and employing lockboxes and other means of blockading. There is a...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
A complete guide to assembling and employing lockboxes and other means of blockading. There is a broad spectrum of tactics to choose from between simply holding up a protest sign and setting things on fire. If you are looking to intensify a pressure campaign or to stand your...
TheCollector
The Arch of Titus in Rome: Iconography and Ideology The Arch of Titus is one of the most magnificent ancient monuments surviving in Rome and offers a...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
The Arch of Titus is one of the most magnificent ancient monuments surviving in Rome and offers a fascinating insight into one of the most volatile periods in Roman imperial history. The Flavians bridged the end of Augustus’s Julio-Claudian Dynasty, when the Romans still...
TheCollector
6 Fascinating Facts About Niki de Saint Phalle In her multifaceted artistic career, Niki de Saint Phalle explored femininity, gender inequality,...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
In her multifaceted artistic career, Niki de Saint Phalle explored femininity, gender inequality, violence, and joy. She continually rejected traditional conventions in art and society, caring little for what others thought about her work. Saint Phalle created highly expressive...
Open Culture
Dante’s Inferno: A Visitor’s Guide to Hell In most places across the world, speak the name of Dante, and your listeners will think of Inferno....
a week ago
9
a week ago
In most places across the world, speak the name of Dante, and your listeners will think of Inferno. Since its first publication more than 700 years ago, its depiction of Hell has become influential enough to shape the perceptions of even those who don’t believe that such a place...
Res Obscura
Onfim's world Child artists in history
4 days ago
TheCollector
9 Historic Gems in Peru: From Inca Ruins to Colonial Cities Peru’s history dates back over 5,000 years, making it an intoxicating and addictive destination for...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Peru’s history dates back over 5,000 years, making it an intoxicating and addictive destination for history enthusiasts. While Machu Picchu and the ancient Inca Empire may claim most of the attention, there is much more of Peru’s history to discover. As the birthplace of ancient...
TheCollector
What Were the Sociocultural Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the start of the Iran Hostage Crisis, Iran fought its...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the start of the Iran Hostage Crisis, Iran fought its neighbor Iraq for eight years. This war—the largest industrialized war since World War II—demonstrated the tenacity and radicalism of Iran’s Islamist regime. In battle, it used...
TheCollector
10 Historic Maritime Sites on the East Coast Stretching from the rocky harbors of Maine to the barrier islands of North Carolina, the East Coast...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Stretching from the rocky harbors of Maine to the barrier islands of North Carolina, the East Coast of the United States is a living archive of the nation’s maritime history. This coastline saw merchant ships launch into global trade, naval battles that helped shape independence,...
TheCollector
Who Was Flavius Josephus? The Problematic Chronicler of the Jewish War Flavius Josephus was a Jewish aristocrat who was initially a general in the Jewish rebellion of...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Flavius Josephus was a Jewish aristocrat who was initially a general in the Jewish rebellion of 66-71 CE, but soon surrendered to the Romans and became a collaborator during the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. He famously ingratiated himself with the Romans by...
History Today Feed
‘Scholars and Their Kin’ review ‘Scholars and Their Kin’ review JamesHoare Mon, 04/14/2025 - 09:00
6 days ago
Open Culture
What Was Smoot-Hawley, and Why Are We Doing It Again? Anyone? Anyone? When most Americans think of the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, they think of economic disaster. But if you...
6 days ago
9
6 days ago
When most Americans think of the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, they think of economic disaster. But if you ask why, most Americans may need a short refresher course. Below, you will find just that. Appearing on Derek Thompson’s Plain History podcast, Douglas Irwin (an economist and...
TheCollector
How Did the Minoan Octopus Vase Get Cracked? Valuable ancient artefacts provide a direct connection to human history by revealing details such as...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Valuable ancient artefacts provide a direct connection to human history by revealing details such as the old ways of life and the tools used at that time. They also provide valuable evolutionary insights that reveal how certain groups of people evolved from bygone eras. This is...
TheCollector
What Is the Third Epistle of John About? The Third Epistle of John (3 John) is the shortest book in the New Testament, with a word count of...
4 weeks ago
9
4 weeks ago
The Third Epistle of John (3 John) is the shortest book in the New Testament, with a word count of 219 words in the original Greek, though it has more verses than 2 John. It is also the only New Testament book that does not mention the word, Jesus or Christ, though it alludes […]
Flashbak
The Life of Flowers In Vintage Found Photographs Flowers speak a language we understand. They tell us of time and its passing. They speak of life and...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Flowers speak a language we understand. They tell us of time and its passing. They speak of life and death, enduring, waiting and survival. They speak of hope and renewal. “To be a flower,” Emily Dickinson wrote in Bloom, a poem, “is profound Responsibility”. We’re thinking of...
TheCollector
What Was the Significance of Ephesus? By the first century CE, Ephesus was already ancient. Established sometime around 1000 BCE in what...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
By the first century CE, Ephesus was already ancient. Established sometime around 1000 BCE in what is now Turkey on with access to the Aegean Sea, Ephesus had played an important role in the growth of Greek history.  The Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient...
TheCollector
Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education: An In-Depth Guide If you’re an educator, student, or just someone who loves to learn, it’s worth checking out Paulo...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
If you’re an educator, student, or just someone who loves to learn, it’s worth checking out Paulo Freire. His educational philosophy changed the game. Freire believed that teaching shouldn’t be about bossing kids around—and that schools shouldn’t reproduce systems of oppression....
TheCollector
What Were the Economic Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? In September 1980, fearful of the fiery Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran and taking advantage...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
In September 1980, fearful of the fiery Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran and taking advantage of the resulting chaos (including Western sanctions), Iraq invaded. At the time, Iraq was flush with cash thanks to high oil prices resulting from the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. Taking...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in Washington Washington State has a history as expansive and layered as its landscapes. Long before statehood in...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Washington State has a history as expansive and layered as its landscapes. Long before statehood in 1889, the region was home to numerous Indigenous tribes who shaped its identity and geography. The arrival of explorers, traders, and pioneers brought about a new chapter, marked...
Classical Wisdom
Archeology... Or Grave Robbing? Is it OK to dig up the Dead?
a week ago
Open Culture
The Map of Mathematics: Animation Shows How All the Different Fields in Math Fit Together Back in December, you hopefully thoroughly immersed yourself in The Map of Physics, an animated...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Back in December, you hopefully thoroughly immersed yourself in The Map of Physics, an animated video–a visual aid for the modern age–that mapped out the field of physics, explaining all the connections between classical physics, quantum physics, and relativity. You can’t do...
Trying to Understand...
What Is This "War" Of Which You Speak? Do we mean what they mean?
4 days ago
TheCollector
“To Be Is to Be Perceived”: The Concept of Berkeley’s Idealism Ever thought about whether the world is there only because you think it is? That’s what George...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Ever thought about whether the world is there only because you think it is? That’s what George Berkeley meant with his philosophy of idealism. The 18th-century philosopher came up with a pretty wild idea: “To be is to be perceived.” According to him, we don’t find objects, and...
Flashbak
Bierpfaff’s Alphabet of Organic Type (c. 1650) These lively prints are from the series Libellus Novus Elementorum Latinorum by Polish goldsmith Jan...
a week ago
9
a week ago
These lively prints are from the series Libellus Novus Elementorum Latinorum by Polish goldsmith Jan Christian Bierpfaff (1600-ca.1690) and engraved by Jeremias Falck (1610–1677). These hugely imaginative, abstract and fluid prints come to life on the page. Bierpfaff worked as an...
History Today Feed
Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters JamesHoare Tue, 04/08/2025 - 09:01
a week ago
TheCollector
New Exhibition Focuses on Van Gogh’s Roulin Family Portraits When Vincent van Gogh moved in next door to Postman Joseph Roulin, he not only discovered a new...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
When Vincent van Gogh moved in next door to Postman Joseph Roulin, he not only discovered a new friendship. In each member of the Roulin family, the artist also found a new muse. Now, over a century later, the iconic Post-Impressionist portraits that resulted from this neighborly...
TheCollector
What Is the History of Maritime Law? Modern maritime law is a medley of some of the oldest seafaring principles and contemporary rules...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Modern maritime law is a medley of some of the oldest seafaring principles and contemporary rules that became necessary as the industry evolved. Since ancient times, maritime law has addressed key maritime issues such as insurance coverage, salvage events, and the rights of ship...
TheCollector
The 8 Must-See Rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) is home to one of the world’s most spectacular...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) is home to one of the world’s most spectacular collections of art, sculpture, and artifacts. The museum offers a wide array of exhibits spread across multiple galleries, from a fully reconstructed Egyptian temple to mosaics and...
Hidden History
Submarine USS Dolphin The submarine USS Dolphin was specially built as a test-bed for deep-diving designs. At the outbreak...
5 days ago
9
5 days ago
The submarine USS Dolphin was specially built as a test-bed for deep-diving designs. At the outbreak of the Second World War, a typical submarine or u-boat was capable of diving to a maximum depth of round 250 feet. By the time the war ended, advanced models like the...
TheCollector
What Are Five Major Historical Misconceptions? As we revise the study of our human history and find more archival materials and documents, our...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
As we revise the study of our human history and find more archival materials and documents, our understanding of how things really happened has often changed. Sometimes rumors started from the smallest of scraps of evidence, or common gossip at the time. Here are some of the...
TheCollector
What Was the Women’s Land Army? During WWI and WWII, the Women’s Land Army contributed greatly to food production in Britain. These...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
During WWI and WWII, the Women’s Land Army contributed greatly to food production in Britain. These women worked tirelessly on farms across the United Kingdom in an effort to support struggling farmers who had lost their mostly male workforce to the armed forces. They completed a...
TheCollector
When War Became Sport: The History of the Mesoamerican Ballgame Sports are an integral part of modern society. Going far beyond entertainment, sports and sports...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Sports are an integral part of modern society. Going far beyond entertainment, sports and sports teams, ranging from high school and local teams to national teams at the Olympics, are closely tied to group identity and feelings of belonging. It should come as no surprise, then,...
TheCollector
New Study Challenges Origin Story of Sutton Hoo Helmet Where did the Sutton Hoo helmet come from? Archaeologists have long agreed that the iconic...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Where did the Sutton Hoo helmet come from? Archaeologists have long agreed that the iconic Anglo-Saxon artifact was likely made in Sweden. But new research—along with a “strikingly” similar archaeological discovery in Denmark—is casting some doubt on the long-held assumption.  ...
TheCollector
Honoring the Nameless: History of the US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Perched atop a hill at Arlington National Cemetery, the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Perched atop a hill at Arlington National Cemetery, the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands quietly, remembering those heroes lost to the annals of history. Guarded by the elite soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, this sacred memorial...
TheCollector
Auguste Comte: The Life & Legacy of the Philosopher of Positivism Auguste Comte developed a way of thinking that says you should have evidence and reasons for what...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Auguste Comte developed a way of thinking that says you should have evidence and reasons for what you believe. Comte had a big effect on how people in the 19th century thought. He came up with some really new ideas. They changed completely how people looked at things like history...
TheCollector
When Did Baseball’s Negro Leagues Occur? 19th-century America regularly enforced segregation, especially after the American Civil War. This...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
19th-century America regularly enforced segregation, especially after the American Civil War. This also included baseball, the rapidly growing sport dubbed “America’s Pastime.” Black teams formed before the American Civil War, playing white, integrated, or other black teams. But...
Flashbak
Day Of The Fight: 24-Hours With Stanley Kubrick And Boxer Walter Cartier “…like almost everything else good that’s ever happened to me, by the sheerest stroke of luck, I had...
a week ago
9
a week ago
“…like almost everything else good that’s ever happened to me, by the sheerest stroke of luck, I had a very good friend at Look, which gave me a job as a still photographer. After about six months, I was made a full-fledged staff photographer. My highest salary was $105 a week,...
Wrong Side of...
Do I have Trump Derangement Syndrome? The US president is going to give us a thousand years of woke
a week ago
Wrong Side of...
Rallying around the (Progress Pride) Flag The European Right must learn to hate Trump
a week ago
TheCollector
10 Must-See UNESCO Heritage Sites in India UNESCO World Heritage Sites are globally recognized landmarks celebrated for their cultural,...
3 weeks ago
8
3 weeks ago
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are globally recognized landmarks celebrated for their cultural, historical, artistic, or environmental significance. From ancient cities and architectural wonders to biodiversity hotspots, these sites are legally protected to preserve their legacy for...
Overcoming Bias
Why Not Inquire Together More? My podcast cohost Agnes Callard has been thinking lately about why we don’t have more deep...
a week ago
8
a week ago
My podcast cohost Agnes Callard has been thinking lately about why we don’t have more deep conversations wherein we try to figure out important things together.
TheCollector
Key Issues in US Presidential Elections Throughout History What are the heavy, dramatic, hard-hitting issues that define US presidential elections? From...
3 weeks ago
8
3 weeks ago
What are the heavy, dramatic, hard-hitting issues that define US presidential elections? From states’ representation in the electoral college to taxation to national defense, what motivates voters to go to the polls? Sometimes, both major party nominees are almost in complete...
TheCollector
What Is the Second Epistle of John About? Tradition held that the Johannine Epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) were the work of John, the beloved...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
Tradition held that the Johannine Epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) were the work of John, the beloved apostle. These works discuss similar themes to those of the Gospel of John and, at times, allude to what the Gospel of John proclaimed. The Second Epistle of John addresses Docetism,...
TheCollector
What is Purim? Exploring the Story of Esther and Jewish Resilience The most well-known Jewish holiday is probably either Passover or Hanukkah. Passover is prescribed...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
The most well-known Jewish holiday is probably either Passover or Hanukkah. Passover is prescribed in the Bible, while Hanukkah commemorates events that happened after the Hebrew Bible was written. These two holidays are similar, however, since they both celebrate divine...
Classical Wisdom
The Original Great Gatsby Ancient Inspiration
a week ago
TheCollector
Language Is Fake! (And Here’s Why) Many of us grew up hearing from teachers, parents, and other adults that there are right and wrong...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
Many of us grew up hearing from teachers, parents, and other adults that there are right and wrong ways to speak. While grammar rules enable streamlined, coherent communication, the point of language—to convey an idea to another person—can be accomplished without adhering to...
TheCollector
5 Crimes Henry Kissinger Committed in Latin America Henry Kissinger was a consequential American diplomat who served as U.S. National Security Advisor...
a week ago
8
a week ago
Henry Kissinger was a consequential American diplomat who served as U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, helping shape American foreign policy for much of the 1970s. In the broader context of the Cold War, Kissinger led American diplomacy with pragmatism and...
Open Culture
Watch Composer Wendy Carlos Demo an Original Moog Synthesizer (1989) She’s worked with Stanley Kubrick *and* “Weird Al” Yankovic, and helped Robert Moog in the...
a week ago
8
a week ago
She’s worked with Stanley Kubrick *and* “Weird Al” Yankovic, and helped Robert Moog in the development of his eponymous synthesizer. Wendy Carlos is also one of the first high profile transgender artists–credited as Walter Carlos for Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange but having...
CrimethInc.
Retailiation: Robin Hood in the Workplace : Steal Something from Work Day 2025 Every year, like many other people, we observe April 15 as Steal Something from Work Day. This year,...
6 days ago
8
6 days ago
Every year, like many other people, we observe April 15 as Steal Something from Work Day. This year, April 15 finds a new cast of authoritarians in control of the United States government, recklessly overhauling it to spread terror and fill their pockets. But this will not put an...
TheCollector
“Unprecedented” Hoard of Iron Age Artifacts Found in England A lucky metal detectorist and a team of archaeologists unearthed one of the “largest and most...
3 weeks ago
8
3 weeks ago
A lucky metal detectorist and a team of archaeologists unearthed one of the “largest and most important” troves of Iron Age artifacts ever found in the United Kingdom. Dating back 2,000 years, the Melsonby Hoard was excavated in a field near Melsonby, North Yorkshire.   Metal...
TheCollector
Who Were the Windsor Beauties? 10 Portraits by Sir Peter Lely Who were the “Windsor Beauties”? Who commissioned and painted each of the portraits? Why were the...
4 weeks ago
8
4 weeks ago
Who were the “Windsor Beauties”? Who commissioned and painted each of the portraits? Why were the sitters selected, and why have each of the women been depicted in such a similar fashion?   In this article, we will learn a little more about this most famous series by Sir Peter...
TheCollector
What Was the Influence of the Silk Road on the Spread of Religions? The Silk Road was a network of land and sea-based trade routes that connected parts of the African,...
3 weeks ago
8
3 weeks ago
The Silk Road was a network of land and sea-based trade routes that connected parts of the African, Asian, and European continents. The network enabled trade-items such as fabrics, spices, jewels, and in some instances, cultures and religions to spread across the region. The...
TheCollector
How Did The Spanish Civil War Affect Surrealism? In 1936, the eruption of the Spanish Civil War forced thousands of Spaniards to flee their country,...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
In 1936, the eruption of the Spanish Civil War forced thousands of Spaniards to flee their country, unsure if they ever could come back. Back home, the troops of Francisco Franco murdered tens of thousands and imposed conservative oppressive laws. Surrealist artists, usually...
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...
a week ago
8
a week 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...
TheCollector
10 Beautiful Places in Florida Tourists Tend to Overlook Florida is filled with loads of activities to do ranging from the world class amusement parks down...
a week ago
8
a week ago
Florida is filled with loads of activities to do ranging from the world class amusement parks down to local springs. If you are planning a visit to the Sunshine State don’t fret, we’re here to help. If you want to take a journey off the beaten path there is still an abundance of...
Flashbak
Photos Found In Croton on Hudson from the 1970s These found photos and negatives date from the 1970s and 80s and were taken by James Mc Intyre,...
a week ago
8
a week ago
These found photos and negatives date from the 1970s and 80s and were taken by James Mc Intyre, Croton on Hudson in Westchester County, New York. Some of the subjects have been named. So we’ll add them here, and if you see yourself or someone you know, we’d love to hear from you....
TheCollector
Was Chernobyl the Catalyst for the Soviet Union’s Collapse? On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant exploded. The fallout left large parts of modern-day...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant exploded. The fallout left large parts of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus uninhabitable. Six years after the explosion, the Soviet Union collapsed. Many historians, including Mikhail Gorbachev himself, believe Chernobyl was the real...
TheCollector
What Were the Political Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? The Iranian Revolution and Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 shocked the world and turned the West against...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
The Iranian Revolution and Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 shocked the world and turned the West against the new Islamic revolutionary government of Iran. Less than a year later, the neighboring nation of Iraq, a secular dictatorship under former army officer Saddam Hussein, invaded...
Flashbak
Found Portraits from Steenbergen in The Netherlands – 1970s These found photographs are from Steenbergen in the south of The Netherlands. The find holds 220...
a week ago
7
a week ago
These found photographs are from Steenbergen in the south of The Netherlands. The find holds 220 negatives from different families from Steenbergen. The photos were taken by professional photographer Van Mechelen. We like them because of their bold colours and the subjects’...
History Today Feed
On the Spot: Patricia Fara On the Spot: Patricia Fara JamesHoare Wed, 04/09/2025 - 09:08
a week ago
Flashbak
Death Squared: No-One Got Out Alive in The Universe 25 Experiment, 1968-1972 “I shall largely speak of mice, but my thoughts are on man.” – John Calhoun, Universe 25     The...
a week ago
7
a week ago
“I shall largely speak of mice, but my thoughts are on man.” – John Calhoun, Universe 25     The Universe 25 experiment, carried out by American scientist John Calhoun between 1968 and 1972, produced an unexpected result. A once thriving community of 2,200 of mice had collapsed....
Open Culture
What Is Kafkaesque?: The Philosophy of Franz Kafka It’s difficult to imagine that there was ever a time without the word “Kafkaesque.” Yet the term...
a week ago
7
a week ago
It’s difficult to imagine that there was ever a time without the word “Kafkaesque.” Yet the term would have meant nothing at all to anyone alive at the same time as Franz Kafka — including, in all probability, Kafka himself. Born in Prague in 1883, he grew up under a stern,...
Open Culture
How Chinese Characters Work: The Evolution of a Three-Millennia-Old Writing System Contrary to somewhat popular belief, Chinese characters aren’t just little pictures. In fact, most...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Contrary to somewhat popular belief, Chinese characters aren’t just little pictures. In fact, most of them aren’t pictures at all. The very oldest, whose evolution can be traced back to the “oracle bone” script of thirteenth century BC etched directly onto the remains of turtles...
Open Culture
Hear the World’s Oldest Known Song, “Hurrian Hymn No. 6” Written 3,400 Years Ago Do you like old timey music? Splendid. You can’t get more old timey than Hurrian Hymn No. 6, which...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Do you like old timey music? Splendid. You can’t get more old timey than Hurrian Hymn No. 6, which was discovered on a clay tablet in the ancient Syrian port city of Ugarit in the 1950s, and is over 3400 years old. Actually, you can — a similar tablet, which references a hymn...
TheCollector
Pop Art and Surrealism: What Do They Have in Common? Surrealism and Pop Art remain some of the most popular and loved art movements of the 20th century,...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
Surrealism and Pop Art remain some of the most popular and loved art movements of the 20th century, well-known even by those who are not deeply interested in the history of art. The aestheticized weirdness of Surrealist art gave birth to countless images and ideas that settled in...
TheCollector
How Did Grigori Rasputin Contribute to the Russian Revolution? Grigori Rasputin was a mystic who was originally only a peasant, so how did he become entangled with...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
Grigori Rasputin was a mystic who was originally only a peasant, so how did he become entangled with the Emperor of Russia, and did it contribute to their downfall during the Russian Revolution? It all was to do with the youngest child and only son of Tsar Nicholas II and his...
TheCollector
The Philosopher of Nature: Who Was Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling? Schelling is among the most influential German philosophers in history. As a post-Kantian thinker,...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Schelling is among the most influential German philosophers in history. As a post-Kantian thinker, he is considered a midpoint between the Fichtean and Hegelian philosophical systems along the development of German Idealism. Unlike his predecessors, Schelling placed nature at the...
TheCollector
The Curious Case of the Roman God Janus: Origins, Epithets, History Ancient Rome unfairly has a reputation for having stolen or copied their mythology and religious...
4 weeks ago
7
4 weeks ago
Ancient Rome unfairly has a reputation for having stolen or copied their mythology and religious traditions from the Greeks and given them Latin names to claim as their own. This is easily disproved by looking at Roman traditions in a broad sense but more specifically, it is...
Classical Wisdom
The Greek Miracle? Podcast with Professor Reviel Netz
a week ago
Flashbak
David the Dreamer: Ralph Bergengren’s Children’s Book Illustrated by Tom Seidmann-Freud, 1922 ‘The earth is heavy and opaque without dreams.” – Anaïs Nin     Published in 1922 with illustrations...
a week ago
7
a week ago
‘The earth is heavy and opaque without dreams.” – Anaïs Nin     Published in 1922 with illustrations by Tom Seidmann-Freud, Ralph Bergengren’s David the Dreamer: His Book of Dreams tells the story of a boy’s dreams for his pet dog Fido’s third birthday. David finds himself in a...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Gatsby and the Greek Miracle
a week ago
TheCollector
Anne Frank Heroically Lives on Through Her Diaries Despite her all-too-brief life, Annelies “Anne” Frank is the stuff of legend, lore, and countless...
3 weeks ago
7
3 weeks ago
Despite her all-too-brief life, Annelies “Anne” Frank is the stuff of legend, lore, and countless heart-felt tributes. She is the unspeakably tragic face of the Jewish Holocaust. Her family’s temporary refuge in their Amsterdam “secret annex” is among the most revered global...
TheCollector
6 Famous Land Artists You Should Know Land Art, also known as Earth Art, is a name applied to artworks that operate within the natural...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
Land Art, also known as Earth Art, is a name applied to artworks that operate within the natural realm rather than in artistic studios, using earth, stones, and other natural materials. In some ways, Land Art was a category of art rather than a coherent movement. Artists who...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Sites in Vermont Vermont may be small in size, but it looms large in American history. From its fierce Revolutionary...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
Vermont may be small in size, but it looms large in American history. From its fierce Revolutionary War battles and independent 18th-century constitution to the quiet rise of a U.S. president, the Green Mountain State has witnessed defining moments that shaped both state and...
Overcoming Bias
Might Makes The Best Right Does “might make right”?
a week ago
Classical Wisdom
Plato and the Tyrant Power, Philosophy, and the Perils of Idealism: Plato’s Republic Reimagined Through Political...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Power, Philosophy, and the Perils of Idealism: Plato’s Republic Reimagined Through Political Upheaval
Wrong Side of...
The Transition The Great Awokening and the end of the cultural revolution
6 days ago
TheCollector
5 Events That Characterized Cold War Détente Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war, the two...
3 weeks ago
7
3 weeks ago
Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war, the two ideologically opposed superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union—looked for diplomatic solutions to ease the tension. Historians refer to this period with the French term...
TheCollector
5 Medieval & Renaissance Jokes That Made People Laugh While comedy might seem like a modern art form, the desire to joke, pun, or play pranks on others is...
a week ago
7
a week ago
While comedy might seem like a modern art form, the desire to joke, pun, or play pranks on others is a basic human trait, versions of which can be found during all periods of recorded history. A few examples of Renaissance and Medieval jokes stand out as especially significant,...
Open Culture
The Medieval Manuscript That Features “Yoda”, Killer Snails, Savage Rabbits & More: Discover The... As much as you may enjoy a night in with a book, you might not look so eagerly forward to it if that...
a week ago
7
a week ago
As much as you may enjoy a night in with a book, you might not look so eagerly forward to it if that book comprised 314 folios of 1,971 papal letters and other documents relating to ecclesiastical law, all from the thirteenth century. Indeed, even many specialists in the field...
TheCollector
The 12 Best Places to Visit in Chile for History Buffs Chile has endured a long and at times tumultuous history over the years. Although the brutal...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Chile has endured a long and at times tumultuous history over the years. Although the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet continues to influence many of the country’s struggles, it is not—or rather should not be—the historical event that defines it most. With a...
TheCollector
10 Top Tourist Destinations in Japan It is undeniable that Japan is a land with many things that make it unique. From its history to its...
a week ago
7
a week ago
It is undeniable that Japan is a land with many things that make it unique. From its history to its culture to its magnificent natural beauty, Japan has been enticing tourists for centuries. It is one of the world’s most visited countries, and for good reason!   Packed into...
Global Inequality...
Intelligentsia in power On Bukharin's critique of the Austrian school and John Bates Clark
a week ago
TheCollector
Was Lilith Adam’s First Wife? Learn About This Biblical Myth The Lilith myth holds that Eve was not Adam’s first wife. His first wife, Lilith, had some issues...
4 weeks ago
7
4 weeks ago
The Lilith myth holds that Eve was not Adam’s first wife. His first wife, Lilith, had some issues with Adam’s patriarchal tendencies and refused to be dominated by him. The contention between them resulted in Lilith leaving Eden and settling in a remote, desert environment that...
TheCollector
Trofim Lysenko: The Controversial Scientist Who Changed the Soviet Union During the early 20th century, Trofim Lysenko was perhaps the most influential scientist within the...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
During the early 20th century, Trofim Lysenko was perhaps the most influential scientist within the Soviet Union. He steered Soviet biology and agriculture through the 20th century, and today he is remembered as a figure known for his controversial and dangerous theories. With...
TheCollector
6 Fascinating Historical Sites in the Maritimes, Canada Canada is a popular destination for people who wish to enjoy some fresh air, open space, and...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Canada is a popular destination for people who wish to enjoy some fresh air, open space, and stunning natural scenery. Tourists flock to Vancouver, Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Montreal, but most fail to add the Maritimes to their itinerary. Tucked away in the east of Canada, the...
Flashbak
Photographer’s Lost Photos of Punk and New Wave Stars of the 1970s “I came up with the genius ideas of being a rockstar photographer. I could still feel important and...
a week ago
7
a week ago
“I came up with the genius ideas of being a rockstar photographer. I could still feel important and literally hide behind a sexy camera. I dropped out of school. I was going to be the next David Bailey, Helmut Newton, or Irving Penn, or even better, a combination of all of them.”...
TheCollector
Major Works by Botticelli, Renoir, and More to Tour 10 US States Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art announced plans to lend major works from its collection to...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art announced plans to lend major works from its collection to regional museums across the country. The historic loan program is part of a larger initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.   National Gallery’s “Across the...
TheCollector
The 1999 Apartment Bombings in Russia: History & Unanswered Questions In late 1999, a series of explosions destroyed apartments across Russia. When Chechen separatists...
a week ago
7
a week ago
In late 1999, a series of explosions destroyed apartments across Russia. When Chechen separatists were found guilty of orchestrating the attacks, the Second Chechen War began, and Vladimir Putin’s popularity skyrocketed. Today, the bombings have become one of the most debated...
TheCollector
What Is the Holy Spirit in Christianity, and Its Significance? The doctrine of the Trinity identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead. This...
a week ago
7
a week ago
The doctrine of the Trinity identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead. This teaching was established at the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and defined the Godhead more clearly than ever. The books of the New Testament were foundational in developing the...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Jasher and Why Is It Not in the Bible? The Bible mentions the Book of Jasher twice. The Book of Jasher was lost sometime in antiquity, and...
a week ago
7
a week ago
The Bible mentions the Book of Jasher twice. The Book of Jasher was lost sometime in antiquity, and no mention of it appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls, early Jewish or Christian tradition, or early Rabbinic writings. During the Middle Ages, a time notorious for people passing off...
TheCollector
10 Best Places to Visit in Mexico for History Buffs Mexico might be renowned as a beach lover’s ideal destination, yet the allure for history lovers is...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Mexico might be renowned as a beach lover’s ideal destination, yet the allure for history lovers is even greater. With a capital city built atop the ruins of ancient empires, a head-spinning array of sensational pre-Columbian ruins, world-famous pyramids, enchanting colonial...
TheCollector
10 Historic Towns in Queensland Worth Exploring Australia’s story stretches back over 60,000 years, beginning with its First Nations peoples and...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Australia’s story stretches back over 60,000 years, beginning with its First Nations peoples and evolving through waves of colonial exploration, gold rushes, wars, and modern nation-building. While major cities reflect this layered past, Queensland in particular holds a distinct...
Global Inequality...
The stock market fetish The most recent turmoil in the stock market caused by Donald Trump’s ill-considered policy to impose...
a week ago
7
a week ago
The most recent turmoil in the stock market caused by Donald Trump’s ill-considered policy to impose tariffs on the entire world, has brought up one legitimate question: what is the correct attitude towards stock market declines and crashes?
Open Culture
Why Most Ancient Civilizations Had No Word for the Color Blue In an old Zen story, two monks argue over whether a flag is waving or whether it’s the wind that...
4 days ago
7
4 days ago
In an old Zen story, two monks argue over whether a flag is waving or whether it’s the wind that waves. Their teacher strikes them both dumb, saying, “It is your mind that moves.” The centuries-old koan illustrates a point Zen masters — and later philosophers, psychologists, and...
TheCollector
Discover the Cubist World of Fernand Léger Fernand Léger was one of the French Cubists who revolutionized painting in the early 20th century....
3 weeks ago
6
3 weeks ago
Fernand Léger was one of the French Cubists who revolutionized painting in the early 20th century. However, Léger’s artistic input is often unjustly dismissed by art writers and some historians. Instead of moving further towards abstraction, Léger took a step back and developed a...
TheCollector
10 Archeological Gems of South America (That Are Not Machu Picchu) South America, with its vibrant history and cultural diversity, is a paradise for history...
2 weeks ago
6
2 weeks ago
South America, with its vibrant history and cultural diversity, is a paradise for history enthusiasts. While the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu often steals the spotlight, the sub-continent is home to numerous other archeological marvels that provide a fascinating...
TheCollector
Justinian I’s Surprising Recapture of Rome: What Happened? The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came close to uniting the former Roman Empire less than a century...
a week ago
6
a week ago
The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came close to uniting the former Roman Empire less than a century after its fall. However, popular discontent, foreign war, and a plague all combined to bring his dream of reestablishing Roman glory to an end, despite remarkable successes.   Rome...
TheCollector
Meet the Prime Ministers: 10 Men Who Served Queen Victoria Who were the ten British prime ministers of Queen Victoria’s reign? What were the highlights of...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Who were the ten British prime ministers of Queen Victoria’s reign? What were the highlights of their careers, and what did they achieve on behalf of the United Kingdom? Most importantly, what was the nature of their relationship with Queen Victoria herself?   Let us now step...
Open Culture
What the World Will Look Like in 250 Million Years: Mapping the Distant Future Most of us now accept the idea that all of Earth’s continents were once part of a single, enormous...
6 days ago
6
6 days ago
Most of us now accept the idea that all of Earth’s continents were once part of a single, enormous land mass. That wasn’t the case in the early nineteen-tens, when the geologist Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) first publicized his theory of not just the supercontinent Pangea, but also...
TheCollector
8 Best Places to Visit in Colombia for History Buffs Colombia is a captivating land rich in cultural heritage and ancient treasures, with countless tales...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Colombia is a captivating land rich in cultural heritage and ancient treasures, with countless tales to tell. From sophisticated pre-Columbian civilizations to colonial triumphs and struggles, this country showcases its colorful history with abundant enthusiasm. Here is a guide...
TheCollector
What Are the Names of God in the Bible (and Why Are There So Many)? In the Bible, there are many names for God. Some apply to God in general, while others refer to...
a week ago
6
a week ago
In the Bible, there are many names for God. Some apply to God in general, while others refer to Jesus specifically. Most of these names are expressions of character. They highlight specific aspects of who God is and generally correlate with the circumstance and situation God...
TheCollector
What Is an Artist According to Sigmund Freud? The famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud expressed a keen interest in art and artists throughout his...
3 weeks ago
6
3 weeks ago
The famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud expressed a keen interest in art and artists throughout his entire career. Although his own views on art were quite conservative, he nonetheless managed to inspire and direct generations of radical modernists, including the Surrealists. In...
TheCollector
Philosopher & Poet? A New Translation of Simone Weil’s La Porte Living during the early to mid-20th century, Simone Weil, a French philosopher, activist, and...
4 weeks ago
6
4 weeks ago
Living during the early to mid-20th century, Simone Weil, a French philosopher, activist, and writer, was a religious mystic. Her work is at once intellectual and personal, striking the mind and soul. Almost exclusively a non-fiction writer, her anthology does include one poem....
TheCollector
What Does the Bible Say About the Tree of Life? Genesis 3 suggests that eating the fruit from the Tree of Life gave eternal life. After the Fall,...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Genesis 3 suggests that eating the fruit from the Tree of Life gave eternal life. After the Fall, God prevented access to the tree by posting two cherubs at the entrance to the garden. Humans should not have access to eternal life while in their fallen state. Access to the tree...
Flashbak
A Prisoner of War Stitched A Secret Message To The Nazis: God Save the King – Fu*k Hitler! At the prisoner of war camp in Spangenberg castle, Germany, Major Alexis Casdagli began to stitch....
6 days ago
6
6 days ago
At the prisoner of war camp in Spangenberg castle, Germany, Major Alexis Casdagli began to stitch. Using a piece of canvas handed to him by a fellow inmate, thread from an old jumper and a hidden needle, Casdagli created a border of dots and dashes around a frame of swastikas and...
TheCollector
A Journey Through Dante’s Inferno: A Brief Guide Over the centuries, Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy has often been declared the pinnacle of the...
3 weeks ago
6
3 weeks ago
Over the centuries, Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy has often been declared the pinnacle of the medieval literary mind. Other critics, looking ahead, have called it a brilliant artistic harbinger of the coming European Renaissance. The renowned Anglo-American poet T.S. Eliot...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Beautiful Basilicas Around the World For over a thousand years, basilicas have been stages for history. Charlemagne knelt in St. Peter’s...
4 weeks ago
6
4 weeks ago
For over a thousand years, basilicas have been stages for history. Charlemagne knelt in St. Peter’s Basilica to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. In 1436, the citizens of Florence gathered beneath Brunelleschi’s revolutionary dome as Santa Maria del Fiore was consecrated....
TheCollector
Who Was Black Hawk? (Life & War) Leading a band of rebels against the forces of the United States, Black Hawk was a prominent Native...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Leading a band of rebels against the forces of the United States, Black Hawk was a prominent Native American leader whose actions changed the lives of thousands of people. In his time, he was a controversial figure, both revered and reviled for his actions that took his people to...
TheCollector
Creepy Happenings at King Henry VIII’s Haunted Palace (Hampton Court) The Palace of Hampton Court, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is undoubtedly...
a week ago
6
a week ago
The Palace of Hampton Court, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is undoubtedly the most famous residence associated with King Henry VIII. Over the last five centuries, the palace has acquired an enormous amount of history, and not all of it is particularly...
TheCollector
Deadly Earthquake Unearths Forgotten Monument in Myanmar A major earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, claiming thousands of lives and causing...
a week ago
6
a week ago
A major earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, claiming thousands of lives and causing extensive damage across the Southeast Asian nation. Amidst the devastation, new fissures in the earth revealed long-buried ruins near Inwa, where the Burmese imperial capital of...
TheCollector
9 Facts About the History of Sushi: A Beloved Japanese Dish Extending far beyond Japan, sushi is consumed by many different communities around the world. Its...
3 weeks ago
6
3 weeks ago
Extending far beyond Japan, sushi is consumed by many different communities around the world. Its popularity in the West has helped to cement Japan’s global cultural influence, as Japanese cuisine gained a reputation for having healthy, fresh, and flavor-packed delicacies....
TheCollector
Collectivization in the USSR: How Did It Work? From the 1920s onward, the Soviet Union began the process of industrialization with an aggressive...
a week ago
6
a week ago
From the 1920s onward, the Soviet Union began the process of industrialization with an aggressive policy known as collectivization. However, transforming the rural economy over such a short space of time affected the lives of millions of people. To come to terms with how...
TheCollector
Who Was Saint Paul? A Short Biography Saint Paul authored more epistles in the New Testament than any other apostle. Most of Christian...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Saint Paul authored more epistles in the New Testament than any other apostle. Most of Christian theology builds on his writings at least in part. Few people who knew Saul (Paul) as a young man would have thought he would make such a significant impact on Christianity seeing that...
Open Culture
A Forgotten 16th-Century Manuscript Reveals the First Designs for Modern Rockets The Austrian military engineer Conrad Haas was a man ahead of his time — indeed, about 400 years...
4 days ago
6
4 days ago
The Austrian military engineer Conrad Haas was a man ahead of his time — indeed, about 400 years ahead, considering that he was working on rockets aimed for outer space back in the mid-sixteenth century. Needless to say, he never actually managed to launch anything into the upper...
TheCollector
Who Were the Nicolaitans Condemned in the Book of Revelation? Revelation mentions the Nicolaitans twice without providing any context to who they were or what...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Revelation mentions the Nicolaitans twice without providing any context to who they were or what they believed. The church in Ephesus hated their works, just like Jesus did, but the church of Pergamum, the third of the seven churches, tolerated it. The Bible presents tolerance of...
TheCollector
Christian Views on Limbo Explained: Definition & History The concept of Limbo is a theological view that many Roman Catholics held from the time of the...
a week ago
6
a week ago
The concept of Limbo is a theological view that many Roman Catholics held from the time of the Church Fathers until recently. The “Limbo of the Infants” was never an official doctrine of the Catholic Church, while the Limbo of the Fathers and Patriarchs was. Limbo refers to a...
TheCollector
Maria Edgeworth’s Educational Philosophy in 5 Core Concepts Maria Edgeworth was ahead of her time in educational philosophy. She supported new teaching methods...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Maria Edgeworth was ahead of her time in educational philosophy. She supported new teaching methods that remain important today. Her interesting ideas included practical education, moral instruction, critical thinking skills, individualized learning, and more parental involvement...
TheCollector
First Ancient Greek Theater Unearthed on Ionian Islands Following a decade of excavation efforts, archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient Greek...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Following a decade of excavation efforts, archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient Greek amphitheater—the first of its kind to be discovered on the Ionian Islands.   Ionian Islands Discovery Is “Important and Imposing”   The ancient Greek amphitheater stands on a...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in Maine Maine’s story begins long before statehood, with Indigenous cultures, rugged coastlines, and early...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Maine’s story begins long before statehood, with Indigenous cultures, rugged coastlines, and early European settlements shaping its identity. Over the centuries, Maine has been home to shipbuilders, revolutionaries, fishermen, and artists, each leaving behind traces of their era....
Open Culture
William Faulkner’s Review of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952) Images via Wikimedia Commons In the mid-20th century, the two big dogs in the American literary...
5 days ago
6
5 days ago
Images via Wikimedia Commons In the mid-20th century, the two big dogs in the American literary scene were William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. Both were internationally revered, both were masters of the novel and the short story, and both won Nobel Prizes. Born in Mississippi,...
A Collection of...
Collections: Why Celebrimbor Fell but Boromir Conquered: the Moral Universe of Tolkien This week (and probably next) I want to talk a bit more Tolkien, but in a somewhat different vein...
2 days ago
6
2 days ago
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...
TheCollector
What Technological & Cultural Advances Were Achieved During the Gupta Empire? The Gupta Empire is widely regarded as India’s Golden Age. Although it existed for only about 230...
a week ago
5
a week ago
The Gupta Empire is widely regarded as India’s Golden Age. Although it existed for only about 230 years (from the 3rd century AD to 543 AD), it had a profound influence on many areas of Indian society, including arts and science. The empire was established by Sri Gupta who came...
TheCollector
Ulrich Zwingli: A Forgotten Pillar of the Reformation When discussing the Reformation, names like Martin Luther and John Calvin are often at the...
a week ago
5
a week ago
When discussing the Reformation, names like Martin Luther and John Calvin are often at the forefront. However, Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss reformer, also played a pivotal role in shaping Protestant theology and influencing religious history. Zwingli was instrumental in the Swiss...
Open Culture
The Ark Before Noah: Discover the Ancient Flood Myths That Came Before the Bible The Lord said to Noah, there’s going to be a floody, floody; then to get those children out of the...
5 days ago
5
5 days ago
The Lord said to Noah, there’s going to be a floody, floody; then to get those children out of the muddy, muddy; then to build him an arky, arky. This much we heard while toasting marshmallows around the campfire, at least if we grew up in a certain modern Protestant tradition....
TheCollector
The Seminole Wars: What Were the Causes and Outcomes? The Seminole Wars were a series of conflicts sparked by American expansion, Seminole resistance, and...
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
The Seminole Wars were a series of conflicts sparked by American expansion, Seminole resistance, and Spain’s need to focus on other troubled areas. They first erupted in 1816, as Americans attempted to push native Seminole people out of Florida. Three wars broke out over the next...
TheCollector
7 Works Inspired by Sigmund Freud’s Uncanny Sigmund Freud’s essay on the uncanny described the long-familiar phenomenon of something deeply...
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
Sigmund Freud’s essay on the uncanny described the long-familiar phenomenon of something deeply unsettling that could be hiding in seemingly familiar objects and situations. More than a century since its publication, it continues to inspire some artists to create disquieting and...
TheCollector
4 Aboriginal Leaders of the Tasmanian Black War The Black War (1824-1832), the establishment of the Black Line in 1830, and the forced removal of...
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
The Black War (1824-1832), the establishment of the Black Line in 1830, and the forced removal of Aboriginal people to Flinders Island and Oyster Cove almost eradicated Aboriginal culture in what is now Tasmania, the island that, during the Colonial Period, was known as Van...
TheCollector
10 Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites in France UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of outstanding cultural or natural importance recognized for...
2 weeks ago
5
2 weeks ago
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of outstanding cultural or natural importance recognized for their universal value to humanity. Spanning continents, these sites include ancient ruins, architectural marvels, sacred landscapes, and natural wonders, each telling a unique...
TheCollector
Hidden Portrait Found Beneath Joan Miró Painting The Fundació Joan Miró revealed a surprising new insight into the Spanish-Catalan artist’s work. The...
a week ago
5
a week ago
The Fundació Joan Miró revealed a surprising new insight into the Spanish-Catalan artist’s work. The enigmatic composition Pintura, according to a press statement from the foundation, overlays an earlier portrait of Miró’s mother. This announcement comes nearly a century after...
TheCollector
The 10 Best Places to Visit in Argentina for History Buffs Argentina is one of the most captivating and varied destinations in Latin America. It is a nation...
a week ago
5
a week ago
Argentina is one of the most captivating and varied destinations in Latin America. It is a nation enriched with centuries of fascinating history and indescribable natural beauty. Luckily, even in its remotest and most breathtaking regions, like Patagonia in the far south and...
TheCollector
What Is the Trinity in Christianity? The term “the Trinity” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. The concept of the Trinity is also not...
3 weeks ago
5
3 weeks ago
The term “the Trinity” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. The concept of the Trinity is also not explicitly taught in the Bible. To this day, some Christians reject this doctrine which is part of the fundamental beliefs of most Christian churches today. So, what is the...
TheCollector
What Was the First Council of Constantinople? The First Council of Constantinople was the second of seven ecumenical councils of the early...
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
The First Council of Constantinople was the second of seven ecumenical councils of the early Christian Church. Convened in 381 CE, it dealt with issues regarding Divine and Human natures of Jesus Christ. In 325 CE, the Council of Nicaea produced the Nicene Creed, and primarily...
TheCollector
Genghis Khan: Feared Conqueror or Successful Innovator? The rise of the Mongol Empire under Temujin, or Genghis Khan, was a seminal moment in world history....
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
The rise of the Mongol Empire under Temujin, or Genghis Khan, was a seminal moment in world history. The conquests of the 13th century helped to spark a cascade of events that created the modern world, in large part due to the terror inspired by the Mongol leader. Genghis Khan...
TheCollector
Marina Abramović Unveils Interactive Digital Art Project Starting this summer, Marina Abramović will release a series of NFT drops as part of a new project...
4 weeks ago
5
4 weeks ago
Starting this summer, Marina Abramović will release a series of NFT drops as part of a new project called Marina Abramović Element (MAE). According to a recent press release, the project was born from the artist’s interest in connecting the inherent immateriality of performance...
TheCollector
3 Hidden Gems in Occitanie, France: Off the Beaten Path In 2016, France created Occitanie from two smaller regions: Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées....
a week ago
5
a week ago
In 2016, France created Occitanie from two smaller regions: Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. Its name comes from Occitan, the historical language of southwestern France. Although this region is home to important cities like Narbonne (the first Roman colony in France) and...
Overcoming Bias
AI Is GPT, & GPTs Go Slow Back in the dot-com boom of the late 90s, many said a new economy loomed that invalidated all the...
5 days ago
5
5 days ago
Back in the dot-com boom of the late 90s, many said a new economy loomed that invalidated all the old rules, and would soon cause big fast change.
Dreams of Space -...
Space Explorer (1960) A promotional comic from 1960 called Space Explorer. It was part of the comic series Boys’ and...
2 days ago
5
2 days ago
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...
TheCollector
What Was the Diamond Necklace Affair? Of the many scandals associated with the notorious French Queen Marie Antoniette in the buildup to...
3 weeks ago
5
3 weeks ago
Of the many scandals associated with the notorious French Queen Marie Antoniette in the buildup to her catastrophic downfall, the Diamond Necklace Affair was one of the more insidious and toxic, embroiling the queen in a sordid tale of theft, deception and corruption. We take a...
TheCollector
Color Psychology: What Does Purple Represent? The color purple is the meeting point of water and fire, sorrow and love, introspection and...
a week ago
5
a week ago
The color purple is the meeting point of water and fire, sorrow and love, introspection and creativity, stillness and activity, serenity and anger – it is a color of union, where opposites collide. Thanks to these characteristics, purple has long colored our imagination across...
TheCollector
5 Great Achievements of the Roman Emperor Nerva Marcus Cocceius Nerva became emperor of the Roman Empire following the assassination of Domitian in...
a week ago
5
a week ago
Marcus Cocceius Nerva became emperor of the Roman Empire following the assassination of Domitian in 96 CE. Chosen by the senate, he was the first in the series known as the “Five Good Emperors.” But his short reign is often overshadowed by the chaos and fear caused by his...
TheCollector
What Were the Cities Paul’s Letters Reached? The Apostle Paul, following his conversion to Christianity, became not only a literary champion for...
a week ago
5
a week ago
The Apostle Paul, following his conversion to Christianity, became not only a literary champion for the defense of the faith, but an evangelist who travelled throughout the Roman Empire establishing and encouraging churches in major cities.  According to Acts and Paul’s writings,...
Classical Wisdom
What Makes a Hero? The Ancient Ideals of Heroism: Odysseus and Aeneas
6 days ago
Flashbak
Nudes With Attitude from Vienna’s Studio Manasse (NSFW) Actress Olga Solarics (1895-1969) and her husband, a former Austro-Hungarian army officer with an...
4 days ago
5
4 days ago
Actress Olga Solarics (1895-1969) and her husband, a former Austro-Hungarian army officer with an artistic background, Adorja’n von Wlassics (1893-1946) ran the Studio Manasse Foto-Salon in Vienna, Austria, from 1922 til 1938. The studio was big on nudes and left a fabulous...
Open Culture
How to Evade Taxes in Ancient Rome: A 1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals an Ancient Tax Evasion Scheme It was surely not a coincidence that the New York Times published its story on the trial of a...
3 days ago
5
3 days ago
It was surely not a coincidence that the New York Times published its story on the trial of a certain Gadalias and Saulos this past Monday, April 14th. The defendants, as their names suggest, did not live in modernity: the papyrus documenting their legal troubles dates to the...
TheCollector
The Real-Life Inspirations Behind Japanese Yōkai Folklore For the Japanese, summer is when the border between the real world and the spirit world becomes...
2 weeks ago
5
2 weeks ago
For the Japanese, summer is when the border between the real world and the spirit world becomes weak, and the legendary yōkai can walk among the living. The yōkai are a complex amalgamation of legendary ghosts, goblins, and spirits that have played a role in Japanese culture for...
Classical Wisdom
The Odyssey Begins Thoughts on the New Translation?
4 days ago
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Museums in Florida With a past shaped by Spanish explorers, pirates, and visionaries, Florida is home to some of the...
3 weeks ago
5
3 weeks ago
With a past shaped by Spanish explorers, pirates, and visionaries, Florida is home to some of the most fascinating historic sites in the United States. Visitors flock here to walk through centuries-old forts in St. Augustine, explore Gilded Age estates in Miami, and experience...
Classical Wisdom
The World of Homer Classical Wisdom Litterae
5 days ago
Open Culture
The Real Story of Easter: How We Got from the First Easter in the Bible to Bunnies, Eggs & Chocolate Popular culture has long since claimed Easter as an occasion for trickster rabbits, dyed-egg hunts,...
2 days ago
5
2 days ago
Popular culture has long since claimed Easter as an occasion for trickster rabbits, dyed-egg hunts, and marshmallow chicks of unnatural hues — none of which are actually in the Bible. Though that probably doesn’t surprise you, you may not be aware of just how far the modern...
TheCollector
Why Did Genghis Khan’s Empire Decline? Genghis Khan died in 1227 fighting in China. Upon his successor’s death in 1259, squabbles over...
a week ago
4
a week ago
Genghis Khan died in 1227 fighting in China. Upon his successor’s death in 1259, squabbles over succession led to the Mongol Empire being split into four khanates, each ruled by a son or grandson. These included the Yuan Dynasty in China, the European Golden Horde, Persia’s...
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...
a week ago
4
a week 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...
TheCollector
Why Is the Gospel of Mark so Short? Of the four gospels in the Biblical canon, the Gospel of Mark is the shortest by a significant...
6 days ago
4
6 days ago
Of the four gospels in the Biblical canon, the Gospel of Mark is the shortest by a significant margin. The writer of John had a different approach to compiling and describing the message he wished to convey, so a difference in length would be understandable. With Matthew and...
History Today Feed
Coronation of Bolesław the Brave Coronation of Bolesław the Brave JamesHoare Tue, 04/15/2025 - 09:14
5 days ago
Flashbak
The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Assembly Line, February 1958 In February 1958, production was underway on the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL open-topped sports car. Made...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
In February 1958, production was underway on the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL open-topped sports car. Made between May 1955 and February 1963, and known by the company as W121, the 190 SL roadster made its debut at the 1954 New York Auto Show at Madison Square Garden (February 6 – 14,...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Historic Sites in Connecticut Connecticut, aka the “Constitution State,” has a seriously rich history. From being a key player in...
4 weeks ago
4
4 weeks ago
Connecticut, aka the “Constitution State,” has a seriously rich history. From being a key player in the American Revolution to giving birth to the first written constitution in the world, this state is packed with game-changing moments. It’s also where the Fundamental Orders of...
TheCollector
Does the Hebrew Bible Predict the Virgin Birth of Christ? The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both assert that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin. But while Luke...
2 weeks ago
4
2 weeks ago
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both assert that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin. But while Luke tells the story without referencing any specific passages from Jewish scripture, Matthew quotes several biblical texts and speaks of them as being “fulfilled” in the events...
TheCollector
Who Are the Pharisees in the Bible? The New Testament presents the Pharisees as a group that vehemently opposed the ministry of Jesus....
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
The New Testament presents the Pharisees as a group that vehemently opposed the ministry of Jesus. Yet, a select few among the Pharisees were open to considering what Jesus taught and even defended his ministry. The Pharisees played a significant role in Jewish society and...
Open Culture
How to Enter a ‘Flow State’ on Command: Peak Performance Mind Hack Explained in 7 Minutes You can be forgiven for thinking the concept of “flow” was cooked up and popularized by yoga...
3 days ago
4
3 days ago
You can be forgiven for thinking the concept of “flow” was cooked up and popularized by yoga teachers. That word gets a lot of play when one is moving from Downward-Facing Dog on through Warrior One and Two. Actually, flow — the state of  “effortless effort” — was coined by...
TheCollector
9 Historic Attractions You Need to See in St. Augustine, Florida Beautiful and historic St. Augustine is the oldest city on the Atlantic, also known as the “First...
a week ago
4
a week ago
Beautiful and historic St. Augustine is the oldest city on the Atlantic, also known as the “First Coast” of Florida. It’s an endlessly walkable town with a charming downtown core and gorgeous seaside views. It’s also home to one of the state’s most iconic treasures; the Fountain...
TheCollector
Who Was Jan Smuts & Why Is He Important to World History? Jan Smuts is well known in South Africa as a major historical figure. He helped establish South...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
Jan Smuts is well known in South Africa as a major historical figure. He helped establish South African autonomy while still a subject of the British crown and was vital to the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.   His influence, however, spread far beyond the...
TheCollector
Remains of Ancient Roman Wall Paintings Found in Spain Spanish archaeologists unearthed over 4,000 fragments of wall paintings that once decorated the...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
Spanish archaeologists unearthed over 4,000 fragments of wall paintings that once decorated the Roman villa of Barberes Sud in the town of Villajoyosa. By restoring and reassembling the painted pieces, conservators are beginning to reveal the rich decoration of the stately Roman...
TheCollector
What Do Reformed Churches Believe? John Calvin is one of the most recognized names among the reformers, and for good reason. Calvinism...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
John Calvin is one of the most recognized names among the reformers, and for good reason. Calvinism is named after this theologian and the Reformed Churches have the doctrines that he espoused at their core. Though there are several similarities between Reformed Churches and...
History Today Feed
Bismarck’s Britain Bismarck’s Britain JamesHoare Wed, 04/16/2025 - 08:56
4 days ago
Overcoming Bias
Efficiency Is Sacred We all see some things as sacred.
4 days ago
History Today Feed
The Ghosts of Gaelic The Ghosts of Gaelic JamesHoare Thu, 04/17/2025 - 09:07
3 days ago
TheCollector
What Is the Song of Solomon About? The Song of Solomon is different from any other book in the Bible. Some people are surprised at its...
6 days ago
4
6 days ago
The Song of Solomon is different from any other book in the Bible. Some people are surprised at its content. It seems like letters two lovers wrote one another where the male and female describe the other from their perspective. The poems express excitement at the thought of the...
TheCollector
Lascaux Cave Paintings: Secrets of Prehistoric Art Amid the Second World War, four young boys unearthed a Paleolithic masterpiece when they stumbled...
4 days ago
4
4 days ago
Amid the Second World War, four young boys unearthed a Paleolithic masterpiece when they stumbled upon a cave in southwest France. The boys were entranced by the vivid hues of red, yellow, and black that formed vast scenes of animals appearing to move across the cave walls....
TheCollector
12 Unexpected Facts About Samuel Johnson There are many basic but essential facts to be learned about Samuel Johnson. For example, he was...
6 days ago
4
6 days ago
There are many basic but essential facts to be learned about Samuel Johnson. For example, he was born in 1709 and died in 1784. His life spanned the reign of four British Monarchs: Queen Anne (1702-1714), King George I (1714-1727), King George II (1727-1760), and King George III...
Wrong Side of...
The Sacred Fetish of Academic Freedom The Transition #2
4 days ago
TheCollector
Bikers, Outlaws, and Mobsters: A Brief History of New Hollywood By the end of the 1950s, Hollywood studios were verging on economic disaster after forty years of...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
By the end of the 1950s, Hollywood studios were verging on economic disaster after forty years of ruling U.S. and world cinema. Much of their core audience had grown up and moved to the suburbs, away from the grand city theaters but infinitely closer to their new living-room TVs....
TheCollector
The Battle of Red Cliffs: The Epic Clash That Defined The Three Kingdoms At the turn of the 3rd century CE, China descended into civil war as the court of the Han Dynasty...
3 weeks ago
4
3 weeks ago
At the turn of the 3rd century CE, China descended into civil war as the court of the Han Dynasty was torn apart by factionalism. As central authority melted away, ambitious warlords competed for power in the name of a puppet emperor. By the time the last Han Emperor was forced...
Open Culture
Carl Sagan Issues a Chilling Warning About the Decline of Scientific Thinking in America: Watch His... Until the end of his life, Carl Sagan (1934–1996) continued doing what he did all along —...
2 days ago
4
2 days ago
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...
Trying to Understand...
A Week Off And A New Language See you again soon
a year ago
CrimethInc.
2024: Out of the Frying Pan, into the Fire : The Year in Review It’s time to take stock of the year have just lived through and get oriented for the year ahead....
3 months ago
131
3 months ago
It’s time to take stock of the year have just lived through and get oriented for the year ahead. Here, we review the events of 2024 and our own contributions to the fight for a better world. A year that began amid genocide in Palestine and war in Ukraine and Sudan is concluding...
Res Obscura
Simulating History with ChatGPT The Case for LLMs as Hallucination Engines
a year ago
Open Culture
Binge-Watch Classic Television Programs Free: The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lone Ranger, Dragnet, That... Earlier this week, we featured the 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke’s performance in Coldplay’s new music...
4 months ago
119
4 months ago
Earlier this week, we featured the 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke’s performance in Coldplay’s new music video, full of visual references to the sitcom that made him a household name in the early nineteen-sixties. And a household name he remains these six decades later, though one does...
Trying to Understand...
The Rise of Extractive Politics It's about having small expectations.
a year ago
Open Culture
The New York Times Presents the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, Selected by 503 Novelists, Poets... For longtime readers of American book journalism, scrolling through the New York Times Book Review’s...
3 months ago
109
3 months ago
For longtime readers of American book journalism, scrolling through the New York Times Book Review’s just-published list of the 100 best books of the twenty-first century will summon dim memories of many a once-unignorable critical fuss. At one time or another over the past 25...
Wrong Side of...
Rats! The Year of the Plague #2
2 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Sacred Flames and Divine Philosophers
a year ago
Open Culture
Francis Ford Coppola Picks His Favorite Criterion Movies & Gives Advice to Filmmakers Upon stepping into the hallowed Criterion Closet, stocked with hundreds of that cinephile video...
3 months ago
96
3 months ago
Upon stepping into the hallowed Criterion Closet, stocked with hundreds of that cinephile video label’s finest releases, Francis Ford Coppola speaks of a director who “believed in a film he wanted to make, and used his entire fortune, because the financing system of the time...
Classical Wisdom
Should We Follow Silly Laws? And what happens when we don’t?
a year ago
Open Culture
Benedict Cumberbatch Reads Kurt Vonnegut’s Letter of Advice to People Living in the Year 2088 There was a time when a company like Volkswagen could commission various luminaries to write letters...
3 months ago
92
3 months ago
There was a time when a company like Volkswagen could commission various luminaries to write letters to the future, then publish them in Time magazine as part of an ad campaign. In fact, that time wasn’t so very long ago: it was the year 1988, to be precise, when no less an...
A Collection of...
Gap Week: December 27, 2024 (Year in Review) Hey folks! Year is coming to a close, so once again I’m going to offer a bit of an end-of-year...
3 months ago
91
3 months ago
Hey folks! Year is coming to a close, so once again I’m going to offer a bit of an end-of-year reflection on the state of the project, along with a brief ‘what’s on the stove’ coverage of what may be coming up. Also, here’s a cat picture: In terms of the project itself, 2024 was,...
African History...
A history of the Rozvi kingdom (1680-1830) From Changamire's expulsion of the Portuguese to the ruined cities of Zimbabwe.
a year ago
Open Culture
Read J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Letter From Father Christmas” To His Young Children (1925) J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for the sweeping fantasy landscapes of Lord of The Rings and The...
3 months ago
90
3 months ago
J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for the sweeping fantasy landscapes of Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. Apart from being a celebrated author, the Oxford University professor of Anglo-Saxon was also a devoted father who doted on his children. In 1920, a few short years after Tolkien...
Overcoming Bias
Celebrity v CEO v Politician Why are celebrities, CEOs, and politicians three different types of people who don’t overlap much?
2 months ago
Classical Wisdom
How To Eat: An Ancient Guide to Healthy Living Registration *NOW* Open
2 months ago
Overcoming Bias
When They Hear Less Than You Say Something must be done.
2 months ago
African History...
A history of the Majeerteen Sultanate: 1700-1927. Maritime trade and diplomacy in the northern Horn of Africa.
a year ago
weird medieval guys
An 800 year prayer book that's decorated with puns Plus a little history of manuscript illustration
a year ago
A Collection of...
Collections: On the Reign of Alexander III of Macedon, the Great? This week, in part as a follow-on to our series on the contest between Hellenistic armies and Roman...
11 months ago
87
11 months ago
This week, in part as a follow-on to our series on the contest between Hellenistic armies and Roman legions, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about Alexander III, who you almost certainly know as Alexander the Great. But I want to discuss his reign with that title, ‘the...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Mothers of the Ancient World
11 months ago
Trying to Understand...
A Short Essay About A Long-Playing Record One I bought fifty years ago.
11 months ago
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Roman Republic 101, Addenda: The Socii This week, as an addendum to our series on Roman civic governance (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IV, V),...
a year ago
87
a year ago
This week, as an addendum to our series on Roman civic governance (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IV, V), we’re going to take a look at how Rome handles those parts of Italy it controls but which it does not inhabit. These are Rome’s ‘allies’ (socii), a euphemistic label for the...
Open Culture
Compare the “It Ain’t Me Babe” Scene from A Complete Unknown to the Real Bob Dylan & Joan Baez... A Complete Unknown, the new movie about Bob Dylan’s rise in the folk-music scene of the early...
3 months ago
87
3 months ago
A Complete Unknown, the new movie about Bob Dylan’s rise in the folk-music scene of the early nineteen-sixties and subsequent electrified break with it, has been praised for not taking excessive liberties, at least by the standards of popular music biopics. Its conversion of a...
A Collection of...
Collections: On the Reign of Alexander III of Macedon, the Great? Part II This is the second and final part of our look at Alexander III of Macedon (Part I), who you almost...
11 months ago
87
11 months ago
This is the second and final part of our look at Alexander III of Macedon (Part I), who you almost certainly know as Alexander the Great. Last week, we looked at the sources for Alexander’s life, the historiography (that is, the history-of-the-history) of his modern reception and...
Wrong Side of...
The Terrible Loneliness of Genius The Canon Club: Vincent van Gogh
3 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Can We Choose NOT to Be Harmed? How can we train Resilience?
a year ago
Open Culture
Explore the Newly-Launched Public Domain Image Archive with 10,000+ Free Historical Images We’ve often featured the work of the Public Domain Review here on Open Culture, and also various...
3 months ago
85
3 months ago
We’ve often featured the work of the Public Domain Review here on Open Culture, and also various searchable copyright-free image databases that have arisen over the years. It makes sense that those two worlds would collide, and now they’ve done so in the form of the just-launched...
A Collection of...
Collections: Coinage and the Tyranny of Fantasy ‘Gold’ This week on the blog I want to take a brief detour into discussing historical coinage, particularly...
3 months ago
85
3 months ago
This week on the blog I want to take a brief detour into discussing historical coinage, particularly in the context of modern fantasy and roleplaying settings. In particular, the notions I want to tackle are first how did ancient currency systems work in terms of value (what...
Open Culture
How Leonardo da Vinci Painted The Last Supper: A Deep Dive Into a Masterpiece When Leonardo da Vinci was 42 years old, he hadn’t yet completed any major publicly viewable work....
3 months ago
83
3 months ago
When Leonardo da Vinci was 42 years old, he hadn’t yet completed any major publicly viewable work. Not that he’d been idle: in that same era, while working for the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, he “developed, organized, and directed productions for festival pageants, triumphal...
Open Culture
99-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke Sings & Dances in a Touching New Coldplay Video, Directed by Spike Jonze There’s one thing right with our world, and it’s Dick Van Dyke. Appearing in a new Coldplay music...
4 months ago
82
4 months ago
There’s one thing right with our world, and it’s Dick Van Dyke. Appearing in a new Coldplay music video, Mr. Van Dyke dances barefoot and sings knowingly a little off-key—before reflecting on a century of life on this planet. What is love? Is he afraid of dying? What does luck...
Flashbak
The Sun by Frans Masereel, A Story Without Words – 1919 “One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives...
2 months ago
82
2 months ago
“One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light,” – James Baldwin, Nothing Personal      The Sun (1919) by Frans Masereel (1889–1972) opens with an artist resting his head on his desk beneath an open...
Res Obscura
LLM-based educational games will be a big deal For the first time, digital games can make qualitative assessments of learning. Here's what that...
11 months ago
81
11 months ago
For the first time, digital games can make qualitative assessments of learning. Here's what that might look like.
Trying to Understand...
Things Are Falling Apart ... And the centre's not looking too good, either.
a year ago
weird medieval guys
Explore medieval life and death with these 5 brilliant interactive maps! Travels, murders, and......eels?!!
a year ago
Open Culture
Hunter S. Thompson Remembers Jimmy Carter’s Captivating Bob Dylan Speech (1974) 51 years ago, Hunter S. Thompson wrote Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72, which “is still...
3 months ago
81
3 months ago
51 years ago, Hunter S. Thompson wrote Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72, which “is still considered a kind of bible of political reporting,” noted Matt Taibbi in a 40th anniversary edition of the book. Fear and Loathing ’72 entered the canon of American political...
Classical Wisdom
Do You Listen Well? Lessons on Listening from Plutarch
a year ago
Open Culture
What’s Entering the Public Domain in 2025: Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Faulkner’s The Sound and... Each Public Domain Day seems to bring us a richer crop of copyright-liberated books, plays, films,...
3 months ago
78
3 months ago
Each Public Domain Day seems to bring us a richer crop of copyright-liberated books, plays, films, musical compositions, sound recordings, works of art, and other pieces of intellectual property. This year happens to be an especially notable one for connoisseurs of Belgian...
Trying to Understand...
Honesty: What's In It For Me? First, do lots of harm.
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
War Is Complicated. And not just the fighting bit.
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Into the Waste Land Nothing connects.
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
The Mother Goddess of Rome And Her Controversial Religion
11 months ago
Flashbak
Liverpool Kids: Surviving Inner City Life In 1975 Paul Trevor’s photographs of Liverpool in 1975 formed part of The Survival Programme, which featured...
11 months ago
77
11 months ago
Paul Trevor’s photographs of Liverpool in 1975 formed part of The Survival Programme, which featured pictures, interviews, drafts and other materials made by member of the Exit Photography Group – Nicholas Battye, Chris Steele-Perkins and Paul Trevor. Created between 1974 and...
weird medieval guys
The Medieval Monks Who Lived on Top of Giant Pillars A history of the monastic high life
a year ago
Res Obscura
Centuries of Childhood The history of childhood is one of multiplicity — so why do we tell parents such simplistic stories...
10 months ago
76
10 months ago
The history of childhood is one of multiplicity — so why do we tell parents such simplistic stories about it?
Patterns in Humanity
Immigration and crime: Denmark Are immigrants overrepresented in crime? If so, which immigrants? And why?
8 months ago
African History...
Persian myths and realities on the Swahili coast: contextualizing the 'Shirazi' civilization. Why geneticists found what archeologists and historians had failed to locate.
a year ago
African History...
The myth of Mansa Musa's enslaved entourage "Stories about his [Mansa Musa's] journey have numerous anecdotes which are not true and which the...
a year ago
75
a year ago
"Stories about his [Mansa Musa's] journey have numerous anecdotes which are not true and which the mind refuses to admit".
A Collection of...
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part II Last week, we started our nitpicking of Gladiator II (2024) by looking at the problems with the...
4 months ago
74
4 months ago
Last week, we started our nitpicking of Gladiator II (2024) by looking at the problems with the films chronology and its portrayal of the Roman army of the early third century, both in its equipment and in its battle tactics. This week, we’re going to move forward to the main...
African History...
on the Nubian priests of Rome and the Moors of Spain When the 12th-century West African scholar Ibrahim al-Kanemi moved to the city of Seville in Spain...
3 months ago
74
3 months ago
When the 12th-century West African scholar Ibrahim al-Kanemi moved to the city of Seville in Spain and became one of the most celebrated Andalusian poets, he wasn't the first from his region to visit the Moorish kingdom.
Trying to Understand...
China And Russia Walk Into A Room. And don't say a word about Europe.
10 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Are Protests the Best Way to Say Nay? Can Mobs Make the Change They Want to See?
11 months ago
African History...
The intellectual history of Ethiopia and Eritrea: Ge'ez manuscripts and scholars (ca. 200-1900CE) The unique manuscript collections of Ethiopia and Eritrea written in the Ge'ez script are arguably...
4 months ago
73
4 months ago
The unique manuscript collections of Ethiopia and Eritrea written in the Ge'ez script are arguably the best-known works of literature produced in pre-colonial Africa.
African History...
a brief note on Ethnicity and the State in Africa the evolution of the Tutsi/Hutu dichotomy in the precolonial Great Lakes.
11 months ago
weird medieval guys
Why did medieval people invent so many collective nouns? A pride of lions, a paddling of ducks, and....a herd of harlots?
a year ago
A Collection of...
Collections: On the Gracchi, Part I: Tiberius Gracchus This week, we’re going to talk a bit about the brothers Tiberius (trib. 133) and Gaius (trib. 123-2)...
3 months ago
73
3 months ago
This week, we’re going to talk a bit about the brothers Tiberius (trib. 133) and Gaius (trib. 123-2) Gracchus, the famous Roman reformers of the late second century. There’s actually a fair bit to say about both of them, so we’re going to split this treatment over two weeks,...
African History...
The heroic age in Darfur: a history of the pre-colonial kingdom of Darfur ca. 1500-1916. The political marginalization of the Darfur region since the creation of colonial Sudan has resulted...
9 months ago
73
9 months ago
The political marginalization of the Darfur region since the creation of colonial Sudan has resulted in one of the continent's longest-standing conflicts, which threatens to destroy the country's social fabric and its historical heritage. Just as the plight of modern Darfur...
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...
11 months ago
73
11 months 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...
A Collection of...
Collections: Ancient Greek and Phoenician Colonization Davis senatum consuluit a.d. III Idus Octobris apud aedem Patreontis; de colonis Graecis et Punicis...
a year ago
72
a year ago
Davis senatum consuluit a.d. III Idus Octobris apud aedem Patreontis; de colonis Graecis et Punicis verba fecit… This week we’re taking a brief look, by ACOUP Senate request, at Greek and Phoenician colonization in the ancient Mediterranean. In particular, the focus requested was...
Trying to Understand...
Useless in Gaza As always, if you don't know what you're doing.
a year ago
Res Obscura
Why I love etymologies Telephones popularized "hello," "lox" is 8,000 years old, and other reasons why the history of words...
11 months ago
72
11 months ago
Telephones popularized "hello," "lox" is 8,000 years old, and other reasons why the history of words matters
Dr Alun Withey
Finding Your Beard Style in the 19th Century In the previous post I noted the variety of facial hair styles that were worn by men in the...
over a year ago
71
over a year ago
In the previous post I noted the variety of facial hair styles that were worn by men in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, depending on factors including status, location and age. Rather than each age having one particular style of facial hair that was ubiquitous, the...
Classical Wisdom
Do We Need Dress Codes? Are standards elevating or elitist?
a year ago
Res Obscura
Before psychedelic therapy for wartime trauma, there was narcosynthesis Notes on using AI to analyze three World War II-era films about drugs and PTSD
a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
The Troublesome Gibbet of John Haines, the ‘Wounded Highwayman’ of Hounslow. For this post, I am going to wander into the world of crime in the late eighteenth century, and the...
a year ago
71
a year ago
For this post, I am going to wander into the world of crime in the late eighteenth century, and the grisly fate that befell many who committed the heinous crime of highway robbery. (Full disclosure: I’m not an historian of crime, gibbets or highwaymen…perhaps the case I’m about...
African History...
a brief note on themes in African art. Cartography, Culture and History in the artwork of the Bamum kingdom.
9 months ago
Res Obscura
Why did clothing become boring? An investigation into when, how, and why everyone started dressing the same — and what it was like...
4 months ago
71
4 months ago
An investigation into when, how, and why everyone started dressing the same — and what it was like when they didn't
Trying to Understand...
Games Nations Play. But they forget the people and the Street.
11 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
Cuts, Rashes & Chatter! The Pain of the 18th-century Shave! Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today...
over a year ago
71
over a year ago
Unless there are particular reasons, for example a skin condition, or a faulty razor, shaving today is usually a pretty mundane – if not a pleasant – experience. Indeed, the rise of traditional barbershops over the past few years, offering shaving as an experience, together with...
Flashbak
The Months: Gardens of Art by Eugène Grasset In 1894, Eugène Grasset (25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) received a commission from the French...
4 months ago
71
4 months ago
In 1894, Eugène Grasset (25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) received a commission from the French department store La Belle Jardinière to create 12 original works of art to be used as a calendar. Grasset’s woodcuts show women in fashionable costumes of the period each bearing a sign...
African History...
A history of the Buganda kingdom. government in central Africa.
a year ago
Global Inequality...
The end and the beginning of history Three ways of thinking about Lea Ypi’s Free
9 months ago
African History...
a brief note on contacts between ancient African kingdoms and Rome. finding the lost city of Rhapta on the east African coast.
10 months ago
Patterns in Humanity
Sweden's immigration taboo Immigration data kept behind closed doors
8 months ago
African History...
A complete history of Abomey: capital of Dahomey (ca. 1650-1894) Urbanism in the forest region.
a year ago
African History...
Life and works of Africa's most famous Woman scholar: Nana Asmau (1793-1864) On the contribution of Muslim women in African history.
11 months ago
A Collection of...
Gap Week: April 19, 2024 (Manor Lords First Impression) Hey folks, this week is a bit of a gap week as I am heading out to the annual meeting of the Society...
a year ago
70
a year ago
Hey folks, this week is a bit of a gap week as I am heading out to the annual meeting of the Society for Military History (and, indeed, by the time you read this, I will be there). Normally, I post the abstract of my conference talk for these sorts of things, but since I …...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, July 12, 2024 Fireside this week! I had hoped to have the start of the Imperator Teaching Paradox series ready for...
9 months ago
70
9 months ago
Fireside this week! I had hoped to have the start of the Imperator Teaching Paradox series ready for this week, but it has been a bit stubborn and I do not want to derail my book writing/revising schedule in order to push it out before it is ready. So that will almost certainly...
Trying to Understand...
Teach Your Children .... Not to be afraid of moral relativism.
over a year ago
African History...
The Swazi kingdom and its neighbours in the 19th century: from the rise of Zulu to the British an island in the maelstrom
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Too Much of Not A Lot Winning the day and losing the war.
a year ago
African History...
Guns and Spears: a military history of the Zulu kingdom. Popular history of Africa before the colonial era often divides the continent’s military systems...
a year ago
70
a year ago
Popular history of Africa before the colonial era often divides the continent’s military systems into two broad categories —the relatively modern armies along the Atlantic coast which used firearms, versus the 'traditional' armies in the interior that fought with arrows and...
Res Obscura
The leading AI models are now very good historians Three case studies with GPT-4o, o1, and Claude Sonnet 3.5, and what they mean
2 months ago
Open Culture
The Sinking of the Britannic: An Animated Introduction to the Titanic’s Forgotten Sister Ship We all know about the Titanic. Less often do we hear about the Britannic—the sister passenger liner...
4 months ago
70
4 months ago
We all know about the Titanic. Less often do we hear about the Britannic—the sister passenger liner that the British turned into a hospital ship during World War I. Launched in 1914, two years after the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Britannic featured a number of...
Trying to Understand...
The Threat of Back to Normal Global power has always been distributed.
over a year ago
African History...
The forgotten ruins of Botswana: stone towns at the desert's edge. At its height in the 17th century, the stone towns of the ‘zimbabwe culture’ encompassed an area the...
10 months ago
69
10 months ago
At its height in the 17th century, the stone towns of the ‘zimbabwe culture’ encompassed an area the size of France. The hundreds of ruins spread across three countries in south-eastern Africa are among the continent’s best-preserved historical monuments and have been the subject...
Trying to Understand...
We Are All Civilisational States It's just that some people don't realise it.
a year ago
Flashbak
A Shagtastic Tour of Swinging Britain in 1967 Among British Pathé’s newsreel films made for UK cinemas up until 1970 vis this wonderful time of...
11 months ago
69
11 months ago
Among British Pathé’s newsreel films made for UK cinemas up until 1970 vis this wonderful time of Swinging Britain capsule from 1967. Shot on 35mm film and backed by the lilting holiday camp music, a narrator these videos are not a little kitsch. In Swinging Britain we take an...
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Roman Republic, Part V: The Courts This is the fifth part of our five part series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IV) on the structure of the...
a year ago
69
a year ago
This is the fifth part of our five part series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IV) on the structure of the Roman Republic during the third and second centuries BC, the ‘Middle Republic.’ Last time we looked at the odd but very important role played by the ROman Senate as the central...
Trying to Understand...
Let's Hear It For The "Underlying Causes." Here's the answer. What was the question again?
a year ago
Hidden History
The French Space Cat Felicette France joined the Space Race in the 1950s, and one of her missions was a test flight involving the...
3 months ago
68
3 months ago
France joined the Space Race in the 1950s, and one of her missions was a test flight involving the first (and so far only) cat to enter space. It did not end well for the cat. In the aftermath of the Second World War, France, under the leadership of General Charles De Gaulle, was...
Patterns in Humanity
The case for prisons The purpose of prisons, and the evidence of their efficacy
7 months ago
African History...
a brief note on the history of Music in Africa plus an overview of Ethiopian musical traditions
a year ago
African History...
The pyramids of ancient Nubia and Meroe: death on the Nile and the mortuary architecture of Kush a complete history of an African monument
over a year ago
African History...
The radical philosophy of the Hatata: a 17th century treatise by the Ethiopian thinker Zara Yacob the historical context of the Hatata in African philosophy.
12 months ago
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...
4 months ago
68
4 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...
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...
4 months ago
67
4 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, …...
Flashbak
A Book of Dreams: 25 Vintage Visions To Awaken Your Mind We’re dreaming today with collector Robert E Jackson. Triggered by the undertow of memory and fed by...
11 months ago
67
11 months ago
We’re dreaming today with collector Robert E Jackson. Triggered by the undertow of memory and fed by desire, our dreams are visions of other lives, possible clues to the future. “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the...
Trying to Understand...
One Way Or Another .... We're going to get you.
a year ago
Open Culture
How A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Its Beloved Soundtrack Album, Almost Never Happened A Charlie Brown Christmas uses a cast of amateur child voice actors, deals with the theme of...
3 months ago
67
3 months ago
A Charlie Brown Christmas uses a cast of amateur child voice actors, deals with the theme of seasonal depression, and culminates in the recitation of a Bible verse, all to a jazz score. It was not, safe to say, the special that CBS had expected, to say nothing of its sponsor, the...
Global Inequality...
The life of Maynard K. A review of Zach Carter’s “The Price of Peace”
10 months ago
Trying to Understand...
Service to what nation? Why people should stop talking about conscription.
9 months ago
CrimethInc.
News from the Front: The Reflections of a Russian Anarchist in Rojava : On the Collapse of Assad,... The toppling of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was many years overdue. Yet the tragedies in...
4 months ago
67
4 months ago
The toppling of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was many years overdue. Yet the tragedies in Syria are not over. Israel has bombed hundreds of locations around the country and seized a considerable amount of land in the southwest, while Turkish proxy forces are threatening...
Trying to Understand...
The Year's Midnight. Kindness can be a revolutionary act.
over a year ago
Open Culture
Famous Architects Dress as Their Famous New York City Buildings (1931) On January 13, 1931, the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects held a ball at the Hotel Astor in New York...
3 months ago
67
3 months ago
On January 13, 1931, the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects held a ball at the Hotel Astor in New York City. According to an advertisement for the event, anyone who paid $15 per ticket (big money during the Depression) could see a “hilarious modern art exhibition” and things...
African History...
A history of the south-western Saharan towns of Tichitt, Walata, Wadan and Chinguetti (800-1912) Trade and civilization on west-africa's desert frontier
a year ago
weird medieval guys
Why is medieval art so weird? Listen now (73 min) | In this inaugural episode of the Weird Medieval Guys podcast, Olivia and Aran...
a year ago
67
a year ago
Listen now (73 min) | In this inaugural episode of the Weird Medieval Guys podcast, Olivia and Aran discuss why medieval art is so intriguing to modern viewers and what makes so much of it so weird. Also discussed are Galaxy Quest, Mel Gibson's crimes against the Middle Ages, and...
African History...
A history of the Loango kingdom (ca.1500-1883) : Power, Ivory and Art in west-central Africa. Africa's past carved in ivory
a year ago
Global Inequality...
2x2 geopolitics Wars and ideology simplified
9 months ago
Trying to Understand...
Understanding What's Happening in France. The kinetic phase may come next.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
12 Ancient Greek Terms that Should Totally Make a Comeback Eudaimonia, Arete, and much more...
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Let's Be Enemies Since it seems to be the fashion these days.
over a year ago
Open Culture
Watch The Insects’ Christmas from 1913: A Stop Motion Film Starring a Cast of Dead Bugs Kind Reader, Will you do us the honor of accepting our holiday invitation? Carve five minutes from...
4 months ago
66
4 months ago
Kind Reader, Will you do us the honor of accepting our holiday invitation? Carve five minutes from your holiday schedule to spend time celebrating The Insects’ Christmas, above. In addition to offering brief respite from the chaos of consumerism and modern expectations, this...
Trying to Understand...
Another Of My Essays In French And some odds and ends.
9 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
Should I Stay or Should I go?: Encouraging travel in the early modern period. Travel today is often portrayed as a healthy activity, good for body, mind…and what’s left of the...
10 months ago
66
10 months ago
Travel today is often portrayed as a healthy activity, good for body, mind…and what’s left of the spirit!  A good holiday is generally viewed as a tonic, and holiday company advertisements extol the virtues of ‘getting away’, encountering new places, people and cultures and (if...
Classical Wisdom
Who’s in the Tomb? A Macedonian Mystery: The Tombs of Aigai
11 months ago
Open Culture
How Medieval Islamic Engineering Brought Water to the Alhambra Between 711 and 1492, much of the Iberian Peninsula, including modern-day Spain, was under Muslim...
4 months ago
66
4 months ago
Between 711 and 1492, much of the Iberian Peninsula, including modern-day Spain, was under Muslim rule. Not that it was easy to hold on to the place for that length of time: after the fall of Toledo in 1085, Al-Andalus, as the territory was called, continued to lose cities over...
Trying to Understand...
Ukraine In NATO Would Be A Disaster ... But not necessarily for the reasons you think.
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Does FREE WILL Exist? And if not, what are the consequences?
4 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Tolkien and the Classics Plato, Cicero... Bilbo?
a year ago
weird medieval guys
Medieval Muslims loved their cats so much Cat shelters, cat shoes, cat jewellery, and more from the Islamic Middle Ages
over a year ago
A Collection of...
Gap Week (January 24, 2025) Hey, folks. As much as I hate doing it, I have to pull a ‘gap week’ this week, as the second part of...
2 months ago
65
2 months ago
Hey, folks. As much as I hate doing it, I have to pull a ‘gap week’ this week, as the second part of the Gracchi series (on the younger brother, Gaius Gracchus) isn’t done yet and I have some academic travel that I need to prepare for which is going to demand most of my …...
Classical Wisdom
Should We Own Stuff? The Wealth and Gold of Ancient Georgia
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Their Enemies The Russians But what about the rest of us?
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
The Third World War Has Been Cancelled. It was all too difficult, finally.
9 months ago
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Raise a Tribal Army in Pre-Roman Europe, Part I: Aristocrats, Retainers and... For the next few posts, I want to take a look at how some ‘tribal’ peoples raised armies, in...
10 months ago
65
10 months ago
For the next few posts, I want to take a look at how some ‘tribal’ peoples raised armies, in contrast to the way that ancient (or later) states raised armies. As moderns, we are so familiar with the way that states function that the far older systems of non-state organization and...
A Collection of...
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part Ib: Subjects of the Successors This is the second part of the first part of our four part look at the context between the...
a year ago
65
a year ago
This is the second part of the first part of our four part look at the context between the Hellenistic army and its Macedonian phalanx and the Romans with their legions. Last week, we looked at the weapons, organization and fighting style of the Macedonian phalanx, the infantry...
Classical Wisdom
The Tragedy of Ajax Greece's Second Greatest Soldier?
11 months ago
African History...
Roads and wheeled transport in African history. Why the kingdoms of Kush and Dahomey used wheels while Asante did not.
a year ago
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...
11 months ago
65
11 months 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...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, May 31, 2024 (Academic Departments) Fireside this week! I am spinning up to write a Teaching Paradox series on Imperator later this...
10 months ago
65
10 months ago
Fireside this week! I am spinning up to write a Teaching Paradox series on Imperator later this week, but not quite ready to get started yet. I’m also thinking, perhaps before that, of doing a short post or set of posts on the organization of non-state ‘tribal’ societies in...
Flashbak
Arnaldo Putzu and His Fabulous Hand-Painted Covers for Look-In Magazine And Movie Posters You might not know the name Arnaldo Putzu (1927 – 2012) but chances are that if you grew up in the...
9 months ago
65
9 months ago
You might not know the name Arnaldo Putzu (1927 – 2012) but chances are that if you grew up in the 1960s and 1970s you’ve seen his work on movie posters and magazine covers. Born in Rome, Putzu studied at the Rome Academy and discovered a love of portrait painting. After...
Flashbak
‘Look at Me’: Scot Sothern’s powerful photographs of life on LA’s streets In amongst the crowds drifting along Hollywood Boulevard there’s an old guy sitting on an orange...
11 months ago
64
11 months ago
In amongst the crowds drifting along Hollywood Boulevard there’s an old guy sitting on an orange bucket. He’s wearing dirty jeans and a grey hoodie. The guy’s in his seventies. Weather-worn. Grizzled beard. Walking stick. Back trouble caused by “old spinal injuries and bad...
Global Inequality...
Trump and the Rise of Asia My interview with "Atlantico"
4 months ago
African History...
A history of the Damagaram sultanate of Zinder: ca. 1730-1899. Politics, Guns, and Trade in the pre-colonial Sahel
a year ago
Res Obscura
Simulating History with Multimodal AI: an Update Generative AI offers a new, more engaging (and, hopefully, more empathetic) way of teaching history....
a year ago
64
a year ago
Generative AI offers a new, more engaging (and, hopefully, more empathetic) way of teaching history. But how to use it?
Open Culture
How Keith Jarrett Played on a Broken Piano & Turned a Potentially Disastrous Concert Into the... Nearly fifty years ago, the celebrated young pianist Keith Jarrett arrived in the West German city...
4 months ago
64
4 months ago
Nearly fifty years ago, the celebrated young pianist Keith Jarrett arrived in the West German city of Köln (better known in English as Cologne). Having just come off a 500-mile-long road trip from Switzerland, where he’d played a concert the previous day, he was left with barely...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Plato Vs Aristotle
11 months ago
Flashbak
High-Class Erotic Illustrations by Édouard-Henri Avril (NSFW) In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, pornography was the preserve of the well to...
8 months ago
64
8 months ago
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, pornography was the preserve of the well to do. Smut was published in  shot-run books of a couple of hundred copies. These books were full of stories and poems, but the highlights were the explicit erotic illustrations drawn...
Open Culture
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” Performed by a Choir of 4,000 Singers Throughout the years, we’ve featured performances of Choir!Choir!Choir!–a large amateur choir from...
3 months ago
64
3 months ago
Throughout the years, we’ve featured performances of Choir!Choir!Choir!–a large amateur choir from Toronto that meets weekly and sings their hearts out. You’ve seen them sing Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” (to honor Chris Cornell), and Patti Smith’s...
Classical Wisdom
The Two Trojan Wars Secret Origins
a year ago
Global Inequality...
To be young, perchance to dream A review of Miloš Vojinović's “The political ideas of the Young Bosnia”
3 months ago
Trying to Understand...
They Say They Want Rearmament .... We-ell, you know ....
over a year ago
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, June 28, 2024 Fireside this week! My hope in terms of the upcoming schedule is to have my usual July 4th post next...
9 months ago
63
9 months ago
Fireside this week! My hope in terms of the upcoming schedule is to have my usual July 4th post next week (we’re discussing political philosophy in an election year, so I am sure everyone will be very chill; regardless let me repeat you will be civil) and then after that to dive...
Res Obscura
How well can AI imitate a 17th century doctor? Arcadio Huang is ill in 1710s Paris. Can GPT-4 and Gemini find a cure?
a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
Creams, Clothes and Cases: The material culture of pre-modern travel. I am currently on study leave, getting on with research for my new project on the history of travel...
a year ago
63
a year ago
I am currently on study leave, getting on with research for my new project on the history of travel preparations. One thing that I’m particularly interested in is the material culture of travel, and what sorts of things were available for travellers as they got ready for their...
Flashbak
New York City’s NIGHT Magazine – 1978-79 Launched in September 1978, Anton Perich’s self-financed NIGHT magazine showcased New York City’s...
9 months ago
63
9 months ago
Launched in September 1978, Anton Perich’s self-financed NIGHT magazine showcased New York City’s mix of fashion, art, and music at clubs like Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager’s Studio 54 and Howard Stein and Peppo Vanini’s Xenon, where nightlife and performance met. Distribution...
Classical Wisdom
Why Read Modern Books? Now Available: Night Drew Her Sable Cloak
a year ago
Flashbak
Evelyn Richter’s Street Photography Reveals the Reality of Life in East Germany For photographer Evelyn Richter (1930–2021) East Germany was not computers being towed by the...
8 months ago
63
8 months ago
For photographer Evelyn Richter (1930–2021) East Germany was not computers being towed by the bikini-clad proletariat, Western holidaymakers, badly disguised secret police and being on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. A self-described “documentarian and historian”, Richter...
Classical Wisdom
Essential Classics Memorial Sales Ends
10 months ago
Trying to Understand...
So They Want Negotiations, Now. Have they any idea what they are talking about?
a year ago
African History...
The complete history of Kano (999-1903) journal of African cities chapter 9
a year ago
Res Obscura
When technology follows art From optics to machine learning, artists have played an important, if underrated, role in the...
a year ago
63
a year ago
From optics to machine learning, artists have played an important, if underrated, role in the history of technology
African History...
A complete history of the Sudano-Sahelian architecture of west Africa: from antiquity to the 20th... The westernmost region of Africa which forms the watershed of the great rivers of the Senegal, the...
3 months ago
63
3 months ago
The westernmost region of Africa which forms the watershed of the great rivers of the Senegal, the Volta and the Niger, is home to one of the world's oldest surviving building traditions, called the ‘Sudano-Sahelian’ architecture.
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, January 10, 2025 Hey folks, Fireside this week! I’m currently working on a post “On the Gracchi” taking a somewhat...
3 months ago
63
3 months ago
Hey folks, Fireside this week! I’m currently working on a post “On the Gracchi” taking a somewhat darker look at everyone’s favorite Roman reformers (though hardly the same black takedowns Alexander and Cleopatra got) , which will hopefully be ready for next week. Before we dive...
African History...
a brief note on African travel literature in history a Swahili document on south-central Africa.
10 months ago
African History...
A complete history of Zeila (Zayla): ca. 800-1885 CE. Journal of African cities: chapter 14
6 months ago
African History...
A history of Women's political power and matriliny in the kingdom of Kongo. In the 19th century, anthropologists were fascinated by the concept of matrilineal descent in which...
a year ago
62
a year ago
In the 19th century, anthropologists were fascinated by the concept of matrilineal descent in which kinship is traced through the female line. Matriliny was often confounded with matriarchy as a supposedly earlier stage of social evolution than patriarchy. Matriliny thus became a...
Flashbak
Armand Henrion: The Artist Who Always Painted Himself As A Clown Armand Henrion (1875 – 1958) was a Belgian-born artist. He contributed to the Expressionist...
9 months ago
62
9 months ago
Armand Henrion (1875 – 1958) was a Belgian-born artist. He contributed to the Expressionist movement, worked in France and became a French citizen. And he liked to paint self-portraits – hundreds of them – in which he is dressed as a clown (more Pierrot than Bozo).     Pierrot...
Trying to Understand...
If We Had More Than a Hammer ... We might not be in this mess.
over a year ago
Open Culture
The Junky’s Christmas: William S. Burrough’s Dark Claymation Christmas Film Produced by Francis Ford... Back in 1993, the Beat writer William S. Burroughs wrote and narrated a 21-minute claymation...
4 months ago
62
4 months ago
Back in 1993, the Beat writer William S. Burroughs wrote and narrated a 21-minute claymation Christmas film oddly produced by Francis Ford Coppola. And, as you can well imagine, it’s not your normal happy Christmas flick. Nope, this film – The Junky’s Christmas – is all about...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Origins of Stoicism
9 months ago
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Raise a Tribal Army in Pre-Roman Europe, Part III: Going To War With the Army... This is the third and final part of our three-part (I, II, III) look at how some ‘tribal’ or more...
10 months ago
62
10 months ago
This is the third and final part of our three-part (I, II, III) look at how some ‘tribal’ or more correctly, non-state agrarian peoples – particularly the Celtiberians, Gauls and also many Germanic-language speaking peoples on the Rhine and Danube- raised armies to fight the...
Trying to Understand...
People, States and Borders. And other dubious ideas.
8 months ago
Open Culture
Bob Dylan Reads “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” On His Holiday Radio Show (2006) Allow me to name just a few of the people I want to hear hosting and curating radio shows—former Sex...
3 months ago
62
3 months ago
Allow me to name just a few of the people I want to hear hosting and curating radio shows—former Sex Pistols’ singer John Lydon, former Clash frontman Joe Strummer, former Woody Guthrie impersonator Bob Dylan.… Luckily for me, this ain’t just fantasy baseball; at various times,...
Trying to Understand...
Peter Pan goes to Ukraine Some people never grow up.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Plato On Knowledge What is True?
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Everything is (Somewhat) Connected. But some things are more connected than others.
over a year ago
A Collection of...
Collections: Phalanx’s Twilight, Legion’s Triumph, Part IVb: Antiochus III This is the second part of the fourth part of our four(ish) part (Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, IIIa, IIIb, IVa)...
a year ago
62
a year ago
This is the second part of the fourth part of our four(ish) part (Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, IIIa, IIIb, IVa) look at the context between the Roman military system based on the manipular legion and the Hellenistic military system structured around the Macedonian sarisa phalanx in the...
Trying to Understand...
Can't Do, Won't Do! But striking poses is fun and easy.
a year ago
African History...
The empire of Kong (ca. 1710-1915): a cultural legacy of medieval Mali. At the close of the 18th century, the West African hosts of the Scottish traveler Mungo Park...
8 months ago
62
8 months ago
At the close of the 18th century, the West African hosts of the Scottish traveler Mungo Park informed him of a range of mountains situated in "a large and powerful kingdom called Kong".
Trying to Understand...
Don't Give Peace Too Many Chances. Nothing is more dangerous than a flawed peace treaty.
over a year ago
African History...
A General History of Iron Technology in Africa ca. 2000BC-1900AD. The smelting and working of iron is arguably the best known among the pre-colonial technologies of...
8 months ago
62
8 months ago
The smelting and working of iron is arguably the best known among the pre-colonial technologies of Africa, and the continent is home to some of the world's oldest sites of ironworking.
Trying to Understand...
Round Two? There Is No Round Two. Game pretty much over in Ukraine.
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
The Evils Of Professionalism In politics, anyway.
10 months ago
Classical Wisdom
The Mysterious Phaistos Disk And the Palace where it was found...
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
The Year of Failing To Understand. Not your usual end-of-year review.
4 months ago
Open Culture
An Illustrator Creates a Kindle for Charles Dickens, Placing 40 Miniature Classics within a Large... For a design class project, Rachel Walsh, a student at Cardiff School of Art and Design, set out to...
4 months ago
61
4 months ago
For a design class project, Rachel Walsh, a student at Cardiff School of Art and Design, set out to explain the concept of a Kindle to Charles Dickens. Recognizing that Dickens, a 19th-century author, wouldn’t understand modern terms like ebooks, downloads or the internet, she...
Trying to Understand...
Little People With Agency. No, not that Agency.
7 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Why Did Rome Fall? & Which Lesson Should We Take Away?
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Religion in the Olympics The Olympics: Do they Unite or Divide Us?
8 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
To Tip or Not To Tip: A Victorian Traveller’s Perspective Like it or not, tipping is a big part of hospitality and the service industry. Debates about how...
3 months ago
61
3 months ago
Like it or not, tipping is a big part of hospitality and the service industry. Debates about how much/whether to tip rumble on, but they are not new. Even in the 18th and 19th centuries, travellers were complaining about the amount of unwanted or unexpected extras they had to pay...
Res Obscura
Historical maps probably helped cause World War I On cartography as historical argument
a year ago
African History...
The Dahlak islands and the African dynasty of Yemen a complete history of a cosmopolitan archipelago in the red sea (4th-19th century)
over a year ago
Flashbak
Vanity Fair’s Bifurcated Girls: The Article That Introduced America To Girlie Magazines, 1903 Bifurcated Girls is a salacious illustrated story that first appeared in the June 1903 issue of...
11 months ago
61
11 months ago
Bifurcated Girls is a salacious illustrated story that first appeared in the June 1903 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. That’s not the glossy publication we know today, rather the a short-lived pulp magazine published by the Commonwealth Publishing Company of New York City...
Trying to Understand...
I Hate My Job And I Want To Cry. Tried chopping wood and carrying water?
a year ago
Patterns in Humanity
Global crime How do crime rates vary around the world? And how reliable is the data?
4 months ago
Flashbak
Photos of Iggy Pop And The Stooges Playing NYC Club Ungano’s in 1970 In August 1970, American photographer Bud Lee (1940-2016) took photographs of Iggy Pop and the...
10 months ago
61
10 months ago
In August 1970, American photographer Bud Lee (1940-2016) took photographs of Iggy Pop and the Stooges performing at brothers Nick and Arnie Ungano’s basement club on New York’s West 70th Street between Amsterdam and West End Avenues. The ban were celebrating the release of their...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup The Best of the Best
a year ago
African History...
A social history of the Lamu city-state (1370-1885) Journal of African cities chapter 5
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
How About a Victory for the Left Occasionally? Here are a few modest ideas.
over a year ago
Flashbak
Edmund Dulac’s American Weekly Covers – 1924-1951 Edmund Dulac is remembered today as one of the founding fathers of the Golden Age of Illustration,...
9 months ago
61
9 months ago
Edmund Dulac is remembered today as one of the founding fathers of the Golden Age of Illustration, roughly from 1875-1925, writes Albert Seligman. His luxurious Gift Books of the early 20th century were covered in vellum and issued in signed limited editions with tipped-in color...
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Roman Republic 101, Addenda: The Provinces This is the second and (in theory) last addendum to our series on Roman civic governance (I, II,...
a year ago
61
a year ago
This is the second and (in theory) last addendum to our series on Roman civic governance (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IV, V, A1). Having discussed how Rome handles those parts of Italy it controls but which were not part of the Roman Republic itself, we now look at how the Romans...
African History...
The pre-Islamic civilizations of west Africa While West Africa has been part of the Muslim world since the late Middle Ages, as famously...
3 months ago
60
3 months ago
While West Africa has been part of the Muslim world since the late Middle Ages, as famously demonstrated by the golden pilgrimage of Mali's Mansa Musa in 1324, Islam had only arrived in the region at the close of the 1st millennium.
Open Culture
The Engineering of the Strandbeest: How the Magnificent Mechanical Creatures Have Technologically... Life evolves, but machines are invented: this dichotomy hardly conflicts with what most of us have...
4 months ago
60
4 months ago
Life evolves, but machines are invented: this dichotomy hardly conflicts with what most of us have learned about biology and technology. But certain specimens roaming around in the world can blur that line — and in the curious case of the Strandbeesten, they really are roaming...
Global Inequality...
Marx Truncated A review of Shlomo Avineri’s “Karl Marx”
10 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Art of the Etruscans Romans before the Romans
a year ago
African History...
a brief note on Africa in 16th century global history. the international relations and manuscripts of Kongo
a year ago
A Collection of...
Collections: How to Raise a Tribal Army in Pre-Roman Europe, Part II: Government Without States This is the second part of our (planned) three part (I) look at how some ‘tribal’ or more correctly,...
10 months ago
60
10 months ago
This is the second part of our (planned) three part (I) look at how some ‘tribal’ or more correctly, non-state agrarian peoples raised armies to fight the Romans (and others) in the third through first centuries BC. Last time, we looked at the subsistence basis of these societies...
Global Inequality...
“To the Finland Station” Trump as a tool of history
3 months ago
African History...
a brief note on new discoveries in African archeology and the stone ruins of Cameroon. Among the first ancient Egyptian accounts on its southern neighbors is an old kingdom inscription...
8 months ago
60
8 months ago
Among the first ancient Egyptian accounts on its southern neighbors is an old kingdom inscription that describes a trading expedition to an unspecified region called the land of Punt. Egyptologists had long debated about the location of this mysterious territory before recent...
Trying to Understand...
Will it Bend or Will it Break? The international system, that is.
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
A Fistful of Clockwork Oranges What's it going to be, then?
a year ago
Open Culture
Watch the Surrealist Glass Harmonica, the Only Animated Film Ever Banned by Soviet Censors (1968) The Soviet Union’s repressive state censorship went to absurd lengths to control what its citizens...
4 months ago
60
4 months ago
The Soviet Union’s repressive state censorship went to absurd lengths to control what its citizens read, viewed, and listened to, such as the almost comical removal of purged former comrades from photographs during Stalin’s reign. When it came to aesthetics, Stalinism mostly...
Patterns in Humanity
2024 in writing A brief recap of my 2024 posts
3 months ago
Flashbak
Waiting For A Miracle: Kiev in 1998 In 1998, Juri Nesterov was in Kiev, the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It was a city of...
11 months ago
60
11 months ago
In 1998, Juri Nesterov was in Kiev, the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It was a city of hope. In 1991, After 57 years as the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, the city became the capital of independent Ukraine. In the picture...
African History...
a brief note on the long history of African diplomacy. historical links between west africa and the Maghreb.
9 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
Packing the Essentials!: Preparing to Travel in the 18th Century. Now that Covid restrictions have finally been lifted, and summer is at least theoretically here –...
over a year ago
60
over a year ago
Now that Covid restrictions have finally been lifted, and summer is at least theoretically here – it’s raining outside as I write! – many people are returning to travel and undertaking the holidays that have had to be postponed over the past couple of years. The pandemic aside,...
A Collection of...
Collections: The Philosophy of Liberty – On Liberalism It is once again the week of July 4th and so, as is customary here, I am going to use this week’s...
9 months ago
60
9 months ago
It is once again the week of July 4th and so, as is customary here, I am going to use this week’s post to talk about the United States or more correctly this week about the political philosophy the United States was founded on: liberalism. Now an immediate clarification is...
Classical Wisdom
Do We Need Passports? Or Borders? Watch now (23 sec) | Crossing with Radiohead
a year ago
A Collection of...
Gap Week: December 29, 2023 (Year In Review) Hey folks! I had planned to do a Fireside for this week with a sort of ‘year-in-review’ musing, but...
a year ago
59
a year ago
Hey folks! I had planned to do a Fireside for this week with a sort of ‘year-in-review’ musing, but between the holidays and the whole pedant household coming down with a nasty cold, I’m a bit short of the time and energy to put together a full fireside with...
Trying to Understand...
Reality Would Like A Word. Paging Tom and Daisy Buchanan
a year ago
African History...
The complete history of Gondar: Africa's city of castles (1636-1900) Journal of African cities chapter 8
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Socrates' Wayward Student ...and the Philosophy of Pleasure
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Emotions: Better Out or In? Can Catharsis Help... or Harm?
11 months ago
African History...
The desert town of Southern Africa: A history of Khauxanas 1780-1906 A view of pre-colonial Namibia from the khoisan town of ||Khauxa!nas.
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
The Modern World Is Boring. Where are the heroes and the adventures now?
10 months ago
Trying to Understand...
Books To Help Us Understand The World? Well, a few, anyway. And a bit.
a year ago
African History...
a brief note on the intellectual contributions of African scholars in the diaspora the biography of a West African mathematician in Cairo.
a year ago
Global Inequality...
Devant la guerre On E. H. Carr's "The twenty years' crisis 1919-39"
4 months ago
Trying to Understand...
And Now for Something Completely Different. Am I me? Are You you? ?
over a year ago
African History...
A complete history of Jenne: 250BC-1893AD Journal of African cities chapter 6
over a year ago
African History...
Join me on Notes "On the Zanzibari envoy to 11th century china and the recent Swahili-Persian DNA study"
over a year ago
A Collection of...
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator II, Part I This week, I want to talk a bit about the recent release of Gladiator II. Now I’ve written a review...
4 months ago
58
4 months ago
This week, I want to talk a bit about the recent release of Gladiator II. Now I’ve written a review of the film for Foreign Policy, which you can find here (behind the paywall). I also discussed it with Jason Herbert and Sarah Bond over at Historians at the Movies, which is a...
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Constantine and the Queen of Carthage
a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
Beard Fashions and Class Over the past few centuries, fashions in facial hair have changed substantially. In the mid...
over a year ago
58
over a year ago
Over the past few centuries, fashions in facial hair have changed substantially. In the mid seventeenth century many men wore the ‘Van Dyke’ style of a small, pointy beard and moustaches. By the end of the 1600s, beards were in decline, leaving many men with just moustaches. The...
African History...
A history of the west African diaspora in Arabia and Jerusalem before 1900 The legacy of west African travel to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
It's War, Josep, But Not As We Know It Trying to understand what Ukraine is all about.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Plutarch and Pleasure
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
You And Whose Army? NATO would do well to stay out of Ukraine.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup The Story of Thebes
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Blindspots and Biographies
a year ago
Patterns in Humanity
Age and infertility Facts and misconceptions about maternal age-related infertility
3 months ago
Dr Alun Withey
Medicine on the Move: Early Modern Travel and Remedies As my new project on the history of travel, health risk and preparation begins to get underway, one...
a year ago
58
a year ago
As my new project on the history of travel, health risk and preparation begins to get underway, one of the things that I am thinking about is the place of travel within early modern medical remedy culture. What kinds of conditions could befall travellers? What did early modern...
Classical Wisdom
Empedocles The Philosopher God?
a year ago
African History...
How Africans wrote their own history: Debates and dialogues between four west African historians in... Facts, myths and royal propaganda.
a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
Barbers and (the lack of!) Polite Advertising Over the past few years, I have spent much time looking at ‘polite’ advertising in the 18th century....
over a year ago
57
over a year ago
Over the past few years, I have spent much time looking at ‘polite’ advertising in the 18th century. During this period, a whole range of retailers advertised their goods and services to appeal to ladies and gentlemen of taste. Without discussing anything so base as price or...
Classical Wisdom
Artemisia of Caria Commander, Queen, and Eva Green
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Sparta and… Scotland? Laconic wit through the centuries
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Macron is Safe for the Moment But the future worries me.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Jews in the Roman Bathhouse Is it time to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Greco-Roman society?
a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
How Much?! Barbers & the Price of Shaving. One of the central themes of my new book is how the practice of shaving has changed over time and,...
over a year ago
57
over a year ago
One of the central themes of my new book is how the practice of shaving has changed over time and, more importantly, who has been responsible for it. From the second half of the eighteenth century, individual men began to take more responsibility for shaving themselves, helped on...
Open Culture
A Simple, Down-to-Earth Christmas Card from the Great Depression (1933) The Smithsonian sets the scene for this Christmas card sent in 1933, a few years into the Great...
4 months ago
57
4 months ago
The Smithsonian sets the scene for this Christmas card sent in 1933, a few years into the Great Depression. They write: Despite the glum economic situation, the Pinero family used a brown paper bag to fashion an inexpensive holiday greeting card. They penned a clever rhyme and...
Wrong Side of...
Will the last young professional to leave Britain turn off the lights? 'Get out as early as you can, And don’t have any kids yourself’
4 months ago
Overcoming Bias
Feels Gone Wrong The films A Complete Unknown, on Bob Dylan, and In Restless Dreams, on Paul Simon, make vivid to me...
3 months ago
57
3 months ago
The films A Complete Unknown, on Bob Dylan, and In Restless Dreams, on Paul Simon, make vivid to me the huge emotional appeal of becoming a musician like them.
Classical Wisdom
Healthy Skepticism for Better Debates Philosophical Tools for the Holidays
4 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Events Listing Ancient Women, Marcus Aurelius, Economics and Resilience...
over a year ago
Dr Alun Withey
The Health Risks of Travel in Early-Modern Britain As I start to make some progress on my new research project on travel, health and risk I am turning...
over a year ago
57
over a year ago
As I start to make some progress on my new research project on travel, health and risk I am turning my attention to the sorts of things that early modern travellers were fearful of. As a bit of a nervous traveller myself, it’s quite comforting to know that there is actually a...
A Collection of...
Collections: Teaching Paradox, Imperator, Part IIa: Pops and Chains This is the first half of the second part of our three part look at Paradox Interactive’s...
8 months ago
57
8 months ago
This is the first half of the second part of our three part look at Paradox Interactive’s Hellenistic-era grand strategy game Imperator: Rome. I had hoped to do this part in a single post, but my book writing schedule intervened and so it became necessary to split it up. Last...
Hidden History
The Story of the Cow The history of the domestic cattle goes back at least 10,000 years. There are well over 1000...
3 months ago
57
3 months ago
The history of the domestic cattle goes back at least 10,000 years. There are well over 1000 distinct breeds of Cattle in the world today, and somewhere between 1 and 1.5 billion individual animals, making them, by some counts, the fourth most numerous mammal in existence behind...
A Collection of...
Collections: Teaching Paradox, Imperator, Part I: Divisa in Partes Tres This is the first part of a three-part (if I can keep it) series, examining the historical...
9 months ago
57
9 months ago
This is the first part of a three-part (if I can keep it) series, examining the historical assumptions of Imperator: Rome, a historical grand strategy game by Paradox Interactive, set during the rise and collapse of the Roman Republic from 304-27 BC and covering the broader...
African History...
A muslim kingdom in the Ethiopian highlands: the history of Ifat and Adal ca. 1285-1520. During the late Middle Ages, the northern Horn of Africa was home to some of the continent's most...
10 months ago
56
10 months ago
During the late Middle Ages, the northern Horn of Africa was home to some of the continent's most powerful dynasties, whose history significantly shaped the region's social landscape. The history of one of these dynasties, often referred to as the Solomonids, has been...
Flashbak
The Boston Years: On The Streets 1972-75 In 1972, Philip Flip Collier was in Boston. Philip, who has previously shared his terrific...
7 months ago
56
7 months ago
In 1972, Philip Flip Collier was in Boston. Philip, who has previously shared his terrific photographs of 1970s NYC, enrolled at the city’s New England School of Photography where he studied for the next two years with the hope of becoming a commercial photographer, but I could...
Trying to Understand...
NATO's Phantom Armies. And the ghost of Carl von Clausewitz.
11 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Dido: Queen of Carthage Doomed Lover of Ancient Myth
a year ago
Hidden History
The Great Horse Flu Epidemic of 1872 An epidemic of “Horse Flu” in 1872 virtually shut down the US economy and paralyzed the entire...
4 months ago
56
4 months ago
An epidemic of “Horse Flu” in 1872 virtually shut down the US economy and paralyzed the entire country. By the 1870s, the once-rural agrarian United States was beginning to emerge as an industrial power. The Civil War had spurred the rapid development of industry such as iron...
African History...
The kingdom of Ndongo and the Portuguese: Queen Njinga and the dynasty of women sovereigns... The effects of early colonial warfare in central Africa
over a year ago
Open Culture
Laurie Anderson’s Mind-Blowing Performance of C. P. Cavafy’s Poems “Waiting for the Barbarians” &... In the video above, Laurie Anderson describes C. P. Cavafy’s poem “Waiting for the Barbarians” as...
3 months ago
56
3 months ago
In the video above, Laurie Anderson describes C. P. Cavafy’s poem “Waiting for the Barbarians” as being “set in ancient Rome.” That’s a reasonable interpretation, given that it contains an emperor, senators, and orators, though Cavafy himself said that none of them are...
Classical Wisdom
Origins of Latin Literature ...and the Master of Roman Comedy
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
When Ukraine Is Over ... How will they turn out the lights?
3 months ago
Patterns in Humanity
Immigration and crime: Sweden Worrying crime trends in the land of Pippi Longstocking
8 months ago
Open Culture
Arthur C. Clarke Predicts the Rise of Artificial Intelligence & Questions What Will Happen to... We now live in the midst of an artificial-intelligence boom, but it’s hardly the first of its kind....
4 months ago
55
4 months ago
We now live in the midst of an artificial-intelligence boom, but it’s hardly the first of its kind. In fact, the field has been subject to a boom-and-bust cycle since at least the early nineteen-fifties. Eventually, those busts — which occurred when realizable AI technology...
Dr Alun Withey
Are Beards Over? A Historical Perspective. Recently I spoke with the Guardian journalist Tim Dowling for an excellent article he was writing...
over a year ago
55
over a year ago
Recently I spoke with the Guardian journalist Tim Dowling for an excellent article he was writing (published last week) about whether beards are finally ‘over’, and I thought it would be interesting to reflect on some of this. Since re-emerging around 2014, gaining popularity...
Trying to Understand...
The Sense Of An Ending. But right back where we started from.
8 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Weekend Roundup Lost and Found
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
The Past Is Another Country. A book review from the future.
9 months ago
Flashbak
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein And His Wife Marie: A Love Story Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (1910–1983) was an American self-taught artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
4 months ago
54
4 months ago
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (1910–1983) was an American self-taught artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He left a vast archive of poetry, apocalyptic paintings, paintbrushes made with his wife’s hair, drawings, notebooks, audio tapes and hundreds of sculptures made from chicken bones,...
Res Obscura
Why Early Modern Books Are So Beautiful Three theories
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
A Short Service Announcement. From this week, and on an experimental basis, I’m enabling paid subscriptions for those who may be...
a year ago
54
a year ago
From this week, and on an experimental basis, I’m enabling paid subscriptions for those who may be interested. The essays themselves will continue to be entirely free, and I don’t have plans to produce subscriber-only material. I’ve also set up a Buy Me a Coffee cup.
Trying to Understand...
The Machine Stops. And fiddling won't fix it.
7 months ago
Trying to Understand...
Don't Confuse Me With Facts. They know what they think.
a year ago
Wrong Side of...
The Indian-American century On the Anglo-Indo-sphere
3 months ago
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, August 16, 2024 Fireside this week! I find I have my thoughts more or less together for the last part of the...
8 months ago
54
8 months ago
Fireside this week! I find I have my thoughts more or less together for the last part of the Imperator series, but I have not yet gotten them into a satisfying order – a common hazard of writing – so they will have to wait for next week. It’s not yet clear to me if … Continue...
Trying to Understand...
The West is Weak Where it Matters ... ...and some of the consequences are not obvious.
over a year ago
Classical Wisdom
[Video] Roundtable Discussion with Mary Naples Watch now (60 min) | Cult of the Capture Bride: How Ancient Women Took Power
over a year ago
Overcoming Bias
What Priority The Innocent? It is good if criminal law avoids punishing the innocent.
3 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Five Reasons Why Socrates Was A Terrible Husband Should you meet your heroes?
11 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Dionysus The God of Wine!
6 months ago
Hidden History
Antarctic Snow Cruiser In 1939, the United States began work on a colossal motor vehicle to be used for exploration and...
3 months ago
53
3 months ago
In 1939, the United States began work on a colossal motor vehicle to be used for exploration and field work in Antarctica. By 1939 Antarctica remained as one of the last unexplored regions on the planet. Norwegian adventurer Roald Amundsen had been the first human to reach the...
Hundred Rabbits
Summary of changes for December 2024 Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of...
3 months ago
53
3 months ago
Hey everyone! This is the list of all the changes we've done to our projects during the month of December. Summary Of Changes 100r.co, updated the documentation for our various projects. Left, added support for unicode input(Mastodon). Rabbit Waves, added a page on Air to Ground...
Classical Wisdom
Aristotle on Luck Do You Feel Lucky?
a year ago
African History...
The Meroitic script and the documents of ancient Kush (ca. 300BC-450CE) The Meroitic writing system of the kingdom of Kush is one of the best-known, yet most enigmatic...
3 months ago
Global Inequality...
Would Lenin have approved of the IMF? An indispensable organization
5 months ago
weird medieval guys
The coolest medieval woman you've never heard of Christine de Pizan on Circe, Medusa, and other virtuous ladies
over a year ago
Trying to Understand...
Ukraine and the end of "Europe." Nation-states were the problem: supranationality was not the answer.
over a year ago
Open Culture
John Coltrane Draws a Picture Illustrating the Mathematics of Music Physicist and saxophonist Stephon Alexander has argued in his many public lectures and his book The...
4 months ago
52
4 months ago
Physicist and saxophonist Stephon Alexander has argued in his many public lectures and his book The Jazz of Physics that Albert Einstein and John Coltrane had quite a lot in common. Alexander in particular draws our attention to the so-called “Coltrane circle,” which resembles...
Flashbak
Welcome to the Country Club: Prison Life in Four Different Nations Dutch photographer Jan Banning turned his lens on prisons and prisoners for his book Law & Order:...
7 months ago
52
7 months ago
Dutch photographer Jan Banning turned his lens on prisons and prisoners for his book Law & Order: The World of Criminal Justice,. Below we see photographs pictures of prison life in Colombia, France, Uganda and the United States. “I’m interested in these aspects of society that...
Classical Wisdom
The First Biographers ...and the Surprising Legacy of Ancient Literature
a year ago
Classical Wisdom
Marcus Aurelius VS Diogenes Comparing the Stoics and the Cynics...
a year ago
African History...
A history of the Massina empire (1818-1862) the sucessor of Songhai
a year ago
Trying to Understand...
No End Of A Lesson. If we can only learn it.
6 months ago
Classical Wisdom
Have We Become Anti-Human? Is this a problem? And Can/Should it be Helped?
a year ago
A Collection of...
Continues the Hiatus, 2024 Friends, Readers, Countrymen, lend me your eyes! As sadly expected, the hiatus is going to continue...
6 months ago
52
6 months ago
Friends, Readers, Countrymen, lend me your eyes! As sadly expected, the hiatus is going to continue through October. I am making good progress on my writing, but still need to keep focusing. I am currently, I believe, on track for us to go back to normally scheduled posts in...
Overcoming Bias
What Would Socrates Do? Christians often ask themselves, as a guide to living, “What would Jesus do?” In her new book Open...
3 months ago
51
3 months ago
Christians often ask themselves, as a guide to living, “What would Jesus do?” In her new book Open Socrates, my podcast-cohost Agnes Callard suggests we instead ask “What would Socrates do?”
Flashbak
The Last Question: Hear Leonard Nimoy Read Isaac Asimov’s Best Short Story Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) liked one of his stories above all others – more than...
10 months ago
51
10 months ago
Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) liked one of his stories above all others – more than the 500 or so stories he wrote or edited, including the bestselling I, Robot, the Foundation series and Lecherous Limericks. The story is The Last Question. First published in the...
Res Obscura
How well can GPT-4 simulate an acid trip in 1963? An experiment with historical simulation
a year ago
Flashbak
Harold Lloyd’s Amazing Christmas Tree For American actor Harold Lloyd (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) Christmas was the time to...
3 months ago
51
3 months ago
For American actor Harold Lloyd (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) Christmas was the time to illuminate his home in Beverly Hills, California, with a magnificent tree. His granddaughter Suzanne says preparation began around Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November), when her...
Flashbak
The Spellbinding Corrupted Photos On An Artist’s Stolen Laptop Pasedena police called photographer Melanie Willhide to tell her the good news: they’d found her...
6 months ago
51
6 months ago
Pasedena police called photographer Melanie Willhide to tell her the good news: they’d found her laptop and backup drive. They’d pulled over a car being driven by Adrian Rodriguez and spotted Willhide’s stolen possession on the back seat.  “It’s kind of like winning the lottery;...
Flashbak
Take Your Best Shot: Vintage Fairground Shooting Gallery Photos During their first participation in Paris-Photo in 2006, Lumiere des Roses shared a series of...
4 months ago
51
4 months ago
During their first participation in Paris-Photo in 2006, Lumiere des Roses shared a series of fairground photos of men with guns at the shooting gallery. These snapshots were taken mostly in the 1920s and 1930s. Many looks remarkably fresh.   When I was just a baby my mama told...
Classical Wisdom
St. Nicholas The Saint behind Santa
4 months ago