Skrælings and Smallpox
Who built the Hopewell Earthworks? In Ohio, there are several sites with earth mounds built by Native Americans before contact with Europeans, some of them thousands of years old. For example, in …
From the Spear to the Server
How did the balance of power between commoners and elites shift throughout history? Throughout history, power has shifted between common people and elites based on who controls the era’s decisive tool …
Three Spymasters and Downing Street
How is George Downing known to history? 10 Downing Street is the most famous address in British politics – the residence of the British Prime Minister. Less famous is the man who built it: George …
The Statute, the Harem and the Regent Mother
Who was John Knox? In 1558, the Scottish reformer John Knox published a tract: The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. His argument was that a woman ruling over men …
Living Is Not For The Weak
Where do values come from? The experience of some suffering or hardship is universally treated as necessary for a well-formed life and good values. Values help you confront hardship and death by …
Spies, States and Secrets: Intelligence from Moses to Stalin
What is an early example of spying in history? Spying is probably the world’s second oldest profession. In the Old Testament, Moses and Joshua sent spies into Canaan, the Promised Land. This did not …
Caesar, Turing and Satoshi
How do you keep cryptocurrencies secure? I hold cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Solana and Avalanche partly as a hedge against inflation and partly because I have a libertarian streak which makes me …
How to order beer in Prague (if you are not Czech)
What is the role of the English language in world affairs? A language once stamped out of official use by French-speaking conquerors has become the closest thing humanity has ever had to a universal …