Perpetual Learning
As a historian specializing in the 18th century, I often find myself drawn to the everyday challenges people faced and the ingenious solutions they devised. While we might associate the Enlightenment with grand philosophical debates and scientific discoveries, it was also a period of significant, often unheralded, technological advancement in areas that directly impacted daily … Read more
Hey everyone! Anya here. Today, I want to chat about something a little different, but something that really sparks my artistic curiosity: old cities and what they can teach us about building better places to live, right now. As an artist, I’m always looking at how things are designed, how they feel, and how they … Read more
It’s easy to get caught up in the daily headlines about trade disputes. But if we step back for a moment, we can see that these aren’t entirely new phenomena. History offers a fascinating, and sometimes sobering, perspective on the rise of protectionism and the recurring patterns of trade wars. One of the most striking … Read more
It might sound strange, but some of the most talked-about health tips today aren’t new at all. Many are actually ancient practices, some over a thousand years old, that history is now showing us were pretty smart. As a historian, I find this connection between the past and our present fascinating, especially when it comes … Read more
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers when we talk about government deficits and debt. They often seem like abstract concepts that only economists and politicians worry about. But history shows us that these fiscal challenges have real, long-term consequences for societies, impacting everything from innovation to social stability. Think about the Roman Empire. … Read more
Well, it’s July 25th, 2025, and I’ve managed to make my guest bedroom entirely uninhabitable. Don’t ask. Let’s just say a rather ambitious historical textile restoration project has taken over, complete with dye pots, looms, and what feels like a century’s worth of linen samples. My usual quiet sanctuary is now a vibrant, chaotic testament … Read more
We humans have a natural inclination to collect things. It’s a drive as old as time, from early humans gathering useful stones to the elaborate stamp collections of the 19th century. Today, I want to talk about how this innate desire can be channeled into building a personal gallery, not just as a hobby, but … Read more
It’s easy to feel a sense of unease when we talk about automation. The idea of machines taking over jobs, or fundamentally changing how we work, can be unsettling. But as someone who’s spent a career in technology, I find it helpful to look back. History, especially the history of industrial revolutions, offers us valuable … Read more
Hey there! Grab a mug, settle in. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about all the buzz around AI – you know, the ChatGPTs, the self-driving cars, the whole nine yards. It’s exciting, a little scary, and sometimes, honestly, a bit much to take in. But here’s the thing: as I watch it all unfold, … Read more
Hey, grab a coffee. I was thinking the other day about something that feels really relevant right now, but it happened years ago. It’s about cameras, actually. Remember film cameras? Maybe you’re too young, but for a good chunk of my life, that’s what photography was. You’d buy a roll of film, careful with each … Read more