Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet
Happy May 1st! I've written extensively in the past about modern May 1st celebrations in Greece, Anthesteria and Thergelia, and the International Workers’ Day of May and the Haymarket Affair. So, instead of writing about May 1st, I thought I'd share today an...
Which Is the Most Beautiful Language?
Do some languages sound better than others? This is the question researchers from Lund University in Sweden and the Russian Academy of Sciences set out to answer, as reported by Big Think. So, does French sound silky, German brutish, Italian sexy, and Japanese angry...
The Intriguing Math of Punctuation
When you think of punctuation, do you think of math? You probably should, as scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Cracow explain in a study reported by Phys.org. The study compared punctuation between seven,...
When Ameca Met ChatGPT
It feels like every day we hear something new about ChatGPT. I've been using it to speed up my research and copywriting and it's been a huge productivity boost for me. It does come with its drawbacks, of course, but used wisely it's an amazing tool. What happens when...
The Fire Lance
Remember Stargate and the cool lance that doubled as a missile launcher? Surprisingly enough, this wasn't as unheard of as you may assume (well, not the energy weapon but the combo of lance and gun). If you are looking for inspiration for an unusual weapon for your...
That Day in Rome… and the UK
April Fools is a custom associated with making jokes (Prima Aprilis) and dates back to Roman times. At that time, or more precisely, on March 25, the Hilaria festival took place, which was celebrated on the occasion of the vernal equinox and the worship of the...
How to Use Irony in Writing
After my host's sudden passing back in January, I spent a couple of months moving over 100 clients to our new ISP - without any passwords that would let me do so in a seamless way. What ensued was a Sisyphean task of convincing various ISPs to share with me the...
Moving ISPs
I apologize for disappearing once again. I'm currently in the process of moving my website to a new host, so anything I publish here is likely to vanish thanks to the back-and-forth between servers. Which is why I haven't published yet a wonderful book I came across...
A Glove That Teaches You Piano in an Hour
Have you ever thought about how people may learn in the future? What might a school look like? And don't forget that schools are not just for kids. Perhaps a new kind of learning might also be part of, say, a soldier's rehabilitation process? If you're a sci-fi...
Interview with Author Pia Manning
Novelist Pia Manning is one of the authors who have a short story in the soon-to-be-published anthology The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways. Today, she tells us about her childhood memories of trains, creepy experiences, and writing. What fascinates...
Interview with RJ Meldrum
Gothic short story author R.J. Meldrum is one of the writers featured in the anthology The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways. He joins us to talk about train journeys, reading, and writing. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve ever had on a train? The...
How to Market Your First Book: The Ultimate Guide
A detailed guide on different means to employ in order to make yourself known in the publishing world and become a prominent book writer.