Sep 7, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
The world has known many languages; some 7,000 are currently spoken. And we use language to inform others. So, are some languages better than others when it comes to how fast we convey information? A group of intrepid linguists set out to find out. How many bits per...
Aug 31, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts, Maps and Infographics
Back in May, I posted an infographic on the Fermi Paradox. Marian Griffith, a visitor to my blog, left a wonderful comment. I was so impressed by it that I thought it deserved to be shared as a proper post. I have updated this to reflect Charles Yallowitz’s...
Aug 27, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
According to DesignYouTrust, a group of Czech students has recreated weird scenes from Medieval books, thus proving that those Medieval scribes did more than just sell all those beers they were producing. You can see the result in the original post but here’s a...
Aug 21, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
In my book, A Heaven for Toasters, the main source of protein is insects and lab-grown meat (I only hint at this, so don’t worry if you missed that). As with all things futuristic, I based this on current trends. One of these is using maggots, specifically the...
Aug 19, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
A lot of my friends have a pretty bleak outlook on life. Gun massacres, polarizing politics, climate change… the list of horrors goes on. Given humanity’s bloody history, one may be excused for wondering why we haven’t figured out what’s good...
Aug 15, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
The Dormition of the Virgin is the third greatest celebration in Greece (and the Greek Orthodox tradition), after Easter and Christmas. Greeks celebrate it in their usual boisterous way: large family gatherings, public festivals, and loads of lamb eating. Some escape...
Aug 11, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
In early 19th century rural New England, there was little doubt about how to deal with vampires: you dug up the corpse, took head and limbs, and rearranged them on top of the ribs in the design of a skull and crossbones. That would stop the mischevious spirit from...
Aug 3, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
With all the controversy surrounding fake media and fake news, it’s easy to forget that real journalism not only has existed for a long time but has many forgotten heroes. One of them is Elizabeth Cochrane, a pioneering female journalist who’s finally...
Jul 19, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
You may recall that, even though I spend most of my time in Greece nowadays, I consider myself half-Scot after studying, working, and even starting my company, Istomedia, in Edinburgh. Which is why I was so amused to hear on GeeksAreSexy.net about an Imgur user called...
Jul 3, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
A source of much mirth in Atkinson’s celebrated Black Adder series, pointy shoes were a real thing as attested by this Medieval manuscript detail of a royal Parisian wedding: Such was the fascination with them that in 1463, English monarchs felt compelled to...
