For centuries in China, men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju. Considered an ancient form of soccer, a pastime, but also a political tool, it played a prominent role in forging cultural and social bonds in the Chinese Empire. A study recently presented by Enzo H. Smith at the annual Young Researchers […]
Culture
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (E.B. Tylor)
Posted inCulture, Science
Why Would All Lightsabers on Earth Be Blue? Can We Really Freeze People in Carbonite? The Science Behind Star Wars
Since its premiere in 1977, Star Wars has captivated generations with its mix of adventure, philosophy, and futuristic technology. But how much of what we see on screen could be real? Dr. Alex Baker, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, is bringing science fiction into the lab, showing that some iconic elements […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Culture
Diotima of Mantinea, the Priestess Who Taught Socrates the Philosophy of Love
In his dialogues, Plato mentions an enigmatic figure who stands out both for her wisdom and her gender: a woman named Diotima of Mantinea. She was a priestess who instructed none other than Socrates in the philosophy of love, but did she really exist, or was she a literary device used by Plato to convey […]
Posted inCulture
The Difference Between Terror and Horror in Film and Literature
A quick Google search is enough to plant the seed of doubt. Type in “the best horror movies of 2024” and dozens of results appear—but with a subtle difference: most of them are listed under another heading, “the best terror movies of 2024.” The reader may not even have noticed: in almost all of them, […]
Posted inCulture, Modern Era
Sequoyah, the Cherokee Who Invented the Syllabary of His Language, Enabling the Full Literacy of His People
As almost everyone knows, sequoia is the name given to a giant tree typical of California’s Sierra Nevada that can exceed one hundred meters in height and ten meters in diameter. However, one of its greatest curiosities is historical: its name, given in 1847 by Austrian botanist Stephan Endlicher, is likely a tribute to the […]
Posted inCulture, Modern Era
Pyrophone, the Strange Musical Instrument That Works with Fire
An internal combustion engine is one that operates through a thermodynamic cycle of internal combustion called Otto: when a spark generated by the fuel expands a gas that pushes the piston, which, through a connecting rod, turns a crankshaft. Now, can that be used to make music? Incredibly, the answer is yes, and in fact, […]
Posted inCulture, Middle Ages
Intriguing Details Revealed About the Mysterious Medieval Manuscript Containing the Only Surviving Version of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
Two years ago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) literature professor Arthur Bahr experienced one of the most memorable moments of his academic career. At the British Library, he had the privilege of examining firsthand the Pearl manuscript, a unique medieval volume dating back to the 14th century that preserves the only known copies of four […]
Posted inCulture, Science
Human Language Emerged 135,000 Years Ago as a Private System Within Thought, According to a Genetic Study
Human language is one of the most distinctive capabilities of our species, yet its origin remains an unresolved mystery. A recent genetic analysis suggests that the linguistic ability of human beings was already present at least 135,000 years ago, although its use in social contexts may have emerged around 100,000 years ago. The study, published […]
Posted inAncient Egypt, Culture
The “Instructions of Amenemhat”, the First and Only Pharaoh Assassinated by a Conspiracy in the Royal Harem
The Instructions of Amenemhat, also known as The Teaching of King Amenemhat I to His Son Senusret, is a literary work from ancient Egypt that belongs to the sebayt genre, characterized by the transmission of teachings and moral advice. This poem, written during the Middle Kingdom, takes the form of a dramatic monologue in which […]
Posted inCulture, Modern Era
When Rasputin’s Killer Sued MGM: The Origin of the Phrase “Any Resemblance to Reality Is Purely Coincidental”
Hardly anyone recognizes the name Felix Yusupov. He was a Russian aristocrat and a member of the imperial family, whose place in history was secured by his involvement in the assassination of Rasputin—a fascinating and unique figure well known to history enthusiasts. However, that episode had a curious epilogue years later when Felix, already in […]
