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Why did clothing become boring?
An investigation into when, how, and why everyone started dressing the same — and what it was like when they didn't
Dec 4
•
Benjamin Breen
34
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Why did clothing become boring?
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October 2024
A very deep history of Halloween
Or, how far back can historical analysis take us?
Oct 29
•
Benjamin Breen
30
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A very deep history of Halloween
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4
Post-postal
What did we lose when we stopped writing letters?
Oct 23
•
Benjamin Breen
24
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Post-postal
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2
On 17th century "cocaine"
A new analysis of mummified brains pushes back the timeline for the globalization of coca
Oct 9
•
Benjamin Breen
40
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On 17th century "cocaine"
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10
June 2024
Centuries of Childhood
The history of childhood is one of multiplicity — so why do we tell parents such simplistic stories about it?
Jun 11
•
Benjamin Breen
33
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Centuries of Childhood
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5
May 2024
LLM-based educational games will be a big deal
For the first time, digital games can make qualitative assessments of learning. Here's what that might look like.
May 14
•
Benjamin Breen
28
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LLM-based educational games will be a big deal
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2
April 2024
Why etymologies matter
How tracing words can illuminate history
Apr 30
•
Benjamin Breen
29
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Why etymologies matter
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2
March 2024
"He spoke of computers with some awe"
Margaret Mead, John von Neumann, and the prehistory of AI
Mar 19
•
Benjamin Breen
22
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"He spoke of computers with some awe"
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6
February 2024
How well can AI imitate an early modern doctor?
Arcadio Huang is ill in 1710s Paris. Can GPT-4 and Gemini find a cure?
Feb 16
•
Benjamin Breen
11
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How well can AI imitate an early modern doctor?
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3
The (history of) spice must flow
Why the spice trade is even more important for world history than you might have thought
Feb 8
•
Benjamin Breen
43
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The (history of) spice must flow
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12
Why drug history?
Drugs and spices play an outsized role in world history — but it's often a hidden one
Feb 1
•
Benjamin Breen
41
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Why drug history?
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6
January 2024
I talked to Terry Gross!
A brief update about the publication of "Tripping on Utopia" before we return to regularly scheduled posting
Jan 16
•
Benjamin Breen
21
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I talked to Terry Gross!
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