The hottest History Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

Takamoto and Disney and the War

Animation Obsessive ā€¢ 19733 implied HN points ā€¢ 02 Mar 26
šŸŽØ Art & Illustration History
  1. He endured Japanese American internment as a young man and used his drawing talent to get a start at Walt Disney after the war.
  2. At Disney he became a meticulous cleanup and quality-control artist who refined key characters and kept films visually consistent, shaping looks like Lady and Aurora.
  3. He later moved to Hanna-Barbera, where he designed iconic TV characters (most famously Scooby-Doo) and left a lasting legacy in animation.

Designing AI for Disruptive Science

Asimov Press ā€¢ 438 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Mar 26
šŸ”¬ Science History
  1. Scaling AI and more data mainly improves prediction inside current frameworks, but it wonā€™t by itself create the simple, reframing ideas that drive paradigm shifts. This risks a kind of ā€œhypernormal scienceā€ where detail increases but true conceptual breakthroughs become rarer.
  2. Major scientific revolutions come from simple unifying principles, cross-domain analogies, outsider perspectives, or new sensory grounding, not just better curveā€‘fitting. To foster breakthroughs, AI must be built to search for simplicity, draw structural analogies, and be grounded beyond narrow benchmarks.
  3. Designing disruptive science requires deliberate changes to both AI and research institutions: run controlled agent experiments, protect small risky teams, and change incentives so novel, risky reframings are discovered and rewarded. Without that metascientific engineering, AI will mostly accelerate conventional work rather than spark revolutions.

A Tale of a Lost Heir

Papyrus Rampant ā€¢ 119 implied HN points ā€¢ 02 Nov 24
šŸ“š Literature History
  1. When writing about a lost heir, it's important to show why others want to follow them. A strong character, like Bonnie Prince Charlie, can inspire loyalty in others, making the story more engaging.
  2. Authors need to create believable circumstances that allow the heir to gather support without being quickly defeated. Historical events can provide inspiration for how to craft these situations.
  3. A lost heir's eventual reign should hint at their ability to lead. Even if they don't win, showing how they would govern helps readers connect with the character and understand the challenges they face.

A Shocking Fact about Bobby Kennedy's Assassination You Probably Don't Know

The Take (by Jon Miltimore) ā€¢ 198 implied HN points ā€¢ 01 Nov 24
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics History
  1. Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the medical examiner for RFK, claimed he never declared Sirhan Sirhan as the killer. This raises questions about the official narrative of the assassination.
  2. Many eyewitnesses believe that Sirhan could not have fired the shot that killed RFK, with the fatal shot coming from behind him. This suggests the possibility of a second gunman.
  3. There seems to be a pattern of ignoring inconvenient facts about RFK and JFK's deaths. Some people, like RFK Jr., feel strongly about uncovering the truth behind these assassinations.
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What People Want From Our Schools Has Never Been Accomplished, Anywhere, Ever

Freddie deBoer ā€¢ 8261 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Mar 26
šŸšŒ Education History
  1. The idea that schools used to universally prepare everyone for the same academic track or that education can by itself erase class and racial gaps is a modern invention and has never been achieved anywhere.
  2. Bringing more people into formal schooling naturally lowers average test scores and completion rates because many newly included students are less prepared, so declining metrics often reflect wider access, not a sudden failure of schools.
  3. Economic changes like globalization, automation, and the decline of unionized middle-skill jobs removed pathways to good work for non-degree holders, and policymakers then pressured schools to fix that problem by pushing everyone toward collegeā€”something schools alone cannot realistically do.

Text is king

Experimental History ā€¢ 118726 implied HN points ā€¢ 20 Jan 26
šŸ“š Literature History
  1. The idea that reading is dead is exaggerated; surveys show only modest declines while book sales and independent bookstores remain robust.
  2. Writing and books uniquely enable complex, precise thinking and long-term influence, because putting ideas into text makes them testable and lasting.
  3. Digital distractions matter but they havenā€™t erased the human appetite for deep reading. Attention-sapping tech may be peaking, and other recorded formats also help preserve knowledge.

Zionism Is for Everyone

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1289 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. The fight over Zionism is really a stand-in for bigger Western anxieties about nationhood, self-determination, and what it means to have a modern, free society.
  2. People and societies change when faced with unhappy realities and decide to take control of their fate, such as by redefining identity or choosing a new political path.
  3. Obsessing over identity conflicts like Zionism can crowd out other pressing debates about technology, ethics, and the future, and it shapes how politics and public life will evolve.

Where does a liberal go from here?

Noahpinion ā€¢ 95001 implied HN points ā€¢ 04 Jan 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics History
  1. Liberal ideals like freedom, equality, economic security, tolerance, and democratic inclusion have produced real, lasting gains and are still worth defending.
  2. Recent progressive overreach in culture, governance, and policy eroded public trust and helped fuel a conservative backlash.
  3. The way forward is to try again: learn from mistakes, recommit to practical, principle-driven liberalism, and rebuild steadily instead of abandoning the project.

If it wasn't for us you'd all be speaking German

Wrong Side of History ā€¢ 745 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. English's global spread helped English-speaking nations gain political and cultural dominance, displacing older centres of influence.
  2. Language (and historically religion) has been the main marker of national identity, but because English is so widespread people now often fold into a shared Anglo-American culture rather than distinct national cultures.
  3. Sharing a language creates sympathy and easier cooperation, especially in military and intelligence matters, but it can also mask real differences and cause misunderstandings.

My Friend Doherty

Bet On It ā€¢ 402 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. Brian Doherty was a prolific, deeply knowledgeable polymath and journalist who wrote influential books on the modern libertarian movement, Burning Man, and Ron Paul.
  2. He was a generous mentor and friend who connected people, shared deep cultural knowledge (especially about comics and music), and kept wide, eclectic social circles.
  3. His death was sudden and tragic, likely linked to prior health issues, and it left strong, fond memories and a lasting impact on those who knew him.

Top Links 1039 Oil profit spikes and who benefits. China needs a better welfare state. The origin of the Cumberland sausage and the second life of drop tanks.

Chartbook ā€¢ 643 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Mar 26
šŸŒ International History
  1. Oil prices and profits have jumped, and the gains are flowing unequally to companies and owners rather than to workers or consumers.
  2. China needs a stronger welfare state to give people better social protection and to help reduce inequality.
  3. Small histories reveal surprising stories ā€” from the origin of the Cumberland sausage to how military drop tanks were reused, everyday objects can have unexpected second lives.

You Have Only X Years To Escape Permanent Moon Ownership

Astral Codex Ten ā€¢ 52721 implied HN points ā€¢ 02 Jan 26
šŸ“– Philosophy History
  1. The ā€œpermanent underclassā€ fear mainly targets well-off tech peopleā€™s status anxiety rather than the real problems of poor people, so donā€™t let panic about becoming a future oligarch drive your life.
  2. We may be living at a rare historical hinge where small, timely actions can make you remembered for millennia, so choosing to help shape broad prosperity can matter far more than hoarding wealth.
  3. Use this moment to create, donate, join important conversations, or take bold moral risks instead of chasing safer status symbols like owning a bigger moonā€”even imperfect efforts can leave a lasting legacy.

The ideological implications of Chinaā€™s economic success

Global Inequality and More 3.0 ā€¢ 2144 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics History
  1. Chinaā€™s rise relied on blending imported Marxist ideas with native Chinese traditions like Confucianism and Legalism, combined with an open, market-driven economy under party leadership.
  2. That sinified Marxism creates real tensions between Marxismā€™s big-picture, structural focus and Chinese moral, individual-focused traditions, yet the combination has worked in practice.
  3. The result may reshape global ideology by encouraging a Sino-Western or Eurasian fusion model that challenges the idea that Western liberalism is the only successful path.

My Warning About AI Music from 1988

The Honest Broker ā€¢ 14029 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Jan 26
šŸŽ¶ Music History
  1. Human imperfections are central to artistic expression; mistakes and rough edges can make music more expressive and emotionally powerful.
  2. Art is an expressive human activity, so works produced by machinesā€”even if technically flawlessā€”are categorically different from human-created masterpieces and lack the same expressive meaning.
  3. AI that closely imitates human creativity can feel unsettling, and this gap between human artistry and machine imitation canā€™t be bridged merely by better algorithms.

Why Lab Coats are White

Asimov Press ā€¢ 386 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Mar 26
šŸ”¬ Science History
  1. The white lab coat began in 19th-century surgery as a practical, washable garment tied to new hygiene practices, replacing the dark, blood-stained frock coats.
  2. Over time the white coat turned into a powerful public symbol of science and medicine, signaling professionalism, cleanliness, and group identity.
  3. The coatā€™s symbolic power often outpaces its actual safety, so researchers are inventing better, functional materials and designsā€”but widespread change requires cultural as well as technological shifts.

I Blame Jan Garbarek

The Honest Broker ā€¢ 14162 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Jan 26
šŸŽ¶ Music History
  1. Jan Garbarek helped create a distinct European jazz identity with a cool, spacious "ECM" sound that stood apart from American jazz and let European artists flourish at home.
  2. He started out steeped in U.S. models like Coltrane but evolved into his own voice, moving from fiery postā€‘bop to a haunting, minimalist saxophone style.
  3. Garbarek and producer Manfred Eicher championed bold crossā€‘cultural collaborations that blurred jazz with world, folk, and early music, expanding what jazz could be.

Culture Links, 3/7/2026

In My Tribe ā€¢ 288 implied HN points ā€¢ 07 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. A shared American moral horizon ā€” belief in hard work, getting ahead, and playing by the rules ā€” lets many regional and lifestyle differences coexist, but the shift to a credentialed, postā€‘industrial economy has left large groups feeling cut off from that American Dream and its meaning.
  2. New communication technologies and large-scale migration have weakened elite control over shared facts and authority, fueling populism and social instability while prompting elites to try to reassert control over the information sphere.
  3. Violence and the struggle for force shaped most of human history, and only when states monopolized violence could societies shift status competition into commerce, innovation, and institutions; at the same time, high agreeableness can be exploited by very disagreeable people, so societies need a balance of trust and vigilance.

The World At Large Has Eyes

David Friedmanā€™s Substack ā€¢ 179 implied HN points ā€¢ 20 Mar 26
šŸ•¹ Technology History
  1. Electronic communications are often not truly private because copies persist and can be accessed or disclosed beyond the intended recipients.
  2. The risk of disclosure makes peopleā€”especially company employeesā€”guarded in written correspondence, which can discourage frank warnings or candid discussion about legal or safety issues.
  3. Modern networks amplify harm: a single unpopular comment can be forwarded widely and trigger mass reputational damage or large crowds, far beyond what older technologies produced.

How Bell Labs Won Its First Nobel Prize

Construction Physics ā€¢ 25471 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Dec 25
šŸ”¬ Science History
  1. Scientific discovery is messy and often depends on unexpected events, false starts, and long iterative work before clear results emerge.
  2. Major breakthroughs usually require specialized tools and technical capabilities, like high vacuums and precise equipment, that only well-resourced labs can provide.
  3. Real breakthroughs need institutional support and freedom for long-term, curiosity-driven research, but that approach is costly and hard to justify in profit-driven organizations.

The Origins and Limitations of AMD's Revival

The Chip Letter ā€¢ 5023 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Feb 26
šŸ•¹ Technology History
  1. In the 2000s AMD reshaped itself by selling its flash-memory unit, buying ATI for graphics, and spinning off its chip factories, which changed the companyā€™s business model.
  2. The company mounted a major legal and strategic challenge to Intel that was a high-risk move, producing intense conflict and short-term financial pain that led to leadership change.
  3. AMDā€™s fortunes later recovered under new leadership, so todayā€™s success is the result of both those risky early moves and subsequent execution rather than any single decision.

Top Links 1034 The public land divide in the USA. The first cloud data center to become a casualty of war. Poetry form the past and Hamnet.

Chartbook ā€¢ 543 implied HN points ā€¢ 07 Mar 26
šŸ“° News History
  1. The public land divide in the USA highlights sharp conflicts over who controls and uses federal and state lands, shaping local economies and conservation choices.
  2. The first cloud data center to become a casualty of war shows that digital infrastructure is now a frontline, making cloud services and data storage vulnerable to armed conflict and geopolitical risk.
  3. A focus on poetry from the past and works like Hamnet underscores how historical literature keeps connecting readers to earlier lives and emotions, enriching cultural and historical understanding.

The Building of Fortress Iran

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger ā€¢ 105 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics History
  1. Two centuries of foreign meddling and territorial losses left a deep national trauma, so Iranā€™s politics are driven by a fear of being carved up or controlled by outsiders.
  2. Every Iranian regimeā€”monarchy, democratic, and theocraticā€”has been trying to build a strong, indivisible state, but each approach failed in different ways, leaving security prioritized over political openness.
  3. The Islamic Republic turned that impulse into a Fortress Iran, and repeated foreign interventions and sanctions have only hardened Iranā€™s siege mentality and made internal change harder.

Closing Out 2025

Animation Obsessive ā€¢ 17222 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Dec 25
šŸŽØ Art & Illustration History
  1. Focusing on human-made craft in animation offers a meaningful alternative to generic, AI-driven content and keeps attention on artistic skill.
  2. Highlighting artists who work with materials like oil, sand, paper, wool, or metal pins shows how creative techniques and perseverance matter even when industry and politics make things harder.
  3. Celebrating concrete wins, growing an audience, and sharing work freely during hard times helps sustain the creative community, while planned breaks and continued effort keep the project viable for the future.

Why I Hate Flopping

The Honest Broker ā€¢ 8211 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Jan 26
šŸŽ¾ Sports History
  1. Flopping is now widespread in basketball, with players often falling theatrically to try to draw fouls.
  2. In earlier eras, theatrical flops were rare and would be mocked or rejected by teammates and fans.
  3. The old athletic ideal was to hide pain and get up like nothing happened to intimidate opponents and gain an advantage.

Black Intellectuals in the Twenty-First Century

Glenn Loury ā€¢ 337 implied HN points ā€¢ 24 Oct 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. In the 1980s, many African Americans strongly opposed apartheid in South Africa. This shows a sense of unity against oppression, even if the situations were different.
  2. The conversation highlights how some issues today, like the treatment of Palestinians, can be more complicated than past issues like apartheid.
  3. Understanding historical context helps us see why certain causes gain widespread support while others struggle for the same level of recognition.

John von Neumann Shot Lightning From His Arse

The Intrinsic Perspective ā€¢ 29647 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Nov 25
šŸšŒ Education History
  1. John von Neumann is often celebrated as a genius, but many of the stories about his early capabilities are exaggerated or false. For example, he couldn't actually do 8-digit calculations in his head at age six or remember every book he'd ever read.
  2. His incredible intellect was shaped significantly by his unique upbringing and education in a rich cultural environment in Hungary. This background gave him access to exceptional tutors and a supportive family that emphasized learning and academic inquiry.
  3. While von Neumann made major contributions to fields like mathematics and computer science, he wasn't the sole inventor of concepts attributed to him. His work often built upon the ideas of others, showing that collaboration and environment played key roles in his success.

Ireland's ONE WEIRD TRICK To End Colonization & Win Every Political Campaign

JoeWrote ā€¢ 318 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics History
  1. Successful politics focuses on everyday material needs like wages, housing, and healthcare, not just lofty ideas. People support movements that make their lives better now.
  2. Campaigns should offer clear, specific policies that voters can imagine improving their daily lives. Concrete promises (rent relief, childcare, healthcare) win more support than abstract rhetoric.
  3. Long-term goals like social change or national unity depend on steady organizing around workers' material interests. Symbolic appeals alone donā€™t sustain popular support.

A Few Stories From France That Are Capturing My Attention This Week

Paris Unlocked Newsletter ā€¢ 159 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Oct 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. Researchers are studying bones in the Paris Catacombs to learn more about the lives of the people buried there. This is important because many of their identities were lost when their remains were moved.
  2. The Catacombs were created in the 18th century due to a hygiene crisis from overcrowded cemeteries. It was a big project to manage the remains of six million people.
  3. The underground space in Paris allowed for the safe storage of these bones, preventing further health issues related to the city's cemeteries.

The Eight Questions You Must Answer

The Honest Broker ā€¢ 10505 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Dec 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. Society tends to split into binary oppositions that force people to pick one of two sides, and this pattern shows up across history from ancient stories to modern politics.
  2. A new binary divide is emerging now ā€” an early-stage red-pill-versus-blue-pill style split ā€” and it could become the defining fault line for the next generation.
  3. You already belong to one of the two teams and can identify which by answering eight key questions, so start paying attention now to know where you stand and protect yourself.

If You Want Freedom and Democracy For Iranian People and All Peoples, You Must Start By Admitting What America Is and Does

Freddie deBoer ā€¢ 7054 implied HN points ā€¢ 15 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics History
  1. The United States often intervenes abroad to secure strategic and economic interests, not to install genuine democracy, and can openly prioritize access to resources like oil over self-determination.
  2. Historical interventions ā€” from Iranā€™s 1953 coup to wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and recent meddling in Venezuela ā€” usually produce authoritarianism, corruption, militias, and instability instead of freedom, so skepticism of intervention is rational.
  3. Opposing U.S. intervention does not equal supporting oppressive regimes; people can want internal change while also rejecting foreign control, and restraint in using force helps avoid repeating past harms.

Welcoming (Not So) Old Friends

Knicks Film School ā€¢ 1051 implied HN points ā€¢ 11 Oct 24
šŸŽ¾ Sports History
  1. Julius Randle's journey with the Knicks has been full of ups and downs, but he played a huge role in turning the team's fortunes around. He went from being seen as an afterthought to an All-Star player.
  2. Despite his impressive stats and contribution to the team, Randle might not receive the love he deserves from fans. Many see him as a complex figure, and his departure has sparked mixed feelings among supporters.
  3. Randle's legacy in New York will be shaped by how the team continues to perform after his exit. His impact was significant, making him one of the most important Knicks, but fans will see how they remember him as time passes.

The Best Online Articles of 2025

The Honest Broker ā€¢ 12633 implied HN points ā€¢ 15 Dec 25
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. Exceptional longform pieces this year dug up surprising, overlooked storiesā€”forgotten figures, strange experiments, and hidden personal dramas that stay with you.
  2. Deep reporting and archival work were used to make complex cultural, scientific, and political issues clear and emotionally resonant, turning data and history into vivid human narratives.
  3. The best essays spanned music, art, science, history, and politics, showing that longform storytelling remains a powerful way to explore and connect diverse aspects of modern life.

Hidden Open Thread 424.5

Astral Codex Ten ā€¢ 481 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Mar 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. A paywalled, subscriber-only thread titled "Hidden Open Thread 424.5" is dated March 12, 2026.
  2. The page prompts readers to subscribe and also offers a sign-in option for existing paid subscribers.
  3. Visible engagement indicators (the numbers 5 and 109) and a share option suggest some level of interaction on the thread.

Ukraine diary

Wrong Side of History ā€¢ 683 implied HN points ā€¢ 24 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics History
  1. Kyiv feels like a normal European city by day but lives under constant wartime strain by night, with air raids, power cuts and people adapting by using apps, deep metro stations and shelters.
  2. The war has driven a rapid surge in Ukrainian tech and defence innovation, attracting foreign investment and pushing the country closer to Western integration and eventual EU membership.
  3. The human cost is immense and lasting: many dead or traumatised, families and communities split, falling birth rates and refugees, and deep generational hatred that will complicate any future peace.

Marty Supreme

Life Since the Baby Boom ā€¢ 3688 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Jan 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. The film lacks a moral center and a convincing motive for its protagonist, so you never really root for Marty or understand why his quest matters.
  2. The director prioritizes flashy technique and hyper-kinetic editing over character and story, making the movie feel showy and exhausting rather than meaningful.
  3. Loud, anachronistic choices like the 80s-style synth score clash with the 1950s setting and distract from the film, so it can feel more grating than immersive.

The Roots of China's Animation Boom

Animation Obsessive ā€¢ 1973 implied HN points ā€¢ 06 Feb 26
šŸŽØ Art & Illustration History
  1. A recent attempt to retire Adobe Animate was reversed after strong creator pushback, showing how important Flash-era tools still are to artists.
  2. Flash made animation cheap and easy to share online, letting anyone publish work, reach audiences, and sometimes launch careers.
  3. Chinaā€™s modern animation boom traces back to the Flash era, which built a wide community, iconic works, and many of the artists now driving the industry.

I support this current thing

Wrong Side of History ā€¢ 446 implied HN points ā€¢ 28 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics History
  1. The UK and other Western countries have played a decisive and highly visible role in supporting Ukraine, and that political leadership helped shape Ukrainian strategy and resolve.
  2. Political allegiances are shifting across Europe and Britain, with new right-wing parties gaining ground, older parties being outflanked, and centrists sometimes more worried about the far-left than the far-right.
  3. Cultural and intellectual debates are unsettled: some academic fields are criticized for avoiding sensitive social realities, while conservative media and lifestyle projects are successfully repackaging culture to attract new audiences.

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 94

Why is this interesting? ā€¢ 361 implied HN points ā€¢ 28 Feb 26
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. A new Rilke-inspired collection called Letters to a Young Creator gathers short pieces of advice from leading designers, executives, and artists to help guide creative work.
  2. Rolex has opened an intensive watchmaking school in Texas to address a shortage of professional watchmakers, and entry to the program is extremely competitive, on par with elite universities.
  3. The roundup highlights striking science and culture stories ā€” from a potential stem-cell therapy that eases frailty to archaeological evidence about Hannibalā€™s war elephants ā€” showing broad, unexpected developments across fields.

As petals fall on moss

Silentium ā€¢ 299 implied HN points ā€¢ 20 Oct 24
šŸŽ­ļø Culture History
  1. Silence can be a powerful invitation for reflection and peace. It allows us to connect more deeply with our surroundings.
  2. Paying attention to small details, like falling petals, can help us appreciate the beauty in everyday life.
  3. Taking moments of stillness is important for mental well-being. It helps us recharge and find clarity in our thoughts.