The hottest History Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Dinner at Eight

The Apéritif • 19 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Film History Literature Comedy Art
  1. Watching old movies can make you see more than just the story; it's a chance to peek into history and culture from a different time. It's like experiencing a museum in film form.
  2. Before strict rules in Hollywood, stories had more freedom to explore complex characters who weren't always good or bad. This allowed audiences to think for themselves about what they watched.
  3. No matter what century, people often deal with similar problems. Old films remind us that human experiences and concerns can be timeless.

The Philosophy of Murder Ballads

Going Awol • 10 HN points • 12 May 24
🎭️ Culture Music Philosophy Ethics Psychology History
  1. Murder ballads create emotional and cognitive dissonance in listeners by pairing violent lyrics with upbeat music, prompting listeners to primarily focus on the music over the lyrics.
  2. Listeners can resolve the tension caused by murder ballads by either ignoring the lyrics and focusing on the music, vice versa, or by finding a way to make sense of the emotional clash between the two.
  3. Enjoying murder ballads in a detached manner - appreciating the music and storytelling without endorsing the violent acts portrayed - can be a way to engage with the genre ethically.

Well Traveled Cement

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 219 implied HN points • 28 Apr 22
🔬 Science Geology Environmental History Botany Urban Studies
  1. Cement in Seattle comes from limestone that originated in the Pacific Ocean around 200 million years ago. This means the material in our buildings has a fascinating history.
  2. From the 1860s to 1920s, San Juan Island was a key source of lime for cement production in Washington. Workers made quicklime by heating limestone, which was then used to create mortar and cement.
  3. Seattle's cement boom kicked off after the Great Fire of 1889, leading to building codes that favored durable materials. So, the buildings we see today have stories dating back millions of years.

Some Good Things for Thanksgiving

Think Future • 39 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Food & Drink History Music Humor Faith & Spirituality
  1. Avoid discussing controversial topics like future, religion, and government during Thanksgiving to keep interactions positive.
  2. Watch comforting videos with family, like historical recipes, ASMR, and instructional clips to enjoy the holiday spirit.
  3. Find joy and gratitude in the beauty of the world and the moments shared with friends and family during Thanksgiving.

Zero Waste

Castalia • 139 implied HN points • 30 Oct 22
🎭️ Culture Art Media History Military Environment
  1. Quilty was a charming and talkative general who shared engaging stories about his experiences, especially regarding 9/11.
  2. His wife, Joelle, had a very different perspective, reflecting on the impact of war and her life as a military spouse with honesty.
  3. Joelle emphasized the need to recognize the moral complexities of military life, revealing a desire to distance herself from that past.
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Matt Clifford: AI Policy + China Competition

ChinaTalk • 74 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Fiction History Philosophy Classic
  1. The Reformation teaches us monumental change can happen unexpectedly and for reasons that resonate today, like the rise of new technologies and ideas.
  2. Parenting and entrepreneurship create strategic focus due to the time trade-offs and the need to be intentional in decision-making.
  3. Ideas are powerful, exciting, and dangerous, shown through 'The Name of the Rose,' emphasizing the impact of forbidden knowledge and the significance of ideas worth killing for.

The Ultimate Paris Trip-Planning Toolkit (& It's Free!)

Paris Unlocked Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🏝 Travel Guides Food Events History Culture
  1. The post provides a free Paris trip-planning toolkit with tips on where to stay, how to save money on eating out, and when to visit.
  2. There is a guide on what's happening in Paris in March and recommendations for enjoying the city during this time.
  3. An article highlights the reopening of an Art Nouveau lavatory in Paris, discussing the city's ongoing challenges with providing safe and accessible public bathrooms.

Psychling

Skeptic • 52 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Cycling Endurance Racing Competition History
  1. The unfolding of life is influenced by a mix of genes, environment, and unexpected contingencies like chance events.
  2. Small decisions and chance occurrences can have significant impacts on the course of one's life.
  3. Personal narratives often present unpredictable events as rare, but in reality, contingency is a powerful force shaping our lives.

An Ode to Beer

Polymathic Being • 65 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🍲 Food & Drink History Science Culture Ingredients Brewing
  1. Beer has a long and significant history, dating back thousands of years before the invention of writing.
  2. Modern beer only consists of four main ingredients: malted barley, water, hops, and yeast, which play a critical role in creating diverse beer varieties.
  3. The regional variations in beer styles are influenced by factors like water pH, malt selection, hops, and yeast strains, showcasing the scientific complexity behind brewing.

The psychology of Disneyland

SatPost by Trung Phan • 106 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture History Psychology Entertainment Travel Business
  1. Walt Disney created Disneyland to be a place of ordered and harmonious experiences, focusing on storytelling and immersive worlds.
  2. Disney's Imagineering process involves attention to detail and strategic design choices to enhance the guest experience and create a cohesive environment.
  3. Disneyland's success as a profitable venture showcases the importance of theme parks in driving revenue for the Disney empire, despite challenges like high admission prices and up-selling strategies.

Be of good cheer

Diane Francis • 259 implied HN points • 27 Dec 21
🎭️ Culture Media Art Literature Philosophy History
  1. Stay positive and hopeful during challenging times. It helps improve your outlook on life.
  2. Take time off for yourself to recharge and reflect. It's essential for maintaining your well-being.
  3. Focus on enjoying life and the company of others. Happiness and connections matter.

What Is An Intellectual?

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 30 Nov 22
🎭️ Culture Philosophy History Politics Literature Society
  1. Intellectuals can be misunderstood and have often faced persecution from powerful regimes. It's surprising that people who seem harmless can be targeted by those in power.
  2. Many intellectuals, while examining ideas, have ended up supporting terrible regimes. This shows that intelligence doesn't always equal good ethics.
  3. Being an intellectual today means taking a stand for one's beliefs, even when it's unpopular. Courage is necessary to challenge the status quo and defend freedom of expression.

The War on Informality

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 59 HN points • 19 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Society Identity Economy Technology History
  1. London's environment is becoming increasingly surveilled and formalized, with corporate and technology influences dominating the city.
  2. The push towards cashless transactions and automation in London is gradually eroding the informal economy and individual freedoms.
  3. The struggle between formal, commercialized spaces and informal, community-driven areas in London reflects broader societal shifts towards conformity and consumerism.

Why The Internet Divided Us And Why It Will Save Us

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Internet Technology Society History
  1. The internet didn't cause division, humans did. Culture shaped our interactions with technology, like it has for thousands of years.
  2. Technology has connected us globally, speeding up societal systems. The internet made information move faster and broke down barriers.
  3. Diverse cultures sharing stories online can create misunderstandings. Despite clashes, humanity has a history of evolving and finding common ground.

5 Historic Quirks to Spot... in Smithfield

Londonist: Time Machine • 39 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🏝 Travel History
  1. Smithfield in London is a historically rich area with unique streetscapes and a deep layer of history.
  2. The area is known for its meat markets, medieval hospital, buried river valley, and complex railway infrastructure.
  3. Explore Smithfield to spot historic quirks like two historic houses, bits of embankment, and a distinctive post box.

Australia and her Jews

Kvetch • 77 implied HN points • 12 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Australia Israel Anti-Semitism Diversity History
  1. The history of Jews in Australia dates back to the arrival of convicts on the First Fleet in 1788.
  2. Australia has been a welcoming home for its Jewish population, with notable figures like Sir John Monash making significant contributions to the country.
  3. In times of crisis, such as recent protests, Australian leaders have shown support for Israel and the Jewish community.

When Cash Lets You Down

backstory • 193 implied HN points • 04 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture History Travel Economics Society Politics
  1. Cash is becoming less common in daily transactions, especially in Europe and North America.
  2. The value of money is based on trust, as demonstrated through historical events like hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
  3. Distrust in the financial system can lead to black markets, corruption, and chaos in society.

Culture and Humans Living Forever

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23
🔬 Science Technology Anthropology Philosophy Sociology History
  1. Advancements in science may soon allow humans to live for hundreds of years, leading to complex cultural adaptations.
  2. The concept of living forever raises ethical and societal questions, such as equal access to longevity treatments and redefining traditional milestones like retirement.
  3. The shift towards longer lifespans will challenge our current economic and cultural systems, impacting everything from wealth accumulation to family structures.

Presentation Night - Feb 7 - Recap

Omar’s Writing • 59 implied HN points • 02 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Events Learning Community Presentations History
  1. Presentation Night is an event where people give 5-minute talks about anything they find joy in sharing and learning
  2. The event encourages learning, sharing joy, meeting interesting people in a social setting to talk about their passions, expanding horizons even with topics one may not initially be interested in
  3. Creating a community for shared learning and growth through public and private presentation nights can be fun and enriching

New essay: Mystifying the Appearances

Reactionary Feminist • 8 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Philosophy Literature History Art Politics
  1. The essay discusses how different thinkers, like Owen Barfield and Jacques Derrida, interpret our connection to what we perceive. Barfield sees it as magical, while Derrida views it as dangerous.
  2. Derrida's perspective has become more dominant, leading to a culture filled with confusion and skepticism. This has created a sense of emptiness in society.
  3. However, there seems to be a shift happening now, with people questioning this dominant way of thinking and exploring new ideas in politics and culture.

HBO's Roman History Obsession

Castalia • 59 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Television History Literature Philosophy Society
  1. HBO shows like Succession and Game of Thrones reference Roman history to highlight themes of power and collapse. The characters often make connections to ancient Rome to illustrate the decline of American values.
  2. Succession portrays a very bleak view of power, showing that being nice or having good values isn't enough in a world that favors ruthless ambition. It emphasizes the struggle of characters like Kendall, who are good but can't keep up with the cutthroat nature of their environment.
  3. Unlike Game of Thrones, which hints at hope for a better system, Succession ultimately suggests that societies can become corrupt when they worship power. It critiques how political systems can fail when people prioritize force over integrity.

The Polemicist's Dilemma

Holodoxa • 59 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Debate History Criticism Society Literature
  1. Polemics are rampant in modern discourse and have a long history, but it's essential to navigate them carefully and focus on high-quality arguments rather than defaulting to base instincts.
  2. Current narratives of political grievance in America have roots in the cultural upheavals of the 1960s and have led to a deep polarization, making it crucial to understand these origins to navigate discourse effectively.
  3. Polemics have lost persuasiveness in modern times due to technological influences and societal changes, urging a shift towards promoting complex ideas, embracing humility, and addressing real-world issues.

Woolly dogs

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 179 implied HN points • 05 May 22
🎭️ Culture History Anthropology Society Pets Tradition
  1. Seattle has a lot of dogs, even more than children according to recent data. In fact, it was ranked the most dog-friendly city.
  2. Coast Salish people had two unique dog types: a larger hunting dog and a woolly dog used for its fur. Unfortunately, both types went extinct by the 1800s.
  3. Dogs were important companions and provided valuable resources like wool for textiles, showing their special role in the lives of the Coast Salish people.

Graham Hancock's Ancient Apocalypse Theories Are Racist At Their Core.

C.O.P. Central Organizing Principle. • 12 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture History Race Religion Imperialism Mythology
  1. Ancient civilizations, like those that built the pyramids, were made by Black Africans, not aliens or lost technologies. The idea that they needed slaves to build these wonders is a false narrative.
  2. Throughout history, powerful empires, like Rome, often erased or altered histories to control narratives and maintain their power. This has led to misunderstandings about ancient technologies and cultures.
  3. Nuclear testing and environmental destruction have played big roles in climate change and could potentially trigger future ice ages. Humanity often learns through harsh consequences from past actions.

Curator

Castalia • 159 implied HN points • 26 Jun 22
🎭️ Culture Literature Philosophy Arts Politics History
  1. A sense of political 'center' might be a myth; it may have never existed in the first place. Nostalgia for this center can cloud our understanding of how politics actually function.
  2. Mary Gaitskill argues that modern writing has lost the art of describing the physical world, which is crucial for storytelling. She believes fiction should connect deeply with life, rather than rely on superficial themes.
  3. John Stuart Mill may have been more open to socialist ideas than traditionally thought. His perspective combines individual freedom with a gentler, communal approach, suggesting a unique way to balance personal and collective well-being.

Two podcasts and some jellyfish

The Abbey of Misrule • 171 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
🎙 Podcasts Religion Conversations Christianity History Journalism
  1. The post mentions two recent podcasts by the author with interesting conversations on history, religion, and Christianity.
  2. A subscriber's creative designs inspired by the author's essay on jellyfish are highlighted as a modern-day acknowledgment and symbol.
  3. The text reflects on the current shift away from disenchanted modernity towards something bigger, urging readers to be prepared to navigate change.

According to Facebook, I served in 'Nam?

Situation Normal • 71 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Social media Entertainment History Books
  1. The author humorously explores how Facebook algorithmically suggested Vietnam War content in his feed despite having no personal connection to it.
  2. Data mining, music preferences, and watching war movies contributed to the inaccurate content in the author's social media feed.
  3. The author reflects on the impact of targeted advertising and the evolving nature of social media platforms like Facebook.

Commentator

Castalia • 139 implied HN points • 18 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Literature Politics Media History Society
  1. The reaction to Salman Rushdie's stabbing shows a divide in views about freedom of expression and censorship. It's a complex issue, but we need to remember the consequences of writing can be serious for many.
  2. Tinder has changed dating by making it more intentional, but it also makes dating feel more addictive and lonely. Instead of casual social interactions, people now often date from home, relying more on apps than real-life connections.
  3. Nuclear energy is gaining support as a clean energy source amidst concerns about climate change. It's important to recognize that nuclear power could be a key part of future energy solutions, despite past fears and accidents.

Find a Lover Like Manuelita

Juan David’s Newsletter • 5 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture History Literature Romance Revolution Identity
  1. Find a love that challenges social norms and stands by you fearlessly. Manuelita Sáenz showed that real love isn't limited by society's rules.
  2. Look for a partner who fights alongside you in life and bravery. Manuelita actively participated in battles and fought for her beliefs.
  3. Cherish a love that endures through hardships and remains strong despite challenges. Manuelita loved Bolívar deeply, even during his exile and after his death.

Introducing Mr X

How To Measure Ghosts • 19 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture History Television Entertainment Media Pop culture
  1. The appearance of The Beatles and Arthur C Nielsen Jr. on TV on the same night marked a significant moment in television history.
  2. Arthur C Nielsen Jr.'s influence as the President of the Nielsen Service was substantial, impacting television ratings and advertising decisions with a small sample size of 'Nielsen families'.
  3. The emergence of television as a dominant medium led to the critical need for metrics like TV ratings, which shaped programming, advertising, and the business of television in the 20th century.

Wherefore pegging

featherlessbipeds • 39 implied HN points • 08 Oct 23
🚌 Education History Economy Politics Trade International relations
  1. Bretton Woods replaced the gold standard for three main reasons - poor performance, shifting economic demands, and growing political pressure for intervention.
  2. Bretton Woods selected pegged exchange rates and control of domestic monetary policy, giving up the free flow of capital.
  3. The system experienced challenges, such as the dollar shortage in Europe, and eventually faced issues like exceeding U.S. gold supplies, leading to its vulnerability and eventual unraveling.

Gutenberg to chatGPT- “Been there, done that”

⭐️Bob’s Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture History Technology Literature Media Society
  1. Gutenberg's printing press revolutionized information sharing in the 15th century, boosting literacy rates and triggering the Renaissance.
  2. The printing press faced opposition from religious and political authorities who feared losing control over information dissemination.
  3. The introduction of new technology like AI and chatGPT mirrors historical concerns about job replacement, accuracy, and societal impact.

Virtual Reality Stumbles Into Culture

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Virtual reality Augmented reality Cultural impact History Future Trends
  1. Virtual Reality is having a cultural moment thanks to Apple's Vision Pro headset.
  2. VR technology has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, but is now evolving rapidly.
  3. The adoption of VR into mainstream culture is still a work in progress, as societies navigate the implications and use cases of this technology.