Connecting the dots across time
While Leonardo da Vinci was sketching his flying machines, a parallel scientific revolution was unfolding in Korea. Under the visionary King Sejong the Great, the Joseon Dynasty pioneered world-changing innovations,…
The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the world's first great urban cultures, yet its intricate script remains a profound mystery. Found on thousands of beautifully carved seals, the silent…
For most of human history, the color blue was conspicuously absent, so much so that many ancient languages didn't even have a word for it. This is the story of…
Forget what you know about the 'Dark Ages.' In the heart of West Africa, the city of Timbuktu glittered not just with gold, but with knowledge. This is the story…
The Inca built a vast, powerful empire without a written alphabet as we know it. Their solution was the khipu, an intricate system of knotted cords that modern scholars are…
Long before the famed Library of Alexandria, there was a far older repository of knowledge in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. This is the story of Ashurbanipal, the last great…
Journey back to Heian-era Japan, a world of 'shining princes' and secluded court ladies whose lives unfolded like a painted scroll. Explore the hyper-refined culture, intricate rituals, and poetic communication…
In the thunderous chaos of World War I, where technology brought unprecedented destruction, one of the most reliable communication tools had wings. Discover the incredible true story of Cher Ami…
Long before software developers and data analysts, the ancient world had its own information technologists: the scribes. This post explores how these masters of the written word—through rigorous training and…