Ever wondered why we use those adorable yet cringey words for our loved ones? From “Babe” to “Darling,” without forgetting “Love Bug” and “Honey,” it seems like we all have our go-to terms of endearment. In her latest video, word wizard Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D., dives deep into this universal linguistic trend, unveiling the enchanting stories […]
Just like Sheldon Cooper’s “Fun with Flags” from The Big Bang Theory, The Paint Explainer’s latest video takes a look at the world’s most famous flags. But instead of Sheldon’s dry humor, you get a serious journey through the symbolism and history behind each flag… all that in 16 minutes! For those interested, here is […]
Every amateur historian knows the term “Dark Ages.” It conjures up images of political upheaval, filthy living conditions, and widespread ignorance. But were the Dark Ages really dark? Not so much. Throughout the Mediterranean, into Europe and the British Isles, and from the expanse of the Byzantine Empire, the period from roughly 300 CE to […]
Being an 80s kid sure had its perks. I mean, we had it good. The heyday of consoles, some of the best geek movie franchises in history, and of course, some of the most amazing hand-drawn animation to ever hit the screen. But that’s not to say everything was good. In fact, if you were […]
A genetic match to an ancient person doesn’t mean you’re more related genealogically. Mark Edward Atkinson/Tetra Images via Getty Images Shai Carmi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Harald Ringbauer, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology In 2022, we reported the DNA sequences of 33 medieval people buried in a Jewish cemetery in Germany. Not long […]
Every famous type of government gets explained by Youtuber The Paint Explainer! In just 10 minutes, he delves into every famous type of government, breaking down complex systems into bite-sized pieces. From the historical to the contemporary, here’s what you’ll learn: 00:00 Oligarchy 00:40 Confederation 01:01 Federation 01:30 Plutocracy 01:41 Monarchy 02:05 Republic 02:29 Aristocracy […]
Have you ever wondered how we came to understand the mysterious hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt? For centuries, the meaning behind these ancient symbols was locked away, until a groundbreaking discovery in 1799 changed everything. Enter the Rosetta Stone, a remarkable artifact that became the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. In this video from TED-Ed, discover […]
William Buckland (1784 – 1856) was a palaeontologist who is responsible for scientifically describing the first ever dinosaur discovery. He was also a zoophage, someone with a passion for eating every animal on Earth. [The Royal Society]
Ever wondered how each letter of the English alphabet came to be? Dive into the fascinating journey with language expert Olly Richards as he unveils the origins of every letter, from A to Z. Each letter carries its own unique story, starting as pictograms with little resemblance to their modern forms. Through a journey spanning […]
From Peter Pringle: This is a short excerpt from the 8th century epic tale of BEOWULF. The instrument I am using to accompany myself is called a hurdy-gurdy , a popular instrument of medieval Europe. The hurdy-gurdy in this video was made for me by Alden and Cali Hackmann of Olympic Musical Instruments in Indianola, […]