History

History

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A man in a dark coat holds up a signed document in front of a crowd; the document is circled in red.
The Present
The West struggles to evaluate threats. Here’s how it can get better.
From Hitler to Hamas, Western powers have repeatedly dismissed open threats as bluffs — with catastrophic results.
Gal Winter
A medieval scribe sits at a desk, writing in a manuscript with quill and ink, surrounded by open books and a basket holding writing supplies.
High Culture
The world’s largest library of lies has good news about fake news
"What’s happening now has, in fact, been happening since the very invention of language and writing."
Bianca Giacobone
Painting depicting a man with a crown of thorns, arms outstretched on a wooden cross, with a sign above his head that reads "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum.
3 min
The Well
How censorship turns ordinary men into martyrs
When Jesus was crucified, it led to even more followers. When books are banned, people flock to read them. Humans are fascinated by the forbidden, which is why censorship – especially in the digital age – doesn’t work. Jacob Mchangama explains.
Jacob Mchangama
Collage of ancient philosophers' portraits partially revealed through cutouts on a textured background with handwritten script, evoking the timeless influence of history.
Mini Philosophy
One of the most quoted lines in philosophy is completely misused and misunderstood
We don't learn from history because we can't learn from history.
Jonny Thomson
Two hands, one light and one dark, each holding a contrastingly colored molecular structure against a gradient background.
The Past
“Mirror life” and the recurring nightmare of scientific apocalypse
The fear of unleashing forces beyond control has haunted science for centuries.
Thomas Moynihan
A collage features people using phones, a vintage courtroom scene, and a close-up of mechanical watch parts under tweezers, exploring ancestral bonds, with the title "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.
Business
Inside my study of the world’s oldest companies
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Illustrated map showing streets, parks, and landmarks of a coastal city bordered by Hob's River and Delaware Bay, with a compass rose in the lower right corner.
Strange Maps
The strange cartography of Superman’s ever-shifting hometown
The latest "Superman" film sets Metropolis in the First State.
Frank Jacobs
A grayscale portrait of David Senra is centered on a collage background featuring a marble statue, abstract black-and-white swirls, and purple book spines.
Business
The David Senra interview: “Use history as a form of leverage”
The host of the Founders podcast joins Big Think for a chat about success, obsession, business genius, human nature, and more.
Tim Brinkhof
A collage with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER," featuring a hand holding money, coins, and a windowed building, all tinted in pink and black tones.
Business
Money as the dark matter of the Universe
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Granite memorial stone for John F. Kennedy, surrounded by trees and located on a paved area with steps. Inscription dedicates the site from the people of Britain to the United States.
Strange Maps
Is this acre in England really American territory?
The JFK Memorial at Runnymede provides a link between America's and Britain's founding documents.
Frank Jacobs
Union soldiers in blue uniforms escort prisoners past a burning building with a large hole in the wall while smoke and flames rise, during the American Civil War.
Books
The rise and fall of John Wilkes Booth: America’s first celebrity assassin
Before becoming America’s most infamous assassin, John Wilkes Booth was a magnetic actor who was beloved by audiences and courted by critics.
Scott Ellsworth
A pyramid stands in a desert with three people in front, evoking experimental archeology; a modern McDonald's restaurant is visible in the background on the right.
Books
Science meets sweat: How experimental archaeology brings history to life
In "Dinner with King Tut," Sam Kean examines how a burgeoning field is recreating ancient tasks to uncover historical truths.
Kevin Dickinson
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