New research reveals Sumerian recipes for bitumen, showing they engineered composite materials similar to modern asphalt over 4,000 years ago.
Black Gold: Sumerian Bitumen Recipes Worked Like Asphalt, 4,000 Years Ago
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History & Culture
30 posts
The Ghost of Columbus and the Impossible Geometry of the Piri Reis Map
New research reveals the Piri Reis map contains highly accurate geographic details, raising questions about ancient navigation and lost civilizations.
America’s Terrifying Battle to Control the Seas
Recent developments reveal America’s intense efforts to control key sea routes amid rising global maritime tensions and rival claims.
Thomas Edison’s First Patent: The Invention Congress Rejected for Being Too Efficient-Electric voting
Edison’s 1869 electrographic vote recorder patent was rejected by Congress for speeding up voting, highlighting early resistance to technological innovation.
The four programming questions from my 1994 Microsoft internship interview (2023)
This article examines the four programming questions from a 1994 Microsoft internship interview, their historical context, and their relevance today.
Show HN: 500 years of Joseon court omens as an observability dashboard
A developer has created an interactive dashboard visualizing five centuries of Joseon dynasty omens recorded in historical logs, offering new insights into historical governance and cultural practices.
Cleve Moler has died
Renowned mathematician and co-creator of MATLAB, Cleve Moler, has passed away. His work significantly impacted scientific computing and education.
Jay Forrester filed the first practical computer RAM patent 75 years ago this week — his Magnetic Core Memory patent would be granted five years later
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Jay Forrester’s pioneering RAM patent, a milestone that revolutionized digital storage and computing technology.
Technofascism
Analysis of how recent developments in tech billionaires’ political ideologies signal a shift toward technofascism and its global implications.
What the Hell Was Going on with Cigarette Ads in the 70s?
An analysis of the surprising prevalence and tactics of cigarette advertising in the 1970s, and what it reveals about regulatory and cultural shifts.
