What the Barista is Brewing Today
Grab some espresso and dive in for some brewmination
Hemp or Cannabis in Ancient Greece and Rome
The image of an intoxicated ancient world goes against the idea that moderation was the key to life. By Dr. Alan SumlerProfessor, Modern Languages DepartmentUniversity of Colorado Denver The ancient Greeks and Romans used hemp fiber for their boat sails, ropes, wicker-work, clothes, and shoes. Although no piece of Classical scholarship has focused on hemp[…]
Drugs and Medicine in the Graeco-Roman World
The best physicians were well schooled in pharmaceutical lore, with an armamentarium of drugs. By Dr. John ScarboroughProfessor of Medical HistoryUniversity of Madison-Wisconsin Introduction The doctor stepped softly out of the sickroom, where Licinius was breathing his last. Rattling, rasping, wheezing, gasping for air, the senator had accepted death and requested that his friend and[…]
The Drug Trade in Antiquity
Exploring the wandering life of the marsus and druggist and their ambiguous position within society. By Dr. Vivian NuttonEmeritus Professor of the History of MedicineUniversity College London The Passion of St Eugenius and St Macarius is a work as obscure and at times implausible as the very existence of the saints themselves. Written in the[…]
Ancient Peoples and Psychoactive Plants
Our early ancestors had complex relationships with psychoactive plants. By Dan Reist, Nicole Bodner, and Rielle Capler Early Humans and the Earth Like modern humans, early humans had a range of built-in desires—a desire to live in groups, a desire for fun or relief from daily struggles, and a desire to understand and prosper in[…]
Common Ground: From Sobriety to a Coffee Shop in Wisconsin
Integral to funding and opening the shop was the owner’s sobriety. By Olivia RichardsonAudio Storyteller88nine Radio MIlwaukee Early this winter, signs with bright yellow striping resembling the rays of the sun started popping up at the corner of Center Street and Fratney Street in Riverwest. The signs read “you are loved,” “ride bikes,” and “have[…]
Drug Addiction in the Hellenic Armed Forces in the Early 20th Century
The use of narcotics gradually emerged as a serious social problem in the 20th century. By Dr. Lazaros Vladimiros (Department of History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Athens University), Dr. Aristidis Diamantis (Department of History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Athens University), Dr. Apostolos Beloukas (Office for the Study of History of Hellenic Naval Medicine,[…]
Ground Zero: Massive Solar Power Project Approved in California
Crimson Solar will create 650 construction jobs. The Biden administration on Monday said it has approved a major solar energy project in the California desert that will be capable of powering nearly 90,000 homes. The $550 million Crimson Solar Project will be sited on 2,000 acres of federal land west of Blythe, California, the Interior[…]
A Brief History of Solar Panels since the 19th Century
Inventors have been advancing solar technology for more than a century and a half. By Elizabeth Chu and D. Lawrence TarazanoUnited States Patent and Trademark Office Long before the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, generating awareness about the environment and support for environmental protection, scientists were making the first discoveries in[…]
Distant Grind: A Baby Exoplanet
The remote world has already bulked up to five times the mass of Jupiter. The above illustration of the newly forming exoplanet PDS 70b shows how material may be falling onto the giant world as it builds up mass. By employing Hubble’s ultraviolet light (UV) sensitivity, researchers got a unique look at radiation from extremely[…]
Seven Ancient Cultures and How They Shaped Astronomy
With all their inventions and discoveries, it seems like the world connived to shape the astronomy of today. By Dr. Jason CookPlanetary AstronomerTelescopic Watch Introduction We as human beings are greatly attracted to beauty. And there is nothing more beautiful than the heavenly bodies set above us to see. From the stars, sun, moon, and[…]
Education in Ancient Egypt
The first information about the school education of the ancient Egyptians goes back to the 3rd millennium BC. e. School and education in Ancient Egypt were designed to prepare a child, a teenager, a young man for the adult world. The first schools appeared at the palace of the Pharaoh in the period of the[…]
The Birth and Development of Gambling
It doesn’t matter how far back in history you go; there are indications that groups of people have always gathered to gamble together. In this article, we will look at some of the most critical gambling milestones to bring us to the gambling experience we are all familiar with today. The Earliest Concrete Evidence of[…]
Top Four Wellness Trends Of The Last Decade That Are Likely To Stay In 2021
It is not a secret that the way we take care of our minds, bodies, and general health condition evolves over some time for a number of reasons. Although some of these changes get easily forgotten, some health trends are catching massive attention all around the world, and there is actually science behind them. Here[…]
Preparation Tips on Writing an Impeccable History Essay
Sometimes, the creation of a top history essay can be a challenge. Let us look at what one needs to do if they want to develop an impeccable history paper. Find Out the Teacher’s Requirements Regarding the Paper In whatever writing assignment you will be given in school, understand that there are those conditions that the teacher[…]
Bean Press: Coffee Science with Chandler Graf
The integration of science in the art of brewing coffee. Presentation by Chandler GrafThird-Year Medical StudentTexas Tech University Chandler majored in undergraduate biochemistry and is currently a third-year medical student at Texas Tech University. Fortunately for us, he is also a former barista with Beltway Coffee Co. in Abilene, Texas! Here is his Ted talk[…]
A History of Coffee since the Middle Ages
Coffee provides a lens through which to view many of the most important world-historical processes of the last several centuries. Introduction Coffee is a large plant that grows in tropical regions between twenty degrees north and south of the equator. Wild coffee can grow up to twenty feet high. It produces red fruit that resemble[…]
Traveling Brew: Literary Coffee Shops around the World
Here are seven great literary cafes from around the globe. By Nicholas Parker Introduction Writers and coffee go together like espresso and steamed milk. Everywhere you look, there’s a writer plugging away on their laptop in a cafe, usually with a steaming cup of joe by their side. Caffeine stimulates the brain and increases productivity—something I know because[…]
Medieval English Brews: Recipes for 13th and 14th Century Unhopped English Ales
Making ales using only medieval techniques and equipment. By Dr. Paul W. PlacewayAlumnus, Language Technologies InstituteCarnegie Mellon University Introduction In medieval England, ale was an alcoholic drink made from grain, water, and fermented with yeast. The difference between medieval ale and beer was that beer also used hops as an ingredient. Virtually everyone drank ale. It provided significant nutrition[…]
Roast Review: Agora Coffee in Houston
Espresso in a Houston namesake of the ancient Greek marketplace. By Matthew A. McIntoshPublic HistorianBrewminate Introduction Nestled comfortably off busy Westheimer in Houston is a cozy nook to sip your coffee and read a book or have a nice conversation with friends and even strangers – Agora coffeehouse of Houston. It’s an interesting name, and[…]
Agora: The Marketplace in Ancient Athens
The agora was a political and a commercial space in Athens and other ancient Greek city-states. Introduction The agora was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state’s response to accommodate the social and political order of the polis.[1] The literal meaning of the word “agora” is “gathering place” or “assembly”. The[…]
Historical and Cultural Aspects of Man’s Relationship with Addictive Drugs
For certain people, addictive substances are the pillar of society – not only now, in the modern age, but also in times past. Nowadays, addictive substances (mainly drugs, but not limited to them) are used to enhance social experiences. However, in the past, such substances were often used for religious and medicinal purposes. Opium, for[…]
Sleeping with Neck Pain – What You Need to Know.
Neck pain is one fast way to develop sleeping disorders. Having a sound and quality sleep while experiencing a lot of pain in your neck is almost impossible. Being the 4th leading cause of disability globally and resulting in the disability of about 2% of adults in the United States, you’d be needing more than[…]
The Effect of Hookup Culture on Modern Relationships
When the inaugural commercial dating sites were launched in the mid-1990s, they were embraced by singles who could now seek prospective partners very conveniently. But the streamlined nature of these outlets has meant they are just as valid for finding a nearby hookup as developing chemistry between those seeking longer-term partnerships. Being able to arrange[…]
Past and Present: The Connection between Literacy and History
True content-area literacy in history requires students learn reading and writing strategies specific to history. Introduction “Do we just use the text as evidence to answer this question or can we use the date of the document also?” A bright 8th-grade student asked me this question in the middle of a lesson on Reconstruction. He and his[…]
They Persisted (in Making Art)
Three stories that show how women have created throughout history. By Lyra Kilston, Judith Barr, Elizabeth Morrison, and Emily Beeny Introduction “What if Picasso had been born a girl?” asked art historian Linda Nochlin in 1971. Would her talent have been cultivated the same way by her art-teacher father? Would she have been allowed entry[…]
Listen and Learn: Life in a Medieval City
An overview of the class structure of society, local government, guilds, pageantry, and punishment in a medieval city. Audio Books This is an audio book providing an in-depth review of what it was like to live in medieval towns and cities. It covers the technology of the time and every aspect of social life from[…]
The Role of the Workshop in Italian Renaissance Art
Pressures to elevate the artistic profession began in earnest in the midst of the rising Renaissance era. By Dr. Alexis CulottaProfessor of Practice, Art HistoryTulane University Introduction In the contemporary art world, artists and their workshops enjoy a remarkably symbiotic relationship. Examples abound: artist Jeff Koons, for instance, floods his studio with artists who can fabricate[…]
Featured Scholar: Ewan Clayton and ‘A History of Writing’
Issues of urgent interest for a society living in an era of unprecedented change to the tools and technologies of written communication. Book by Dr. Ewan ClaytonProfessor of DesignUniversity of Sunderland From the simple representative shapes used to record transactions of goods and services in ancient Mesopotamia, to the sophisticated typographical resources available to the[…]
Where Did Writing Come From?
The rise, fall, and rediscovery of cuneiform. By Shelby BrownClassical archaeologist and classicistEducation Specialist for Academic and Adult AudiencesJ. Paul Getty Museum Introduction In a world in which immediate access to words and information is taken for granted, it is hard to imagine a time when writing began. Archaeological discoveries in ancient Mesopotamia (now mostly modern[…]
Essentials For Your First Apartment Moving
Moving to a new apartment can be very exciting. You get to choose the perfect living space and furnish it just how you like! However, when you are in the midst of packing up everything and moving out of your old place, there is often so much going on that it’s easy to forget about[…]
