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Tag Archives: history
A Second Look at Life Expectancy: What the 1918 Flu Tells Us About the COVID-19 Pandemic
My recent article on the evolution of life expectancy generated a fascinating series of questions that I will attempt to address in the coming weeks. One reader pointedly asked about the historical U.S. life expectancy chart. If you look at … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged 1918, 2020, COVID-19, epidemic, flu, Germ Theory of Disease, history, influenza, life expectancy, longevity, medicine, miasma, mortality rates, mRNA, pandemic, pathogen, science, Spain, Spanish Flu, vaccination, virology, virus, World War I
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Beyond Plastic: Rediscovering the Materials That Served Humanity for Millennia
When I recently wrote about our civilization quietly poisoning itself with microplastics, one reader asked a perfectly reasonable question: “If not plastic, then what?” It’s the right question. We’ve become so accustomed to plastic that many people can’t imagine life … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Society, Technology
Tagged cast iron, ceramics, chemistry, cookware, glass, history, microplastics, nanoplastics, plastic, pollution, public health, science, silicone, steel, technology
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Juneteenth and the Dangerous Lie
There are holidays that celebrate victories. There are holidays that celebrate sacrifices. And then there are holidays that exist because humanity made a terrible mistake. Juneteenth belongs to that last category. But for many, Juneteenth has already been neatly packaged … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Economy, Society
Tagged African Americans, America, Civil War, emancipation, farming, freedom, history, industry, institutions, Juneteenth, oppression, religion, serfdom, slavery
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A Civilization Poisoned by Progress: From Lead Pipes to Microplastics
History rarely repeats itself perfectly, but it often rhymes in chilling ways. We often look back at the giants of the past and wonder how a civilization so advanced, so structured and so dominant could simply dissolve. No collapse comes … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Society
Tagged dystopia, economy, extinction, future, history, Imperial Rome, lead, microplastics, nanoplastics, plastic, pollution, public health, science, technology
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How We Forgot the True Meaning of Decoration Day (and Found a Great Deal on Mattresses)
There was a time when Americans looked at a field full of graves and thought, “We should bring flowers.” Now we look at a three-day weekend and think, “Forty percent off patio furniture!” Progress is a mysterious thing. Mostly, it … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Retail
Tagged Civil War, Decoration Day, history, marketing, mattress sale, Memorial Day, remembrance, sacrifice
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Hug Your Cat Before It Plots Against You Day
Last November, amidst the noble surrender of Chaos Never Dies Day, I stumbled upon a dark whispered necessity, a holiday so vital to the survival of the human race, that I promised to research it further, the “Hug Your Cat … Continue reading
The Language of Law Enforcement: Talking About Law Enforcement with Respect
As a Public Information Officer with a search and rescue team, I spend a fair amount of time speaking to community groups about what we do and how we work alongside our served agencies. My job is to be the … Continue reading
Posted in Language
Tagged communications, history, language, law enforcement, public outreach, respect, slang
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Ukraine’s Struggle for Independence: Why It Matters for the World’s Future
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 was a shocking event that reverberated across the globe. For many, it seemed to come out of nowhere, an act of unprovoked aggression in the 21st century. But to understand the … Continue reading