Author Archives: Peter Sahui

This Week I Learned – 19 September 2013

Some very interesting articles this week. The highlight is this piece from Bloomberg about elderly Germans finding it more affordable to move to Polish nursing homes. It’s both poignant and thought-provoking; I recommend you give it a look. Still in … Continue reading

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This Week I Learned – 14 September 2013

  The use and misuse of statistics – do left-handed people really die young? Did you know that between 1730 and 1850, the average height of British soldiers actually fell? It seems the Industrial Revolution took a long time to … Continue reading

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Earlier than you think

Information about China’s first “newspapers” is scattered. A reference in a short essay on border policy from Grand Secretary Yu Shenxing (1545-1608) is both explicit and negative. Probably writing during his retirement from public life after 1591, Yu expresses concern … Continue reading

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The glorious landscapes of the Australian Plein-Air Artists Group

You can find a sample of their paintings here,  and here is a very interesting TV segment (from ABC’s Landline) on the artists.

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This Week I Learned – 8 September 2013

Here is an interesting piece on the geopolitical implications of increased American energy production; worth the free registration. Great podcast discussion of one of the most fascinating women in antiquity, Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. Very good article on robots in … Continue reading

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Balloon ride, Burma/Myanmar

National Geographic’s Photo of the Day is an absolutely glorious golden shot of Bagan, Myanmar, taken from a hot air balloon by Dima Chatrov. There has been an increase in tourism to Bagan lately; here is an excellent TV report … Continue reading

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This Week I Learned #12 – 31 August 2013

An interesting and thought-provoking piece on the automation of work, then and now. Well worth the free registration. David Landes, economic historian, has died. I wrote about one of his (excellent) books here; and here is a great excerpt from … Continue reading

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The urban jungle – Sydney, Australia – August 2013

Click the image for a larger version.

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This Week I Learned #11 – 21 August 2013

Articles Great crop of articles this week: An evocative piece on the 72-year-old mailman who drives the US’ longest route. What we can learn from a sarcophagus found along the Silk Road. “Kevin Good thought there was an 80 percent chance … Continue reading

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This Week I Learned #10 – 18 August 2013

Articles Chinese charity auctions to support dissidents’ families, a lengthy read and an extremely interesting one. The shops of Heathrow Airport. Did you know that the clothes shops at the airport put the ties near the front, the better to … Continue reading

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