Category Archives: This Week I Learned

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 →

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 →

Articles A currency is anything that two people agree is a currency, a short but thought-provoking read. Are animals also getting fatter? The evidence is unclear, but as Alex Tabarrok points out, “this is intriguing and important research”. In the … Continue reading →

Articles “The global economy is now distinctly Victorian,” a very interesting read. UPS to trial 3D printing in several stores. The moon affects our sleep patterns, even when we can’t see it. An interesting profile of Machiavelli. Amazon is selling … Continue reading →

Articles The cultural syncretism behind a Texan girl’s fifteenth birthday party – this one is a really fascinating read. (Free reg’n may be required.) Traffic lights, lift doors, and buttons that don’t work. Why do comment threads erupt into flame … Continue reading →

Articles The history of canned food, a lengthy but fascinating read. Mary Beard examines the extent to which Caligula deserves his bad reputation. A number of Chinese microbloggers are not impressed by the world’s (purported) future tallest building. … and … Continue reading →

Articles: The Archbishop of Canterbury wants to create credit unions that will out-compete payday lenders — but the really interesting part is what happened when Italian monks tried doing the same 500 years ago. “British cathedrals today face mounting challenges … Continue reading →

This week (and hopefully, in future weeks) I’ll be trying something a bit different – I think I can dig up enough links to do this twice a week. So enjoy those below, and stay tuned for a second roundup … Continue reading →

Articles: A lengthy and fascinating interview with the former head of the CIA and NSA. Nadia Popova, Hero of the Soviet Union, a woman who flew 852 combat missions during World War 2, died on 8 July. Here is her … Continue reading →

Articles: This is AWESOME: Seattle’s “Books on Bikes” program will see 11 librarians cycle around, each pulling a trailer of books. Air travel a la Somalia. Youtube’s “studio” in LA, and what it says about Google’s ambitions. Fascinating and a … Continue reading →