Notebooks

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The merrie histories of R.J. Unstead

The histories of R.J. Unstead brought the past to life for millions of school children. His name and his story-telling talents deserve reviving.

Dominic Sandbrook June 18, 2021

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Why bittersweet beats SOUR

Early twentieth-century poet Edna St Vincent Millay's laconic verse is an antidote to modern pop's cult of heartbreak.

Francesca Peacock June 17, 2021

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Should we be paranoid about the androids?

The early pioneers of AI music were derided and feared. Does it deserve a revival?

Oliver Rhodes June 16, 2021

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Eureka — what’s the truth about Archimedes’ cry?

Was it a crown or a ship that inspired the ancient inventor's discovery?

Armand D'Angour June 16, 2021

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On tea

Within this international drink is a microcosm of all the movements and ambitions and exchanges of mankind.

Mahan Esfahani June 10, 2021

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The secret life of hemp

What connects a cannabis plant with the French Revolution? The little Italian town of Carmagnola – where the manufacture of cannabis hemp became local myth and an international phe..

Tobias Jones June 8, 2021

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How to speak when speech isn’t free

Today's free thinkers, frustrated by censorship from above and below, would do well to remember the ways of Machiavelli.

Erica Benner June 5, 2021

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Nothing like a midsummer sacrifice

The summer solstice celebrations are not simply pagan fancies. They embody the centuries-old spirit of the season.

Francesca Peacock June 5, 2021

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Turin’s touch of the divine

Any trip to Turin would be incomplete without a visit to Palazzo Madama, a treasure trove of Renaissance art and mysterious relics.

Agnès Poirier June 1, 2021