History

Tracing the Reach of Storytelling

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Reading Time: 8 minutes In every story told, there lies meaning-making and believe-making. We catch imagery in words and worlds because we alter or construct our reality, shaping how we perceive and interact with everything around us. Storytelling began with simple forms. In his study of narrative development, Arthur Ransome identified two primary types in the dawn of storytelling: the ‘Warning Example’ and the ‘Embroidered Exploit.’  But in the beginning storytelling was not an affair of pen and ink. It began with the Warning Examples naturally told by …

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The Cultural Phenomenon of Jólabókaflóð, Iceland’s Book Flood

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Reading Time: 8 minutes ‘Twas the night before Christmas, in each Icelandic home,   When families gathered, not a soul felt alone; Kleinur and laufabrauð were arranged with great care, As the magic of Christmas filled the crisp evening air. The children were nestled all snug with a book in their hands,   Sailing through sagas and tales from faraway lands; And mamma with her mystery, and I with my book,   Had just settled our brains in our cozy nook. During the Christmas festive season, the Icelandic word Jólabókaflóð makes the rounds …

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How Did English Achieve Its Worldwide Reach? (part 2)

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Reading Time: 9 minutes The English language’s global dominance is no accident. It can be traced back through a three-stage process: the initial spread of English by the British Empire, its proliferation through the two World Wars, and its reach through the soft power of the Internet age. The British Empire, often referred to as “the empire on which the sun never sets”, reached North America, India, Australia, Africa, and Asia. English became the colonies’ official language of administration, justice, business, and education. Proficiency in English was a …

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How Did English Achieve Its Worldwide Reach? (part 1)

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Reading Time: 4 minutes I first became interested in the topic of my thesis [the spread of the English language] while on holidays in Crete; there a guide jokingly told us that if the capital of the island would be destroyed and unearthed a thousand years later, future archaeologists would probably conclude that the inhabitants spoke English because all the shop-signs are in that language. Daniel Spichtinger – The Spread of English and its Appropriation Learning English presents a considerable challenge due to its linguistic irregularities. From spelling and …

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Changing the Face of War – Sir Harold Gillies and the Origins of Modern Reconstructive Surgery

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Reading Time: 6 minutes [Describing World War I] Only one village in all of France escaped without losing at least one of its citizens. This explains why, even in the tiniest of villages, there is a monument honouring those who were killed in the war. Every year, wreaths are laid, and ceremonies are held. Wherever we went, people kept returning to one theme: the extraordinary amount of blood that had been shed. “World War II,” they would say. “Oh, it was terrible, but it was nothing compared to …

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A Deception Study: Operation Mincemeat 

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Reading Time: 9 minutes All warfare is based on deception. Sun Tzu  Deceit and violence – these are the two forms of deliberate assault on human beings. But deceit controls more subtly, for it works on belief as well as action.  When we undertake to deceive others intentionally, we communicate messages meant to mislead them, meant to make them believe what we ourselves do not believe. We can do so through gesture, through disguise, by means of action or inaction, even through silence.  Sissela Bok – Secrets: On the …

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Leonardo da Vinci: Between the Tongue of the Woodpecker and Mona Lisa

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Reading Time: 11 minutes Get hold of a skull. Nutmeg.  Observe the holes in the substance of the brain, where there are more or less of them.  Describe the tongue of the woodpecker and jaw of a crocodile.  Give measurement of the dead using his finger [as a unit].  Get your books on anatomy bound. Boots, stockings, comb, towel, shirts, shoelaces, penknife, pens, a skin for the chest, gloves, wrapping paper, charcoal.  This to-do list belonged to Leonardo da Vinci, written perhaps before a journey da Vinci took to …

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The Apgar Score and Its Hidden Lessons

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Reading Time: 7 minutes The first test newborns have to pass is the Apgar score, a rating system from zero to ten used by healthcare providers to determine how thriving a newborn is.  Appearance (skin colour), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflexes), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing rate), these categories are each rated from zero to two so that midwives, nurses or obstetricians can quickly assess a baby’s condition after birth. A score of seven or above indicates the baby is in good health. A lower score does not …

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