History wsc challenge stuff 2024 final.pdf

History One clue to your whenabouts might be the text around you: not just the headlines on newspapers and store signs, but the fonts they’re printed in. Consider some of the history of typography, then discuss with your team: how different would the world look today if Microsoft had chosen Comic Sans instead of Calibri as its default typeface in the early 2000s—or as its successor 20 years later. The London Underground also decided to update its font in 2016 for a more modern look—did it succeed? Be sure to learn the difference between serif and sans serif fonts, and then see which ones are used more widely. Does the same distinction apply in non-Western alphabets? history of typography -gutenberg invented printing press mid-15th century (1440), made books available to masses -gutenberg inspired by movable type (northern song, bi sheng) of east asia, for idea -he was goldsmith, letter prints durable and reusable (saves time) -he created the first font, blackletter, og used for manuscripts. bad why? limited text per page, take longer -1470, nicolas jenson cooked ol’ gb, creating first roman typeface, based on blackletter/italian humanist -first to be based on typographic principles rather than manuscript models -his font is the basis for many modern fonts, like centaur, created by bruce rogers in 1914, and adobe jenson, created by robert slimback in 1996 -got one-upped; 1501, aldus manutius and francesco griffo created the first italic typeface, allow more text onto page (so initially for space-saving measures, now for emphasis) -readability (prev ones focused on effic) 1734, william caslon created old style typefaces, more contrast between strokes in each letter, more readable -1757, john baskerville created transitional typefaces with more distinct letterforms -baskerville made improvements, to type, ink, and printing press, his typeface was really black -ridiculed, font flopped, revived in 20th, hailed ‘greatest printer england ever produced’ -in 1780s, french firmin didot and italian giambattista bodoni created modern serifs, better for headlines, titles, less readable when small -first slab serif (BEEFY, MEATY, THICK BOI) called “antique” orig est 1815, vincent figgins, lack of curvature, specif used at large sizes, like posters, used in advert -sans serif, william caslon IV developed caslon egyptian in 1816, caught on quickly, stood out bc of it -serif fonts, like this one, have like little indents in the letters, that’s what serif fonts are, like more finer details. In the letter L, for example, you can see there are little indents and bits sticking out. Here is a side by side of a sans-serif and a serif (serif on the left). L L -fonts like ‘this’n (arial, helvetica), are sans serif, not having those special properties -sans serif was influenced by block lettering, used in antiquity, serifs basically m.i.a -in early 1800s, western world had egyptomania, typography, design took cues from ancient egyptian art, blocky lettering style -edward johnston, created johnston typeface 1916, still in use today, sans serif -frederic goudy went full time creating fonts (bruh) in 1913, creating legendary fonts like copperplate gothic and goudy old style (stol-borrowed from jenson’s old style typefaces) -1957, max miedinger designed HELVETICA (gasp), very iconic -more minimalist typefaces, futura, paul renner, 1927 -even more, optima, hermann zapf, 1958 -first digital typeface, digi grotesk, rudolf hell, 1968 -early digital fonts were bitmaps, bad readability aqt small sizes -1974, first vector fonts were developed, better readability, smaller file sizes -truetype fonts in late 1980s, easy access for computers, printers -1997, CSS incorp first font styling rules in code, internet explorer began supporting web fonts -WOFF (Web Open Font Format) in 2009 made web fonts wides0pread by 2011 -variable fonts in 2016, part of the opentype standard, more efficient (size), smaller file sizes -problems rn: lack of global language fonts, untapped potential in color fonts aptos, the new default font for microsoft office apps -microsoft ditched calibri in 2021 for bierstadt, later renamed aptos -si daniels, principal program manager for office design announced dis in 2023 -bc of user surveys, and also satya nadella replace steve ballmer as ceo -microsoft approached steve matteson for new font in 2019 (the guy worked w/ ms since 90s) -steve was also contributed to the dev of the segoe font used in ms’ logo and marketing -ms considered his font to replace calibri, so he submitted five proposal fonts -matteson was busy with truetype for windows 3.1 at that time, his font, first named grotesque no.2, then titled bierstadt, a mountain in CO, then renamed to Aptos (town in santa cruz) definitely not because microsoft pressured him into it -font was adapted for multiple languages, made monetary symbols, added greek and cyrillic letters -able to easily differ between upper I and lower l (unlike arial, apparently), but he said calibri n’a pas big problem, just new, refreshing look for ms london underground changed font (barely) -johnston typeface, had a very minor change -dis new adaptation is named johnston100, introduced in 2016 (first centenary) by the transport for london org -apparently the changes were made for a 21st-century adaptation, to ensure relevance in the modern era -insists that new style retains original soul, while adapting to 21st cenyiury needs, and @ introduced -jon hunter, head of TfL design, says they;re now necessary bc of sm or whatever -donna steel acknowledges the revolutionary nature of johnston’s original letters. good for her -monotype, made sure to keep the original soul of johnston in the new font, studied old posters and stuff to preserve soul and the distinctive features of the og, the goated typeface -quick history of the typeface -1913, edward johnston, legend, commissioned by frank pick london transport director, making johnston sans 1916 -minor update, 1970, eicchi kono, adapted font slightly for new printing tech, turning periods from circles to diamonds -2016, johnston100 emerged The Queen King of England doesn’t live in a castle; Buckingham Palace has neither a moat nor a drawbridge. Castles and palaces are often confused—unsurprising, as both are large structures with no real purpose in the year 2024. Research the following castles and palaces that have found ways to open their doors to modern visitors, then discuss with your team: would their original residents have liked “what we’ve done with the place”? While most renovated castles and palaces are converted into hotels or museums, what else could be done with them? Should they be converted into low-cost housing for those in need? The Winter Palace (Russia) | Rambagh Palace (India) Parador Alcaniz (Spain) | St Donats Castle (Wales) Alnwick Castle (England) | Doune Castle (Scotland) diff between castles and palaces -castles were built for defensive purposes, often in strategic positions, equipped with fortifications to protect against attacks -palaces serve no defensive purpose; instead, they are luxurious residences designed to showcase wealth and power, featuring elaborate architecture and decorations castles: -thick walls, heavy gates to keep invaders out -high towers for keeping lookout over surrounding areas -parapets (slits in the walls) for archers to shoot with cover -gatehouses for admitting allies -moats for defensive purposes palaces: -rich people stuff -cool architecture winter palace st. petersburg, russia -a major component of state hermitage museum -former official residence of the russian tsars -exhibitions: houses vast collections of art and historical artifacts, past to present -special exhibitions, rotating displays keep them fresh, engaging -education programs: offers these programs, workshops, lectures to engage visitors of all types -elevators, ramps, rest areas added for visitors’ accessibility (including disabled) -digital enhancements, interactive exhibits, audio guides, mobile apps -events: cultural events, concerts, theatrical performances, gala dinners, special themed tours and behind the scenes access into the palace’s history and operations rambagh palace jaipur, india -went from royal residence to hotel -luxury hotel with lavishly decorated, posh suites -rooms are furnished with traditional decor but also modern amenities -fine dining restaurants, both indian and international cuisines -royal banquets, qith authentic rajasthani cuisine -modern amenities like spa and swimming pool, fitness cneter etc -culktural experiences, heritage walks, cultrual performances -event hosting, like weddings, celebrations, corporate events -vintage car rides, polo matches parador de alcaniz alcaniz, spain -dating back to the 12th century, it’s been renovated, and now converted into luxury hotel -historical rooms, designed to retain historical charm, but also has like wi-fi, a.c and modern bathrooms -serves traditional aragonese cuisine -recreational facilities, pool, garden, terrace with panoramic views -houses numerous historical artifacts and artwork, delve into rich past -medieval architecture, preserving towers, walls, courtyards -situated on a hilltop st donat’s castle vale of glamorgan, wales -dates back to 12th century, owned by many noble families, in the 20th century, purchased by William Randolph Hearst, newspaper magnate who restored and modernized the castle -home to Atlantic college since 1962, one of founding institutions of UWC -has dorms, classrooms, rec facilities, while still preserving historical character of buildings -fits modern standards, heatuinbg, wifi, etc -concerts, theatrical performances -guided tours of the castle, gardensk, insights into history, archi, life of william randolph hearst -restoration projects keep its historical features -atlantic co empha sustaina -can be hired as venue for weddings, parties, corporate events -popiular location in film and tv alnwick castle northumberland, england -dates back to 11th century, one of the largest and most iconic in en -always been and still is the residence of the duke of northumberland -has been the home of the percy family for over 700 years -significant role in british history, serving as a militaryt fortress, noble residence, also where the harry potter films are filmed -there are castle tours, exploring the grand state rooms, art collections, historical artifacts, and also harry potter stuff -school visits, workshops and activities, has numerous themed events throughout the yearl, medi reenactments, jousting tourneys, histor festivals -special events for christmas, halloween -dining, shops, archery, falconry, more harry potter stuff doune castle doune, scotland -well-preserved medieval castlel, dates back to 14th century -built in the late 14th century by robert stewart, duke of albany, has served as a royal residence, hunting loidge, and a stronghold -has a large gatehouse, a great hall, a courtyard -guided tours, audio tours narrated by monty python (a film apparently)’s terry jones -information panels, interactive exhibits -monty python and the holy grail filmed here -outlander tv show also filmed here -featured in pilot episode of game of thrones -gift shop visitor centre, various events held, seasonal celebrations, workshops and activities for crafts, archery, histor reenact, jousting tourneys, fairs,, restoration proj, collabs with heritage orgs to preserve scots cultural heritage, promote histor edu so… given that many of them have been vacated and are not used for their original purpose of housing the royalty or fending as strongholds anymore, the original residents may be grateful that instead of letting them slowly fade away and crumble, people are carrying on their cultural heri8tage, preserving tehse places and allowing people from le monde entier to see their history. on the other hand, one could also argue that by tampering, adding contemporary exhibits or installations has tarnished the original, historical beauty of these places. both arguments are valid, i guess You can’t read records that don’t exist, just as you can’t listen to music that was never recorded. Learn about the world’s earliest record-keeping, usually credited to the Sumerians or the Egyptians. Compare their early forms of writing—cuneiform and hieroglyphics—then discuss: would there be advantages to living in a world where no one keeps written track of anything? Be sure to investigate the following strategies that early civilizations used to record their histories. What were their limitations, and can we learn from any of them today? petroglyphs | cuneiform | nsibidi | quipus | Dispilio Tablet oracle bones | cylcons | geoglyphs | runestones petroglyphs: rock carvings made by removing part of the rock’s surface. most held deep relig significance or were used as maps (depict surrounding terrain + various symbols). the first ones were created around 40k y.a, the oldest cluster thought to be in iran, from creation, remained popular until around 7-9k y.a when the earliest writing systems were introduced. can be found in every region except antarctica, most highly concentrated in siberia, scandinavia, africa (not to be confused with petrographs, which are rock paintings) nsibidi (skibidi?): brain rot aside, nsibidi was a system of pictograms indigenous to the ejagham (edge? too much bruh) peoples of southeastern nigeria (im sorry). the system had several hundred symbols, many of which deal with love affairs, still used today, primarily by the ekpe secret society -before colonial era, there was a sacred and public version (more-decorative, mainly used by women) of the system -colonial rule greatly decreased the no. of nsibidi-literate peeps, and the two v.s gradually merged -during the transatlantic slave trade, the sys spread to cuba and haiti, where it developed into the veve and anaforuana symbols, which are no longer used quipus: -a recording device fashioned from strings used by a no. of societies in andean sud america -the incas used quipu including (not limited to) collecting data, monitoring taxes, keepiung track of calendar stuff, organizing troops -the cords stored numeric info as knots, in a base 10 positional system -during spanish colonial rule, almost all quipu were destroyed though in some isolated towns and villages they have continued to serve an important ceremonial purpose -we don’t know if it had a corresponding language/writing system -if it did, it will most likely be nearly impossible to decipher without a bilingual speaker due to its unique structure dispilio tablet: a wooden tablet containing inscribed markings -more than 7k years old, radiocarbon dating used -the inscription on it is the oldest known text in existence -the tablet’s text is currently indecipherable and will remain that way without a rosetta stone-like discovery -found in 1933 in george hourmouziadis’ excavations of dispilio, greece (neolithic lakeside settlement) at the bottom of lake kastoria -when it was found, it was partially damaged due to being exposed to an oxygen rich environment for a long period of time oracle bones: pieces of animal bone and turtle shells that were used in divination ceremonies in ancient china, mainly during the late shang dynasty -questions were carved on the bones/shell before they were subjected to intense heat through a metal rod until it cracked due to thermal expansion -a diviner would then interpret the pattern of the cracks, seen to be a message from the person’s ancestor, and finish by writing the answer to the question on the bone -by the time the zhou dynasty came, the questions were increasingly written with ink meaning that the messages degraded over time -the inscriptions and patterns are currently indecripherable cyclons: a cylindrical stone marked with incisions -most likely originally served a magical/religious function that was gradually replaced by a more utilitarian one, like a pestle in food production, or used to communicate messages -some are even thought to claim maps, which would make them the oldest in existence -it’s impossible to date the majority of cyclons but the oldest datable one to be discovered so far is 20k geoglyphs: a large scale drawing made on the ground made by arranging stones, stretching th earth, etc -they’re usually only fully visible from a distance or the air -while mkany geoglyphs are ancient, they are not unusual as a modernj form of art being popularized during the Land Art movement -the purpose of more ancient geoglyphs si still unknown but learning more about them could reveal more about their creators -the most famous one ar ethe nazca lines in peru, consisting of white lines along the desert landscape which form largue figures when seen from above runestones: large stones with a runic inscription -often memorials to dead men -most are brightly colored, but the color has long worn off -the first runestones were created in the 4th century and kept going strong until the 12th century\-used by ancient scandinavian societies, most notably the vikings -vast majority are in scandinavia, mainly in sweden, highly concentrated in uppland, the province like in the east, the upper part of the large spiky bulge east of like central sweden -different symbols have different meanings based on their location, so understanding the inscriptions on them in the modern age has been difficult -linguistic info and docs from the vikings would help cuneiform: -developed by sumerians of ancient mesopo around 3.4k bc -term ‘cuneiform’ comes from the latin word ‘cuneus’ meaning ‘wedge’ due to its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets -inscribed on clay tablets with a reed stylus -began as pictographs, evolved into abstract symbols represen sounds and ideas -over time, it was adapted by other cultures such as the akkadians, babylonians, and assyrians -languages: sumerian, akkadian, elamite, hittite, and old persian hieroglyphics: -developed by ancient egyptians around 3.1k bc -consists of detailed pictorial symbols, the term ‘hieroglyph’ meaning ‘sacred carving’ in greek -commonly found on temple walls, tombs, and papyrus scrolls -also carved into stone and wood -hieroglyphs could represent objects,m sounds (phonetic symbols) or ideas (ideograms) -over time, they were simplified into hieratic and demotic scripts for everyday use -primarily for egyptian comparison: -c originated in mesopo with the sumerians and spread to other culktures in the region, while h originated in egypt and remained primarily within the egyptian cultural sphere -c consists of wedge-shaped marks. initially it was pictographic, but became more abstract over time, while h was detailed pictorial symbols, each representing objects, sounds, or ideas - c was inscribed on clay tablets while h was found on temple walls, tombs, papyrus, stone and wood -c evolved from pictographs to abstract symbols, adapting to several languages, while h remained relatively consistent in form, though simplified into hieratic and demotic* scripts for everyday use -c was used by various cultures for multiple languages, while h was primarily used by ancient egyptians for religious and/or official inscriptions *Hieratic is the name given to a cursive writing system used for Ancient Egyptian and the principal script used to write that language from its development in the third millennium BCE until the rise of Demotic in the mid-first millennium BCE. It was primarily written in ink with a reed brush on papyrus (wikipedia) Now, AI is allowing artists like Bas Uterwijk to update sculptures and other portraits that predate photography with photorealistic results. Even individuals from a time predating art itself, like the Iceman Otzi, can now look us in the eye. Discuss with your team: is it helpful to see the faces of people from so long ago, or is it wrong to reconstruct their likenesses without their permission? Bas Uterwijk: a dutch artist using modern technology to create realistic photo-style portraits of famous figures only depicted in paint and sculpture, say napoleon, or van gogh, statue of liberty, van gogh, michelangelo’s david, george washington, etc; he uses deep-learning AI to create realistic digital renderings of these key faces in history Iceman otzi: a glacier mummy from the copper age, who has miraculously been preserved down to the present day. he was discovered accidentally by hikers in 1991, with his clothing and equipment on the Val Senales Valley glacier in italy and has been extensively researched ever since. apparently, over 5.3k ya, he was crossing tisenjoch in said valley, south tyrol, where he was murdered and preserved naturally in the ice. He is therefore older than the pyramids of gize, stonehenge, etc.he lived in the copper age/late neolithic, and was still suing stone tools, but had a copper axe. The skill of extracting and processing metal had recently arrived in europe from asia minor,m and this period essentially marked the beginning of the bronze age -he and his artifacts can be found at the south tyrol museum of archaeology in bolzano, italy “Captain’s log,” says whoever is captaining the Enterprise. “Stardate…” Star Trek’s stardates are based on a calendar meant to be used around the galaxy. Consider the different calendars and related listed below, then discuss with your team: does it make sense to restart the calendar periodically, perhaps when a new leader takes over? Or would such changes risk angering people—as when the English allegedly rioted over the loss of eleven days as part of a calendar transition in 1752? Julian | Gregorian | Islamic | Japanese | Korean Rumi | Hindu | Nepali | Mayan | Solar | Lunar stardates (star trek) -were originally four-digit numbers with one decimal point -maintained consistency within one script maybe but not necessarily across seasons -chosen pretty randomly -the first season was set between 2265 and 2269, and stardates ranged from 1312.4 to 5928.5 -star trek next generation, standardized to have five digits and one decimal -the first digit represented the 24th century, while the last four were meant to progress chronologically but not in exact order, still led to some confusion -the reboot added a new format with three decimal places restarting, eras of a calendar when a new leader takes over -their first calendar was introduced in 604, influenced by the chinese and korean calendar systems, was based on lunar system, the year only had 354 days, leading to some unreliabiolity -japan uses a system of era names for denoting years alongside the international standard of the gregorian calendar, which they adopted in 1873 -the system was introduced in 645, and there have been 248 era names in total -these era names are basically the japanese changing the way they denote the years based on the current emperor -since 1868, each emperor has had only one era name, the current being reiwa with emperor haruhito’s ascension to the throne -their calendar also incorporates zodiac animals, but arranged differently to china -the 24 sekki system is used to date agricultural cycles, marking important milestones like rain, harvesting, and winter -special days in the japanese calendar include the 5 sekku, or seasonal festivals, celebrated on days like jan 7th and may 5th -rokuyo system also categorizes days into a six-day repeating sequence, indicating which days are considered fortunate for various activities angry british people -’give us our eleven days’ -in september of 1752, britain changed over from the julian calendar to the gregorian calendar, aligning with the most of europe -britain had followed the julian calendar before this, but the calendar had an inbuilt error of 1 day every 128 years, due to a miscalculation of the solar year by 11 minutes -this affected the date of easter as a result (march 21 traditionally) as it began to move further away from the spring equinox* -to fix this problem, the gregorian calendar was introduced -so, it was decided that wednesday the 2nd of september 1752 would be followed by 14th september 1752 -and, of course, the british got angry, believing their lives would be shortened by 11 days or whatever, and rioted etc -dissatisfaction with changes to religious holidays as well -william hogarth’s ‘an election entertainment’ portrays the historic protests, but are exaggerated -’give us our eleven days’ were campaign slogans associated with the whigs and tories -the british government changed the tax collection date from lady day on march 25th to april 6th to avoid losing 11 days of tax revenue *During the equinox, the Earth's axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night gregorian calendar -named after pope gregory XIII (13) -introduced in 1582 -based on a solar year -has leap years, more accurately adjusted than the julian calendar -current international standard julian calendar -named after julius caesar -introduced in 46 bc -based on a solar year of 365.25 days -introduced leap years to correct the discrepancy -only used in a few orthodox churches modern day, like the one in russia to calculate the dates of moveable feasts islamic calendar -based on the lunar cycle -12 months in a year of 354/355 days -primarily used in islamic countries for religious purposes and determining holidays -begins with the migration of muhammad from mecca to medina -still used by saudi and other gulf countries officially (but they use gregorian for civil purposes) korean calendar -similar to the gregorian calendar, with some differences in holidays and celebrations -uses the same months and days as the gregorian calendar -lunar new year and chuseok (harvest festival) are significant holidays -adopted greogrian in 1896 -traditional festivals, holidays and age -reckoning for older generations still use the old calendar rumi calendar -named after the persian poet rumi -used in ottoman empire from 1839–1925 (ataturk’s reforms) -follows teh lunar islamic calendar but with different names for months hindu calendar -based on a lunisolar calendar -12 months of lunar, then solar -the lunar year is 354 days, and the solar is 365, so the discrepancy is partially resolved by an extra month every 30 months -follows regional variations, and includes, religious festivals nepali calendar -based on the hindu calendar system -official calendar of nepal -followes a lunisolar calendar with 12 lunar months and occasional leap months mayan calendar -used by ancient mayans -based on complex astronomical observations -consists of different calendar cycles., including the Haab’ (solar) and Tzolk’in (ritual) calendars solar calendar -based on the solar cycle, with a year determined by the earth’s orbit around the sun -most modern calendars, including the gregorian, are solar calendars lunar calendar -based on the lunar cycle, with months determined by the phases of the moon -used for religious, cultural, and agricultural purposes in various cultures present day lunisolar calendars: viet, korean, chinese, hindu, hebrew, and thai *usually just add an additional month every second or third year (intercalation) A storytelling trope is that high school seniors know nothing will ever be the same again for them and their friends. (The trope is accurate.) The same weight can apply to entire countries and calendars. In 1996, aware the millennium was ending, American president Bill Clinton hoped to deliver an Inaugural Address for the ages. Reviewing it can provide insight into how people in the 1990s were reimagining their world. “Ten years ago,” he said, “the Internet was the mystical province of physicists; today, it is a commonplace encyclopedia for millions of schoolchildren.” No mention of e-commerce, nor a whisper of social media. Then, evoking the academic Francis Fukayama’s theory of the end of history, he adds, “The world is no longer divided into two hostile camps… For the very first time in history, more people on this planet live under democracy than dictatorship.” Review more of his speech, then discuss with your team: does it sound like one that a political leader could deliver today? Were the 1990s an important period of transition in your own country as well? Bill Clinton’s Second Inaugural Speech: -january 20, 1997 -last presidential inauguration of the 20th century -he reflected on america’s storied past, emphasizing milestones like the civil war, slavery being abolished, the us emerging as a global power driven by advancements in tech, edu, justice,etc -he also underscored the need for new choices in the 21st century, harnessing the forces of the information age, like the internet -clinton envisioned a smaller, more efficient gov empowering indiv to shape their destinies, stressing the importance of community, respo and national prid -he also addressed issues like racial divide, he called for generosity and unity to overcome challenges -his vision was defined by tech adv, global coop, and edu opport for all -invoked mlk’s dream of equality, pledging to uphold the american dream through resp, unity, progress -he echoed cardinal bernardin’s call to eschew division, embrace strength and courage in shaping a brighter future for all americans the end of history: -francis fukuyama’s theory on the end of history was introduced in a 1989 paper and expanded into a book in 1992 -he didn’t mean the end of history literally as in nothing else of historical significance would happen or the imminent end of the human race, he meant that essentially we’d reached the unsurpassable ideal, the peak of governance, although not perfect, is the least-worst form -claims that liberal democracy, with all its flaws, was the unsurpassable ideal, there was nothing better in practice, we’d reached the end of the development of statecraft, ideologies -the term history in his theory would be better as ‘modernisation’ or ‘development’ ok, so why? requirements of a liberal democratic state: -it is democratic, not only in the sense of allowing elections, but in the outcomes of these elections resulting in the implementation of the will of th epeople -the state possesses sufficient strength and authority to enforce its laws and administer services -the state – and its highest representatives – is itself constrained by law. its leaders are not above the law -fukuyama argues that states which have eschewed liberal democracy (proclaimed it dead or dying) like russia and china are still vulnerable in two ways -their reliance on a single leader or small leadership group at the top virtually guarantees bad decision-making over the long-term -the absence of public participation in any political processes means the support for such leaders is inherently volatile, liable to evaporate at any moment -the phrase “the end of history” was coined by german philosopher hegel -was interpreted by marx and french philosopher alexandre kojeve -hegel argued that history has a telos, or goal, an end point -the state would emerge as perfectly rational and just, guarantee the liberty necessary for the full development of all human capacities, and would exist in perpetual peace with other similry configured states -kojeve said hegel had witnessed ‘the beginning of the end of history’ with the french rev -fukuyama agreed with kojeve -for marx, the end of history would be global communism, the end of exploitation of man by man, the dissolution of private property, emergence of a system in which each indiv would contribute ‘accoridng to his ability’ and consume ‘accoridnbg to his needs’ It doesn’t always take a volcano: the Roman ruins at Ostia Antica offer a look back into history similar to what most people seek out in Pompeii, even if they were preserved less perfectly. Where would you go in your country for the most authentic peek at how the world used to be? Discuss with your team: if an OpenAI project destroyed all life on Earth but left our cities intact, what would a future anthropologist conclude about human civilization? How much would their conclusions vary depending on what city they visited? Ostia Antica: -ostia antica was once the ancient port of rome -it has hundreds of 2000-year-old buildings -ostia antica is about 16 miles southwest of rome -there is a museum adjoining the ruins, with statues and other excavated items -there is a 15th century castle, named Castello di Giulio II. it’s a massive papal fortress from around 1483 with rounded walls and towers, and is now home to a ceramics museum -kristin jackson says that unlike rome or pompeii, the place is quite tranquil, with no pushy vendors, street noise, and is almost never crowded -a visit to ostia antica gives a sense of ordinary life long ago, a look into a run-of-the-mill working town which used to be Rome’s port near the mouth of theTiber River -at it’s peak, ostia antica was home to over 80,000 people -ostia antica declined along with the roman empire, and over time, tidal mud, blowing dirt and/or sand covered up much of the city, which helped preserve it, and ostia antica fell into obscurity until excavations began in the early 1900s -today, the ruins, the castle, the fields and the quiet little town nearby create a tranquil ambience, a welcome break from the urban intensity of Rome -there is a small town, as well, that adjoins the ruins -it’s a sleepy place, with a tiny exclave of cobbled streets surrounding the castle Pompeii: (the article no longer exists, apparently) -Pompeii was an ancient city located in Italy. It was where the Romans once lived, until it was buried by volcanic ash during the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD -With today’s X-raying tech people’s decomposed bodies we found what the city looked like, and with CGI technology, we can see how the streets once looked (probably) -Professor Eric Poehler from University of Massachusetts used 3D mapping technology to put together a grid of the transportation network showing how people moved around that time. He also studied the wear on the stone curbs to determine that the city was made up of 100-ish one-way streets Investigate the following major archaeological and paleontological discoveries. What circumstances and strategies allowed us to discover them, and what impact have they had on our understanding of history and the present day? Discuss with your team: can you imagine a discovery that would dramatically change the modern world? Rosetta Stone | Taposiris Magna Stele | Borobudur | Petra | Sutton Hoo Aztec Calendar Stone | Ocomtún | Montevideo Maru | HMS Endurance Lucy and Ardi (fossils) | Java Man | Taung Child Oldowan tool kit | Paranthropus robustus | Tujiaaspis vividus Rosetta Stone - Discovered by French soldiers in Egypt in 1799 while digging for a fort. - A big stone slab with the same message written in three different scripts: Greek, Demotic, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. - It helped us figure out how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs because we could compare the Greek text, which we already understood, with the hieroglyphs. - This breakthrough opened up our understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization, their culture, and history. Taposiris Magna Stele - Found by archaeologists in 2021 at the Taposiris Magna temple in Egypt. - An ancient stone with inscriptions from the Ptolemaic period. - It gives us details about the religious and cultural practices in Egypt when Greek and Egyptian cultures were mixing. - Helps us understand how these two cultures influenced each other. Borobudur - Rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in Java, Indonesia, after hearing local stories. - A massive ancient Buddhist temple with many carved panels and statues of Buddha. - It’s an incredible example of Buddhist art and architecture, showing how people practiced Buddhism in ancient Java. - It’s a key site for Buddhists and a symbol of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Petra - Rediscovered in 1812 by a Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, with the help of local Bedouins. - An ancient city carved into red rock cliffs, with impressive buildings and a sophisticated water system. - Shows the amazing engineering and architectural skills of the Nabataeans. - Gives us a glimpse into an important trade center of the ancient world. Sutton Hoo - Discovered in 1939 in Suffolk, England by an archaeologist named Basil Brown. - An ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site with a ship and lots of valuable artifacts, including a famous helmet. - Changed our understanding of early medieval England, showing it was more wealthy and connected than we thought. - The artifacts give us a look at the craftsmanship and culture of that time. Aztec Calendar Stone - Discovered in 1790 during repairs on the Mexico City Cathedral. - A large stone carved with symbols representing the Aztec understanding of time and the cosmos. - It’s a detailed example of Aztec knowledge in astronomy and timekeeping. - Helps us understand Aztec mythology and rituals. Ocomtún - Discovered using LiDAR technology to scan the jungle in Mexico. - The remains of an ancient Mayan city with structures still being studied. - Shows the advanced urban planning and architecture of the Mayans. - Highlights how modern technology can help find hidden archaeological sites. Montevideo Maru - Located in 2023 in the South China Sea by historians and deep-sea explorers. - A sunken Japanese transport ship from World War II, carrying over 1,000 prisoners of war. - Provides closure for families of the victims. - Adds to the historical record of World War II naval history. HMS Endurance - Found in 2022 in the Weddell Sea by a team using underwater drones and sonar. - The ship used by Sir Ernest Shackleton on his Antarctic expedition, which sank in 1915. - Confirms the stories of Shackleton’s incredible survival journey. - Offers a chance to study a well-preserved ship in a unique environment. Lucy and Ardi (Fossils) - Lucy: Found in 1974 in Ethiopia by Donald Johanson’s team. - Ardi: Found in the early 1990s in Ethiopia. - Lucy: A skeleton of an early human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis, about 3.2 million years old. - Ardi: A skeleton of another early human ancestor, Ardipithecus ramidus, about 4.4 million years old. - Lucy: Showed that early human ancestors walked on two legs. - Ardi: Gave us insights into what our earliest ancestors looked like and how they moved. Java Man - Discovered by Eugène Dubois in 1891 on the island of Java, Indonesia. - Fossils of Homo erectus, an early human ancestor. - Supported the idea of human evolution, showing a link between apes and humans. - Helped us understand how early humans spread from Africa. Taung Child - Discovered in 1924 in South Africa by Raymond Dart. - The skull of a young Australopithecus africanus, an early human ancestor. - Provided evidence that human ancestors lived in Africa. - Helped confirm Africa as the birthplace of humanity. Oldowan Tool Kit - Discovered in the 1930s by Louis and Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. - The oldest known stone tools, about 2.6 million years old. - Shows the technological abilities of our early ancestors. - Crucial for understanding the development of human behavior and cognition. Paranthropus robustus - First discovered in 1938 by Robert Broom in South Africa. - Fossils of a robust early human ancestor with large jaws and teeth. - Showed a branch of human evolution with specialized adaptations. - Helped us understand the diversity of early human species. Tujia Aspis vividus - Discovered in China’s Tujia Autonomous Prefecture during paleontological digs. - Fossilized fish from a prehistoric era. - Offers insights into ancient marine life and ecosystems. - Helps reconstruct the evolutionary history of fish and other marine animals. Those who find traditional history museums a stuffy procession of rusty spoons and dusty dioramas may want to explore an open-air alternative: “living history museums” where one can time travel on the cheap. Consider the Spanish Village in Barcelona, where travelers can inspect 49,000 square meters of historical buildings and tilt at rusty slides with Don Quixote. At Heritage Park in Calgary, Banff-bound hikers can stop to pose for photos (and eat 19th century ice cream) with locals dressed up as Canadians from the days of fur trading and American invaders. For those on their way to the Dalian Global Round, the Millennium City Park in Kaifeng offers a hundred acres of life in the Northern Song Dynasty. If you drink coffee (which we do not endorse!) you might be drawn to the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Hawaii. Discuss with your team: do such museums offer valuable lessons, or do they actively harm our appreciation of culture and history? Dioramas: Aaron Delehanty is an artist who works in making Dioramas, or depictions of animals and people in their natural habitats, which he has been doing since 6th grade. This idea of a Diorama was first thought of by Carl Akeley in 1890, creating a whole scenery instead of just taxidermy. The process of making one, as Delehanty says, requires a lot of research, meeting botanists, zoologists, anthropologists, and archaeologists to get a good sense of the surroundings. He, working with many others, constructed various dioramas with this idea and technique in mind. A situation arose in 2015, where Delehanty worked with Akeley(To clarify, the connection with Akeley was through the taxidermy, not Akeley himself. He was dead.) with others in a crowdfunding campaign led by Emily Grasile from “The Brain Scoop”. This was a Youtube series which was filmed at the Field Museum and allegedly raised over 150k! Some dioramas he has worked on are a group of 5 striped Hyenas in Somaliland, 1896 as well as the Cyrus Tang Hall of China, near the Yangtze river from 5500 to 3300 BC. Now, he is currently working on restoring an old diorama from the 1940s which depicted Rochester in 1838. Overall, Delehanty believes that dioramas are a way to truly immerse yourselves in the past, with the scenery and everything present. Poble Espanyol: This is an open-air museum located at the bottom of Montjuic, Barcelona which was built in 1929 for the World’s Fair. This features replicas of 117 buildings from various regions of Spain, giving all visitors a taste of the genuine Spanish culture. Highlights of this place include watching craftspeople work, feeling the “soul” of Spain with their technology and media, admiring artworks from famous artists, including Picasso, as well as hosting events in the summer. The blueprints to build this were designed by Puig i Cadafalch, and went into action with their students Frances Folguera and Ramon Reventos. Along with others, they traveled to 1600 cities to find good buildings for the project. After the fair was done, the plan was to demolish it but it was so popular it was kept. Later on, from 2008 to 2018, there was a project where over 8 million euros, 2.3 million of which were solely invested in audio-visual technology, were spent in modernizing this work. The goal of this project was to combine architecture from all over Spain into 1 village. Basically, if you go to Poble Espanyol, you will be able to see every type of Spanish architecture. Puig i Cadafalch (Poble Espanyol Designer) made this to show Spanish history relative to modernism. Overall, a visit to Poble Espanyol is definitely worth it for its historical context, atmosphere, craftspeople, and restaurants. Heritage Park: “Heritage Park Historical Village” is the largest “Living” museum in Canada, located in Calgary. There are several attractions and settings which are present, and give an overview of the history of the place as well as acting as an amusement park. This park is a great experience for both children and adults to learn about Alberta’s cultural heritage and its past. It is populated with several buildings referencing the histories of Alberta, as well as having a steam engine in the background and even horse carts! With over 200 exhibits, there are plentiful things to explore there. This covers the period of time between the 1860s to the 1950s for a Canadian settler or immigrant, and showcases the situations back then. It was created in a joint agreement between the Woods Foundation and the City of Calgary to make a theme park about history. Overall, this is just a fun experience to take children and adults to see the historical background to Alberta, and will certainly cover up an entire day! It’s also a charity, so visiting them allows us to do more research on this topic. Note: The article gives NOTHING TO WORK ON, it’s more of an advertisement. Millennium City Park: This is a large-scale cultural and historical theme park located on the western shore of Longting Lake, Kaifeng, China. Founded in 1992 July, based on the painting “Millennium City Park” by Zhang Zeduan from the Northern Song Dynasty, this was opened in October 28th 1998. The park was a recreation based on the image, and war about life in the Song Dynasty and its history. Throughout the park there are several attractions based on the cultural background of the Song dynasty. This includes several older architecture like castles and bridges, and also staff in traditional costumes and over 20 performances depicting the life there! The main highlight and performance of this is “The Great Song Dynasty - Reminiscences of the Eastern Capital” which has hundreds of actors, and includes 9 parts and 8 spectacular Chinese song poems and a lifelike picture, “Qingming Festival”, again by Zhang Zeduan. Overall, this park is a fantastic way to experience the life and culture of the ancient Song Dynasty in an entertaining and informative way. Just hope you can get a Chinese Visa, though! Frontierland: Yep, here we are with another advertisement. First of all, the Smithsonian, what this is being compared to, is just a typical museum with all the boring historical things and everything. Now, onto the “Truly Magical Place”, or Frontierland. This is one of the theme lands in the Disneyland resort, and is like Disney’s take on the general past, as we think of it. This is inspired by the wild west and includes many attractions themed like so. It was, however, also based on Manifest Destiny before. When you think about stereotypical past ideas, you would think of the wild west, as well as maybe Mexican culture or others. Essentially, Disney is taking the most stereotypical ideas and incorporating them into this section of the park. This includes several of their movies, for one example being Coco. That movie in general references the thought and culture of Dias De Los Muertos, a Mexican traditional holiday like Halloween, celebrating those spirits of whom have passed away. Just overall, think of this place like a child-ified version of history. Although this can be an incredibly fun experience and influence kids to want to learn about this, it is certainly not a replacement for the immersive and direct thoughts of traditional museums, however it certainly can be one day. The most famous of these museums can also be the most controversial. Consider Plimoth Patuxet (formerly Plymouth Plantation) in Massachusetts, where visitors can take selfies with scurvy-free Pilgrims. The museum has been criticized for overlooking the indigenous peoples decimated by those same Pilgrims. Thus, the museum’s new name, and a new Native American settlement for tourists to explore—except it turns out the tribe members staffing it are not descendants of the tribe the Pilgrims first encountered. Discuss with your team: would it be better if they were—or would this be a different form of exploitation? Would it ever be okay for someone not of tribal descent to staff the Native American area of the museum? What if they weren't technically tribe members but identified with the tribe enough to adopt its practices and cherish its customs? Research the Howick Historical Village in Auckland and discuss with your team: how does its approach compare to that of Plimoth Patuxet? The Howick Historical Village, nestled in Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand, stands as a vibrant testament to the colonial history of the region, offering visitors an immersive journey into the past. Despite its name, the village provides a captivating recreation of a New Zealand colonial settlement spanning the years from 1840 to 1880, spread across seven acres adorned with over 30 meticulously preserved colonial buildings. The origins of the village trace back to the founding of the Howick Historical Society in 1962, spurred by a gathering of like-minded individuals passionate about preserving local history. The development of the Howick Historical Village commenced in 1972, with the generous donation of Bell House and the allocation of five acres of land by the local council. Over the course of eight years, the village took shape through the dedicated efforts of volunteers, with various historical buildings donated and relocated to the site. Funding for the project was largely raised through grassroots initiatives such as the sale of Christmas cards and bake sales. In 1980, the village officially opened its doors as the Howick Colonial Village, boasting 14 meticulously restored buildings. Over time, it expanded and evolved, eventually being renamed the Howick Historical Village and now encompassing over 30 historical structures. Today, the village is owned and operated by the Howick & Districts Historical Society, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving and sharing local heritage. Open to the public year-round, except for select holidays, the village welcomes school groups and visitors eager to delve into New Zealand's colonial past. However, like many institutions, the Howick Historical Village faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, temporarily closing its doors and experiencing setbacks in funding and attendance. Although it has since reopened, thanks in part to a government grant, the village continues to navigate restoration projects and ongoing efforts to maintain its historical authenticity. One notable project includes the restoration of Sergeant Ford's Cottage in 2016, which encountered unexpected challenges but was ultimately salvaged through the support of the Stevenson Village Trust. In 2019, the restoration efforts extended to the Pakuranga Schoolhouse, funded by lottery commissions and executed by various contractors, showcasing the ongoing commitment to preserving and celebrating New Zealand's colonial heritage at the Howick Historical Village. Plimoth Patuxet: -so basically, plimoth patuxet, formerly plimoth plantation, is a living history museum on one of the Pilgrims’ first settlements in the US: Plymouth, massachusetts -we’ve all heard the legends of the plagiarism landing at plymouth rock, and having the first thanksgiving, and plimoth patuxet claims to be an immersive recreation of a 17th century English village that the pilgrims likely would have lived in -the museum recreates seven and a half months of 1627 every year -they have actors portraying historical residents in an apparently meticulously, painstakingly researched and reconstructed environment that should be like almost identical down to the exact details, and should have you bleeding red white and blue within five minutes -so basically, it’s like a diorama, but there are actual actors, and it’s like a play of what they do on a day-to-day basis for seven months -the museum has been in operation since 1947, and includes a colonial village with a fort, water-powered mill, and barns -even the animals there are heritage breed, and plimoth patuxet is part of a global effort to save these old and endangered breeds -there are wampanoag recreations as well, and there is also a full-scale replica of the Mayflower II, the ship the Pilgrims sailed to Plymouth in 1620 some people have criticisms, however: -native americans in the area called for a boycott of the museum, saying the museum has not lived up to its promise of creating a “bi-cultural museum” that tells equally the story of the european and indigenous peoples that lived there -these complaints stem from the fact that the ‘historic patuxet homesite’, the portion of the museum focused on traditional indigenous life, is inadequately small, in need of repairs, and staffed by workers who aren’t from local tribes -the museum spokesperson rob kluin, issued a statement saying the museum has expanded the outdoor wampanoag exhibit, raising over $2 million towards a new indigenous programs building and has “several initiatives in place” to recruit staff from native communities -people who actually went to the living history museum say that the wampanoag exhibit is clearly lackluster, and neither of the two interpreters on site were wearing traditional attire, while the colonial buildings had been given fresh repairs just recently and the many reenactors milled about in detailed colonial period outfits The difference in approach between these two places is in the leadership, the resources and the people that make up their staff. For the Howick Historical Village, they gathered like-minded individuals all dedicated to preserving local history and culture, and raised funds for the project through grassroots initiatives. This means that instead of having an ulterior motive perhaps, their sole mission is not profits, or to attract tourists, it is to recreate and meticulously restore the buildings as historically accurate as possible, and the whole thing came together thanks to generous donations, a bit of land from the local council, volunteers and a building here and there. On the other hand, the Plimoth Patuxet museum is clearly much more well-funded, and over the years, has seemed like its lost touch with its original purpose of celebrating both the history of the indigenous peoples and the Pilgrims that settled there. It’s not that the project was inherently base or against the indigenous people, its the leadership and museum officials getting careless over time, misrepresenting and not putting enough resources, manpower or effort into the indigenous exhibits that they do into the colonial ones. Like living history museums but more episodic are history festivals in which communities annually celebrate their pasts. For instance, an annual Spanish Days Festival in the California city of Santa Barbara looks back at its Mexican heritage. Discuss with your team: are such festivals good ways to teach local community members about the past? Timket Festival in Ethiopia Naadam Festival in Mongolia Ravenna Railroad Festival in Kentucky The Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara is a cherished tradition that pays homage to the city's rich history, culture, and traditions. This year, 2024, just so happens to be the 100th anniversary of Old Spanish Days. Held annually over five days at the beginning of August, this festive celebration, known as Fiesta, invites both visitors and locals to immerse themselves in the vibrant heritage of Santa Barbara. During Fiesta, the city comes alive with a plethora of events and activities designed to educate and entertain. From parties to authentic music and dance performances, the festival offers a diverse array of experiences that highlight the Mexican, Indigenous, and Spanish influences that have shaped Santa Barbara's identity. Visitors can expect to be enchanted by temporary carnivals, colorful parades, thrilling rodeos, and captivating dance performances throughout the week. These festivities unfold at historic venues such as the Old Mission Santa Barbara, the picturesque Sunken Gardens of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Casa De La Guerra, and De La Guerra Plaza. In addition to the cultural showcases, Fiesta also tantalizes the taste buds with a variety of Mexican and Spanish food options, allowing attendees to indulge in delicious culinary delights while immersing themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the celebration. With thousands of visitors flocking to Santa Barbara each year, Fiesta has become a beloved tradition that fosters community spirit, celebrates diversity, and preserves the rich cultural heritage of the city. For an increasingly quick and brief summary: Timkat is a large festival in Ethiopia fully dedicated to baptisms, with the major location in Lalibela. There are various traditions and artefacts presented within it. Naadam is a more modern festival in Mongolia which serves to protect and rehabilitate the skills the Mongolian people used to survive for so long. The three sports within it are Horse Racing, Wresting, and Archery. They also include various mongolian traditions. The Ravenna Railroad festival is a smaller festival in the town of Ravenna, Kentucky, with family friendly activities based around the founding of the city being due to the railroad industry Some tourists opt for hands-on experiences—such as learning to cook Thai food in Chiang Mai, walking the streets of Xi’an in Tang-dynasty outfits, honing their shuriken-throwing at a “Ninja Village” near Kyoto, and shopping at the supermarket just about anywhere. Scholars at the Seoul Global Round can visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace while in a traditional Hanbok. Discuss with your team: should your own country or region begin marketing such experiences? What do you think you could persuade visitors to do? A Thai Cooking Class Experience Thai food, known for its irresistible blend of flavors, has fans all over the world. For those visiting Thailand, taking part in a cooking class offers a unique chance to dive deeper into this cuisine. These classes are not just about following recipes; they’re an immersive experience where seasoned chefs guide you through the cooking process. It’s an engaging way to gain the skills needed to bring a taste of Thailand into your home kitchen, helping ease those post-vacation blues. The typical structure of a Thai cooking class includes pick-up from the participant’s accommodation, a visit to a local market to learn about and purchase fresh ingredients, and a hands-on cooking session in a scenic location such as a farm. These classes not only teach cooking techniques but also offer insights into the importance of fresh, organic produce in Thai cuisine. Participants usually prepare multiple dishes, including a selection of curries, appetizers, and desserts, providing a well-rounded understanding of Thai culinary practices. Most Thai cooking classes last for half a day, offering morning or afternoon sessions that cater to the participants’ schedules. The curriculum is designed to cover a variety of dishes, ranging from salads and soups to curries and desserts. Participants typically have the freedom to choose which dishes they would like to prepare from a set menu, allowing for a customized learning experience that can cater to individual dietary preferences and interests. The popularity and success of Thai cooking classes can be attributed to a broader trend of integrating traditional knowledge with modern educational techniques. This approach reflects a larger movement in history, science, and technology where traditional practices are reevaluated and adapted for contemporary relevance. Just as cooking classes preserve and pass on traditional culinary knowledge, similar methodologies can be applied in other fields to reimagine and preserve historical and cultural heritage. This intersection of tradition and innovation offers exciting possibilities for education and cultural preservation in a globalized world. The Tang Dynasty Revival in Xi'an: Blending Tradition with Modernity Xi'an, a city in Northwest China with a history that goes back over 3,000 years, is seeing a big trend in Tang Dynasty-style fashion. People love wearing clothes inspired by this ancient time, blending old styles with today's life. This isn't just about trying on old-fashioned clothes; it's like stepping into the past and experiencing China's rich history in a fun, new way. One special place to see this mix of old and new is the Great Tang All Day Mall. Right when you step off the subway, you find shops selling these cool, old-style outfits and makeup. Women and men dress up in these fancy costumes, adding things like peachy makeup and traditional hairpins. Walking around, they look like they’ve stepped right out of a history book, but it all feels normal and fun. This trend isn’t just for women; men are getting into it too. The clothes make people feel grand and elegant, like they’re part of ancient China. It’s a way for them to show pride in their culture and history. People wear these outfits while doing everyday things, like visiting historical sites or eating out, making the whole experience of exploring Xi’an even more special. This fashion trend has been great for Xi’an’s tourism. Historical shows and the city’s ancient vibe have made it a popular spot for visitors. Businesses are thriving, with photography studios, costume rental shops, and even fashion shows popping up. This interest in traditional fashion is helping locals and visitors see the beauty in China’s historical clothing. Shiga’s Koka Ninja Village Shiga Prefecture, known for its scenic attractions like Lake Biwa and the historic Hikone Castle, also harbors a deep connection to the intriguing world of ninjas, especially in the southern mountains and valleys. This region, along with neighboring Iga in Mie Prefecture, is considered the birthplace of ninja culture. The ninjas, or shinobi, were highly skilled in espionage, stealth, and guerrilla warfare, thriving during the tumultuous Sengoku Period (15th and 16th centuries). Koka (or Koga) is celebrated as one of the heartlands of ninja heritage. Its challenging terrain, close to Kyoto, offered perfect conditions for ninjas to train and operate in secrecy. Notably, the Koga ninjas executed a successful guerrilla attack on the Ashikaga shogunate’s garrison in 1487, under the Rokkaku clan’s orders. Terrorists once flew passenger jets into a pair of New York city skyscrapers; now the museum built where they once stood is a world tourism center. Interest in dark tourism is exploding all over the world; some sites even feature special exhibits for children. Yet, while many places lean into their tragic backstories, others, like Nagasaki, downplay them. Discuss with your team: are there some locations that should be completely off limits to tourism? Why do some places advertise their bleak pasts while others carry on as if they never happened? Alcatraz | Hiroshima | Ground Zero | Ford’s Theatre Chernobyl | Pompeii | Paris Catacombs | Auschwitz | Titanic Dark tourism, a thriving multi-billion dollar industry, involves visiting places associated with tragedy and casualties. This phenomenon has grown significantly over the years, with tourists drawn to sites such as the Colosseum, Ground Zero, and Hiroshima, where historical events of death and suffering took place. The appeal of dark tourism can be attributed to several factors. Curiosity plays a significant role, as many tourists are intrigued by the history and circumstances surrounding these sites. Additionally, personal connections to the tragedies, educational purposes, and the desire to pay homage to individuals of interest also contribute to the interest in dark tourism. However, dark tourism is not without controversy. While some view it as a way to engage with history and cultural heritage, others criticize it for commodifying places of pain and exploiting tragedy for profit. There are concerns about ethical considerations, including respecting the memories of those affected by the events and minimizing the impact on local communities. To address these ethical concerns, proponents of dark tourism emphasize the importance of respectful and responsible visitation. This includes maintaining the integrity of the sites, supporting local communities, and ensuring that economic gain does not come at the expense of exploiting the tragedies. Ultimately, the ethical practice of dark tourism requires a delicate balance between engaging with history and honoring the memory of those who have suffered. Even the kids bruh? Honestly, I don’t know how its come to this. Mary Margaret Kerr, an expert in crisis response and children's experiences, has been exploring how children perceive and understand dark tourism sites and tragedies. Dark tourism, which involves visiting places associated with historical tragedies such as wars and concentration camps, has become a significant industry attracting many visitors. Kerr acknowledges the value of educating children about historical events, but she also highlights some challenges with taking children to dark tourism sites. Exhibits at these sites are often not designed with children in mind, and children may struggle to comprehend the concept of death or grasp the significance of the tragedies. Furthermore, there is a concern about children exhibiting disrespectful behavior, such as touching artifacts or behaving inappropriately at these sensitive locations. Following the events of 9/11, Kerr was invited to explain the Flight 93 attack to children. Collaborating with psychology students and educators, she worked to develop age-appropriate educational materials and activities. This led to the creation of the Flight 93 Junior Ranger Program, which offers interactive experiences for children aged 6-12 to explore the site and learn about the events in a meaningful way. In a 2021 paper, Kerr and her colleagues emphasized the importance of including children's perspectives in research on dark tourism. They developed a framework to understand the various factors that influence a child's experience at these sites, including what they know, what exhibits they encounter, and the role of staff members. This research has implications for enhancing educational experiences for children during visits to dark tourism sites. It is crucial to recognize that children experiencing these sites did not live through the tragedies, so efforts must be made to ensure they understand the historical context and significance of the events they are learning about. Through thoughtful educational initiatives and research, Kerr aims to provide children with meaningful and respectful experiences at dark tourism sites. Ok, respect, Mary Margaret Kerr Alcatraz: former fort, military prison, maximum security prison -in 1969, Indians of All Tribes occupied the island for 19 months in the name of freedom and native american civil rights -by the way, alcatraz is a small island in the san francisco bay -it was converted into a federal prison in 1934 -the strong currents around the island and cold water temps made escape nearly impossible, became notorious for that -it closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction Hiroshima: hiroshima peace memorial park is a memorial park in the center -dedicated to hiroshima’s legacy as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the victims -visited by more than a million people each year -today there are a number of memorials and monuments, museums, and lecture halls Ground Zero: also called ‘the pile’, refers to world trade center site immediately after 9/11 -twin towers used to stand there, and now it’s just been redeveloped and a bunch of office buildings have been built, and reconstruction of the site has begun as part of the new world trade center -there is also a memorial and museum there, honoring the 2977 who were killed in the terror attacks of 9/11 -largest man-made waterfall in north america, have two massive reflecting pools -there is a ‘survivor tree’, a callery pear tree that endured the attacks -located seven stories below the memorial, the museum and its exhibitions allow visitors to learn about the history of 9/11, right where it happened, at the very foundation of where the Twin Towers once stood Ford’s Theatre: site of president abraham lincoln’s assassination -educates visitors on the events of april 14, 1865, and the lasting impact of Lincoln’s assassination on the nation -more than 650,000 tourists a year -has exhibits on lincoln’s presidency, civil war milestones, and the assassination conspiracy led by john wilkes booth in the museum -booth’s weapon is in the museum Chernobyl: not as big-scale, but there is a Monument to Those Who Saved the World in Chernobyl, to the firefighters who died putting out the fire at the nuclear plant in 1986 after the accident. There is also a museum, which googel finally relinquished to me after 20 minutes, dedicated to chernobyl disaster and its consequences -it houses an extensive collection of visual media, artifacts, scale models Pompeii: there is an archaeological park of pompeii, which showcases a bunch of stuff Paris Catacombs: holds the remains of more than six million people -museum and stuff Auschwitz: there is an auschwitz memorial and museum -the site includes the main concentration camp at auschwitz I and the remains of the concentration and extermination camp at Auschwitz II-Birkenau run by nazi germany during its occupation of Poland 1939-1945 -it became a world heritage site in 1979, and the polish government has preserved the site as a research center (?) and in memory of the 1.1 million people who died there Titanic: -there are a number of memorials and monuments to the victims of the sinking of the titanic -belfast, liverpool, southampton, halifax and nova scotia in canada, NYC and Washington D.C. -most of the crew and the largest contingent of the victims came from southampton, which has the greatest number of memorials -the titanic was built in belfast and a group of engineers were from there as well -other groups of engineers aboard the ship came from liverpool and glasgow which have their own memorials, and elsewhere in the US and australia, public memorials were erected to commemorate all the victims Overall, they’ve all made like memorials and museums in sort honor the respective tragedies that occured, in order to spread awareness, honor the victims’ memories and to promote global peace. Small bits of music can quickly conjure up a time and place. Consider the following examples of these musical riffs and motifs, then discuss: when is it okay to use a musical cliché as a storytelling shortcut? Oriental riff | Arabian riff | Hijaz scale | Andalusian cadence Tarantella Napoletana | Jarabe Tapatio | Yodeling | Renaissance lute The following examples consist of riffs/motifs, dances (its music = the riff/motif) and an instrument (the music it's often portrayed playing = the riff/motif), which are often used to help transport the listener to a certain time and place. Most challenge questions regarding this segment will probably revolve around what the riff/motif is used to symbolize, so pay special attention to that. Oriental Riff (East Asian Riff): A musical phrase, often used to portray an East Asian atmosphere in Western cultures. It has been frequently criticized for misrepresenting the Far East and labeled as culturally insensitive; after all, it was created in the West (Thomas Comer: Aladdin Quick Step, 1847). The riff typically consists of a descending sequence of notes, often played on a pentatonic scale - giving it its exotic feeling. It has been used in almost every genre of Western music from jazz to pop. A popular version of it is the Chinese riff (often mistakenly used in all Asian scenes). Ex: Chinese riff Arabian Riff (The Streets of Cairo; The Snake Charmer Song; The Poor Little Country Maid): A well-known melody, frequently used to portray a Middle Eastern atmosphere. It has recently been criticized for simplifying and misrepresenting a large and diverse range of songs and music. It includes multiple scales and intervals rarely found in Western music including trills, slides and glissandos - often noted for their expressiveness. This is not to be confused with the Hijaz scale (the one you’re probably thinking of). A popular version of the riff was published in 1845 by Franz Hunten. Here’s an example to help you envision it: Arabian Riff Hijaz Scale (Phrygian Dominant Scale): This is basically the Arabian riff with a different scale (Maqam Rast). It’s the most “hollywood movie” scale to use in Middle Eastern settings. Here’s an example of it: Stereotypical Arab Scene Andalusian Cadence: A four step, descending, chord progression commonly associated with Spanish and Latin music. Its origin is widely disputed, with some reports saying that it originated with Flamenco music though some theorize that it could have been used as far back as Ancient Greece. The progression creates a distinctive and evocative feel often used to convey a sense of passion, drama and nostalgia. This feel has caused it to become one of the most widely used chord progressions today being used in genres ranging from pop to rock. So popular in fact, that it’s the most used guitar chord progression. Here’s an example of it: Andalusian Cadence Tarantella Napoletana: A lively Italian folk dance, associated with Naples. Its music is known for being fast-paced and for using triple meter. It was also originally believed to cure Tarantism (comes from a tarantula bite). Most people commonly associate the tarantella’s music as the quintessential Italian musical riff/melody. Dance: Tarantella Napoletana - Dance Accompanying music: Tarantella Napoletana - Music Jarabe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance): A lively Mexican folk dance, often performed at celebrations, such as weddings and holidays. It was originally created (in the late 1700’s) as a courtship dance meant to showcase the development of an intimate relationship; a woman gradually goes from denying a man’s advances to embracing them. Nowadays, it is more commonly performed to represent Mexican culture, with both partners usually wearing traditional clothing; its label as a symbol of Mexico is largely attributed to its portrayal in Western media as well as being the country’s national dance. The dance’s accompanying music is typically played by either Mariachi bands or string ensembles. The music’s melody is known to be joyful with multiple recurring patterns; this has greatly helped to establish the music’s identity. The riff in this scenario is the recurring, memorable melody. Dance: Mexican folk dance: El Jarabe Tapatío Accompanying music: Jarabe Tapatio Music Yodeling: A form of singing which involves repeated rapid changes between low and high pitches. It is widely known for being able to convey a large range of emotions in a small amount of time. The form originated in the Central Alps where it was used by herders to call their flocks or for communication between alpine villages. The earliest record of a yodel occurred all the way back in 1545 where it was described as “the call of a cowherd”. It first gained commercial popularity in the 1830’s as entertainment in theaters and musical halls. It was also frequently used in country music up until the 1950’s when the trend simmered down. Today, yodeling still plays an important part in folk music in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It’s important to note that yodeling was not solely practiced in Alpine Europe; in fact yodeling can be found in various places around the world including the Solomon Islands, Hawaii and Madagascar. Here’s an example of this technique: Ukrainian Yodeling: Sofia Shevchenko Renaissance Lute: A plucked stringed instrument typically consisting of a deep rounded back, 6-10 courses (double) and 11-19 strings. Due to the instrument’s ability to play several independent moving voices (polyphony), it was considered as the premier solo instrument, as well as the ideal one to accompany the voice during the Renaissance. They were most likely first introduced to Europe in the 8th century during the Moor conquests of Spain. However, they could have originally been created as far back as the 5th millennium BC in Babylonia and Egypt. Upon arrival in Europe, they were adapted to include frets. Its sound was often remarked as magical, mainly due to being able to play polyphony, making it one of the most loved instruments during the Renaissance. Additionally, during this period, it was played by people of all classes and for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from royalty for leisure, to peasants for money. Nowadays, it is often used in media to give a Renaissance-like atmosphere. Here’s a compilation of pieces played with this instrument: Ren. Lute Before radio, cassette tapes, and MP3s, it was harder to achieve widespread fame as a musician. Britain’s first pop star came up with an alternative way to climb the Billboard charts: he sold the sheet music for his songs at each of his concerts. Read about this forgotten 100-hit wonder, Charles Dibdin, and listen to some of his music as recreated today. Then, discuss with your team: does his work sound more modern than you would expect—and could it find success in the world today? Charles Dibdin -Charles Dibdin was Britain’s first pop music star -he died in 1814, so his name is not very widely known -he performed in operas then wrote his own, composed more than a thousand songs, toured one-man shows around the country, and opened his own London theatre -he penned several novels and a five-volume history of thetare, and his autobiography was four volumes long, which takes quite a degree of what some would call self-absorbedness, or what some would call a remarkable facility for self promotion (that’s what the BBC says) -nonetheless, many proclaim him as the most dominant singer-songwriter that the country has ever had, as no one in his era “could combine his performance skills and his musical talents, his facility for writing lyrics, and his ability to self-publicise (really starting to see a theme here), all in one. That’s what makes him really unique.” -david chandler, prof of eng lit at doshisha uni in kyoto has overseen the recent recording of several of Dibdin’s shows for CD and digital streaming -he (charles) made lots of enemies along the way, and was also exploited for his talents at a young age for David Garrick’s Drury Lane theatre in the 1760s and 1770s (fell out with many other big names on the london theatrical scene) -he had a reputation of being tricky to work with, so he started staging his famous one-man shows called “Table Entertainments” -these were a hit, as Dibdin was an incredible entertainer, able to play multiple characters, blending comic storytelling with songs played on the piano -one of his most successful was titled ‘The Wags’, which was performed over a hundred times in its first season alone, and he wnet on to keep churning out new Table Entertainments for the next 20 years -he also toured the shows up and down the country, which no one had ever done before -another talent of dibdin’s was his ability to entertain and to connect with audiences of all sorts, not just the upper classes -his performances could even be considered as an early form of stand-up; there are tales of him sparring with hecklers, and he always seemed to be bubbling, ‘he ran on (to the stage) sprightly and with a nearly laughing face, like a friend who enters hastily to impart you some good news’ -he even opened his own small theatre, the sans souci in london in 1795 to hsot some, another thing that was unheard of for performers at the time -he also had merch, he sold his sheet music and his books at his performances, and he’d even sign each sheet of music he sold -many of his works, including The Waterman (1774) and The Quaker (1775) continued to be performed for up to a hundred years after There are fewer examples of “living future” museums than of “living history” ones—but they do exist, often at World Expos or in amusement parks. Consider the following examples of such museums, then discuss with your team: do they tell us more about the future or about the past? If you were designing such a museum today, what would it look like? Tomorrowland | Museum of the Future | “World of Tomorrow” (1939) Boeing Future of Flight | Farming for the Future Crystal Palace | American National Exhibition (Moscow, 1959) Tomorrowland: This is an attraction at Disneyland meant to embody the future and what’s to come regarding space, science, medicine, etc…. It was inspired by classic futurists such as Jules Verne and Leonardo Da Vinci along with modern visionaries such as George Lucas. In order to do this, the land is constantly changing as to better adapt to an ever-changing picture of the future. Despite this, the land has received criticism for showcasing more of the past than present due to not being updated frequently enough. This is part of the reason why Tomorrowland wasn’t included at Disneyland Paris and instead replaced by Discoveryland Attractions located here include Space Mountain (one of the park’s most popular rides), Autopia and Astro Blasters. Museum of the Future: Located in Dubai, this museum is meant to be a “gateway to the future”. It simulates the year 2071 and includes 7 floors dedicated to topics such as outer-space travel, protecting the planet and innovative responses to the challenges of today. Additionally, the museum has hosted a number of temporary exhibitions such as Climate Change Reimagined: Dubai 2050 and HUMANS 2.0, as well as several innovation labs dedicated to sectors like smart cities, transport and education. The museum's biggest goals are to foster solutions that future cities may face, develop housing innovations and to become a hub that brings researchers, designers, inventors and financiers under one roof. “World of Tomorrow” (1939): This was the official motto for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The fair celebrated technological innovation as well as advances in fields like science and medicine. According to the fair’s official pamphlet, it wasn’t trying to predict and resemble what the future might look like but instead, its goal was to present a new clearer view of today in preparation for tomorrow. The fair was divided into numerous zones such as; the Government Zone where numerous nations set up pavilions; the Communications & Business Zone where exhibits relating to technological advances were displayed (ex. television); the Community Interest Zone where buildings housing contemporary art, home furnishings and cosmetics could be found; the Food Zone which included a wide variety of cuisines; the Amusement Area in which a roller coaster among other rides was held making it the most popular; the Production and Distribution Zone; and the Transportation Zone. Crystal Palace: This was a giant glass-and-iron exhibition hall in Hyde Park, London which housed the great exhibition (thousands of exhibitors participated from around the world - U.S., France, etc…) of 1851. The structure was dismantled and rebuilt (1852 - 1854) at Sydenham Hill where it survived until 1936. It was almost totally destroyed by a fire in 1936 before being fully demolished in 1941 due to the fear that it was a landmark for German bombers. Before the fire, the structure had been a marvel of engineering showcasing how far the human race had come. It included indoor parks, sport venues and a concert hall and fittingly, an exhibition showcasing the history of civilization because the building seemed to be a conclusion (the maximum of human potential). Its burning was symbolic, it showed that the human race still has a very long way to go before reaching this telos American National Exhibition (Moscow, 1959): An exhibition of American art, fashion, cars, capitalism, model homes and futuristic kitchens which took place for a period of six weeks from July 25 - September 4, 1959. Its purpose was to showcase the typical American lifestyle to the average Soviet. The exhibition impressed many Muscovites with its unique products and tools. Additionally, it indirectly showed how free the U.S. was through how freely guides spoke about their lives in America. The exhibition also spawned the “Kitchen Debate” which arose between US vice president, Richard Nixon and USSR leader, Nikita Kruschkev, which dealt with whether many of the appliances in the American’s model kitchen were really necessary. The exhibition was part of a cultural exchange which is why the Soviets set up an exhibition showcasing their culture in New York. Until the tech bros find a way to sell tickets on the Tardis (after all, there’s an extra now) we won’t be able to purchase tour packages like “Five Days, Four Nights, in Ancient Rhodias Rome”. But some travelers are motivated by nostalgia, and the market provides for them. Consider airplane restaurants, meant to evoke the glory days of air travel. Any diner with a jukebox is probably Hoppering to evoke mid-20th century America. Discuss with your team: does marketing nostalgia in this way honor people’s memories—or distort them? Would it be okay for entire communities to present themselves as places from the past? airplane restaurants: -meals on planes nowadays aren’t quite as pleasant as they ‘used to be’, as portrayed in media and pop culture, probably because your taste buds tend to lose a lot of their ability to taste flavor at 30,000 feet in the air -a selection of disused planes around the world have been converted into restaurants 1. El Avión Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica The El Avión Restaurant and Bar serves up both dinner and a history lesson inside a Fairchild. C-123 Provider in the middle of a Costa Rican jungle. It was originally one half a US cargo plane that was gunned down over Nicaragua in 1986. The aircraft was bought, revamped and moved to its current location in 2000. 2. La Tante DC10 Accra, Ghana Once a Ghana Airways plane (a McDonnell Douglas DC-10) now serves Ghanaian dishes near the airport. What was once First Class is now the waiting area, and Economy has become the main spot for drinks and dinner, with much-improved leg-room, thankfully. 3. Hawai Adda Ludhiana, India Instead of shamelessly milking the novelty factor of the experience like most of the planes on this list, Hawai Adda has gone all-out luxury. A retired Airbus 320 and former Air India plane, the interior is now lined with swanky, posh booths with a menu dominated by vegetarian dishes. 4. Steaks on a Plane Bolton, UK Steaks on a Plane is essentially a British takeaway inside an airplane. Its made up of the wingless front end of a Boeing 737, and while it’s definitely not the most glamorous of experiences, apparently the food is good, and there’s a good photo opp in the cockpit. 5. Runway 1 Haryana, India Taking inspiration from Hawai Adda, this place, opened in 2017, leans heavily on the novelty concept. Diners are required to collect a boarding pass before hading to their table, and the revamped interior of the former Air India Airbus A320 is quite nice and plush as well. 6. The Airplane Restaurant Colorado Springs, CO This former US Air Force 1953 Boeing KC-97 tanker is an enjoyable experience that allows you to enjoy an insight into aviation history while chowing down on seafood or a sandwich, and there is also a ‘terminal’ area for the non-reserved guests to eat in with plenty of aviation memorabilia as well. 7. McDonald’s Taupō, New Zealand A decommissioned Douglas DC-3, which has been painted silver with a red racing stripe and the famous McDonald’s font. It used to be a South Pacific Airlines which flew throughout the 60s, and now, well… it’s a McDonald’s. 8. Space Shuttle Cafe NYC, NY Unlike the name suggests, this Cafe is actually a selection of Douglas DC-3 parts and minimal rocket ship. It’s been passed through several hands, and currently does not serve anything, unfortunately. It’s ok, however, you can just take matters into your own hands and buy the thing yourself for $230,000. communities presenting themselves as places from the past? solvang -a picturesque town with Danish roots, amazing bakeries, and a charming wine-tasting spot in the Santa Ynez Valley -has gingerbread architecture, twirling windmills, exceptionally friendly people, and the air is scented by fresh-cut flowers and warm-from-the-oven pastries -lots of wine too, and winery tours -Hans Christian Andersen Museum that ‘nurtures interest in the famous Danish author’ -the Elverhoj Museum of History & Art with photos, artifacts and videos on Solvang’s history, with lots of exhibits as well by artists from around the world -Old Mission Santa Inez, which is, old, predating the arrival of the Danish; it was built in 1804 -good boulangeries Some communities do exactly that, though not to attract tourists. Like the Mennonites in Belize and a high school club in Brooklyn, the Amish are one of several groups in the world that have tried to stay contained in the past. But, for some of the Amish, the prohibition on technology still leaves a little wiggle room. Learn about some of their recent workarounds, including the black-box phone, then discuss with your team: to what extent should society—and private companies—accommodate those who want to reject modernity? If a community wants to teach their children history only up to a certain year, or with clear inaccuracies, should they have that right? Should tech companies produce phones with some features disabled for those who want to use them only in a limited way? MENNONITES So, at first glance, some of these pictures (from the Mennonites) have an uncanny resemblance to bygone times in the American Midwest. But no, they are from the digital age, and were taken in Belize; pictures of the Mennonites, 12,000 conservative Christians living in closed communities. They largely shun modern technology (some of da youth have phones and cameras though), and even electricity in some cases. A Protestant sect dating back to the 16th century, they moved around the world in search of isolated farmland to escape persecution and attempts to integrate them into wider society, which led them to Belize. In the late 1950s, a group of over 3,000 Canadian Mennonites immigrated there from Mexico. The government gave them a whole bunch of perks like land, religious freedom, exemption from some taxes and military service (they’re very committed pacifists apparently). Now, they dominate Belize’s poultry and dairy markets, even though they represent less than 4% of the population. The group’s mother tongue is Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German), although many also speak Belizean Spanish. They’re focused on ‘an idyllic life centered on family – and free from the trappings of modernity’. Photographer Jake Michaels added that “I’m not trying to say that their lives are simple, but I think it, for me, it just allowed me to slow down and be more present,” and that “my mind slowed down, and I was more present in the surroundings”. However, we also have to be wary of romanticizing this remote way of life. Belize’s Mennonites are allowed to run their own schools, and have literary rates significantly lower than the country’s other ethnic groups, with just 5% completing formal secondary education. These communities are mostly reliant on commercial agriculture, their colonies organized around not just family and religion, but also labor. Their world is now intersecting far more now with the modern world than it did in the past. Some Mennonites work with Belizean people, and are, to some degree, aware of the outside world’s happenings. There are good and hard aspects to their lives, but in the end, they get by, which is nothing less, nothing more than they ask for. Their communities have both conservative and progressive members, which is why some cellphones and cameras make the occasional appearance in some pictures (the gradual creep of technology is not necessarily perceived as a threat, given that they’re in the rolling hills of Belize, so there aren’t any competing lifestyules nearby). Luddites 19th century movement of English textile workers who opposed the use of certain types of automated machinery due to concerns regarding decreased pay, threat to jobs for textile workers and a perceived reduction of output quality, and bands of these English workers often destroyed such machinery in organised raids NEO-LUDDITES Get a life. Like seriously no offence, but yea, offence, these people honestly like just want attention imo According to some media sources, these neo-Luddites fiGhT on several fronts, in battles against GMOs, because healthier, more beneficial and safe foods are terrible, and nuclear power, because why try and think of alternatives to fossil fuels, those are great! They also denounce nanotechnologies because it would all be better, if we progressed backwards for a couple hundred of years and made our lives just that much more difficult, the refusal of carding (no idea wth this. Ok: carding is apparently like fraud and illegal use of credit cards. Do i even have to elaborate here? NO ONE has ever said that fraud is a good thing. This is not a noble cause, they are not fiGhTing tHe pOWeR or tHe cOrRupT eStAbLIsHmeNt that they’d like to think they’re doing, this one is just common sense that literally no one asked for their opinion on.) They also resist security imperatives in the public sphere, because yeah, security imperatives are just unnecessary, yk, there’s no reason for them. Like 9/11 for example, we had way too many security imperatives, like it’s a simple fix, no one wants people’s bags to be checked for explosives or dangerous weapons, go terrorism! There is a Luddite club, a group of runts in a Brooklyn high-school who preach a lifestyle of self-liberation from social media and technology. Their 25 members (monkey population of the world: +25) ‘have decided to abandon their smartphones but also social networks’ according to the Brussel Times. They also offer other students ‘one-hour digital cures’, which is probably just another term for an hour of brutal, patronizing supercilious verbal abuse and torture. Benefits they claim it brings: better self-esteem (?), decreased anxiety, and a growing interest in reading and nature. Ridiculous. No one ever had an “exclusive” with Abraham Lincoln; the very concept of the interview had to be invented first. Read about its short history—the idea of reporters asking people a series of probing questions only became common in the late 1800s—then discuss with your team: how have interviews changed in the era of podcasts and more partisan media? history of the interview -newspapers in the US date back to the late 1600s -reporters were only hired beginning in the 1820s to gather news -with the rise of penny papers in the 1830s, reporting local news became one of the specialities of the press, but most reporting remained no more than the publication of official documents and public speeches -reporters did talk with public officials but they never referred to their conversations in print -even president lincoln often spoke to reporters in informal convos, but no reporter ever quoted him directly -it wasn’t until around 1860 that people like Gordon Bennett (1836) and/or Horace Greeley (1859) brought about the beginning of this new form of journalism, which came under fire fairly quickly -E.L. Godkin, editor of The Nation, attacked it as “the joint production of some humbug of a hack politician and another humbug if a newspaper reporter.” -nonetheless, president andrew johnson took part in an interview in 1868, and the idea begna to gain popularity and began to be widely used soon after -many old-school, veteran reporters found interviewing undignified, and the otuisde world viewed it as a vulgar, modern and disgustingly American inquisition -thompson cooper was the first to interview the pope, people still kinda hated the thought of an interview -as this practice became more normalized, people like the president of france, pope benedict xv in 1915 (which these eager reporters cited as an earth-shattering achievement) No one is trying to de-extinct the giant llama, at least not yet, but scientists are targeting several other animals. One European project, for instance, is back breeding very fit cows to resurrect the auroch—a wild supercow—that humans hunted into extinction in the 1600s. Consider the work of Colossal Biosciences, the only for-profit company dedicated to de-extinction, then discuss with your team: which of the animals below would be the most profitable to de-extinct? Are there any we should be leaving in its grave forever? Dodo | Wooly Mammoth | Pyrenean ibex | Mastodon Passenger pigeon | Moa | Thylacine | Carolina Parakeet Dodo: The Dodo was a large flightless bird primarily found in Mauritius, extinct since 1681 due to a combination of predation by humans and animals. It’s on a promising trajectory with the bird’s genome being sequenced in 2022 and an influx of articles coming in about its progress. The largest company seeking to resurrect it is Colossal Biosciences who believes that reintroducing it into the wild could help to develop the knowledge base needed to halt the decline in other bird populations, with a reported $150 million in funding for this specific project. Basically, the way in which they’re attempting to de-extinct the Dodo is by reproduction, by modifying the primordial germ cells (PGCs) which can turn into sperm and eggs allowing the chicken and rooster to reproduce, and in theory, their offspring will resemblethe dodo thanks to the hybridized pigeon DNA in their reproductive systems. Some people, like Julian Hume, are cautiously optimistic. “Colossal’s idea is a sound one,” he added, although “because of the complexity of recreating a species from DNA, even if it was possible, can only result in a dodo-esque creature. It will then take years of selective breeding to enhance a small pigeon into a large flightless bird,” citing the fact that it took millions of natural evolution for the dodo to evolve into what it was. Additionally, they think that it could help to rebalance the Mauritian ecosystem. Beth Shapiro, the key figure in this de-extinction process, extracted a tiny piece of the bird’s mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that gets passed down from mother to offspring, showing that the dodo’s closest living relative was the Nicobar pigeon, on the basis of which Shapiro announced that she and her team at U.C. Santa Cruz had reconstructued the dodo’s entire genome, already very impressive. Essentially, it will first take a very lengthy process to work out the kinks of the genome sequencing for their ideal ‘dodo’, and then to actually execute it, edit the PGCs in such a way that the offspring and its linea

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