The Inventive Mind – the World’s Most Clever Innovations
When asked for a quote to sum up the 19th century, the President of the US Patent Office, solemnly offered this opinion during a...
The Steam Engine: A Revolutionary Power Source
Although various steam motion devices had been known since the time of Hero of Alexandria. This new invention would replace horses with horsepower.
When James...
What If Adolf Hitler Defeated the Soviet Union in World War II?
A political science professor recently posed a question to me. He wanted me to examine a scenario where Hitler defeated the Soviet Union...
A Short History of Opium
In recent years, the so-called Golden Triangle of parts of Laos, northern Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) has become well-known as a leading exporter of...
The History of Medicinal Herbs: The Link Between Botany and Herbal Medicine
In the early years, there is little written evidence of the use of herbs in medicine as it was usual to pass on knowledge...
Who Invented the Traffic Light?: William Potts of Detroit
Despite widespread credit to Garret Morgan for a 1923 patent, traffic lights very closely resembling modern lights were in use in Detroit three years...
The Birth of Airmail: On May 15th 1918 the Army Air Corps Began Carrying...
The Army had been detailed to help the Post Office with an experimental project to inaugurate airmail in America. This was the first regular...
Santa Claus and Magic Mushrooms: The Orgins of Christmas May Be Linked to Eating...
Thoeries have been generated over the past few decades about the reasoning behind where Christmas tradition has come from, including decorations and celebrations.
Shamanistic Traditions
The...
Sacred Wind in History and Mythology
Wind is not only a mysterious condition of weather, but an important spiritual element to civilizations, past and present.
Wind is a natural force, defined...
The Golden Age of Canals: Europe Embraced Canal Usage and Development
Europe may not have been the first area of the world to use canals, but they embraced the idea of canals and developed them...