History | Conversatori

Amanda Hicok on 08/02/2025

Person From History—Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia of Alexandria was a brilliant 4th-century philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who taught Neoplatonic philosophy in a time of religious and political upheaval. Revered for her intellect and virtue, she became a symbol of classical wisdom during the rise of Christianity. Her violent death at the hands of a Christian mob marked a turning point in the decline of ancient intellectual traditions. Today, Hypatia remains an icon of reason, courage, and the enduring struggle for free thought. In the waning days of the Roman Empire, when the old gods were giving way to new religions and philosophy teetered on the edge of theological dogma, a woman named Hypatia stood as a symbol of intellectual resilience. Born in the 4th century CE in the Egyptian city of Alexandria—a city famed for its great library and vibrant confluence of cultures—Hypatia was a mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. Unusually for her time, she was not only well-educated but revered as a public…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/31/2025

Wisdom from Forgotten Civilizations

Mainstream philosophy often overlooks the rich wisdom of ancient, non-Western civilizations. Cultures like the Indus Valley, Nok, Aboriginal Australians, and the Moche expressed deep philosophical insights through architecture, ritual, and art rather than texts. Their worldviews emphasized ecological balance, community ethics, and spiritual interconnectedness. Rediscovering these forgotten philosophies offers a broader, more inclusive understanding of human thought. A rendering of an Indus Valley civilization.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/29/2025

The Great Books: Why We Still Read Them

The Great Books are a curated collection of influential texts that have shaped Western thought across literature, philosophy, science, and history. Popularized by Adler and Hutchins in the mid-20th century, they represent a “Great Conversation” of ideas spanning centuries. While the canon has been criticized for its lack of diversity, its enduring value lies in the deep, unresolved questions these works pose. More than relics, the Great Books remain tools for reflection, debate, and intellectual growth. rdsmith4, Great Books, CC BY-SA 2.0

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/27/2025

How Civilizations Collapse and Rise Again

Civilizations rise and fall through a mix of environmental pressures, internal mismanagement, and shifting complexity. Collapse often unfolds slowly, and while devastating, it can lead to transformation rather than extinction. History shows that human societies are both fragile and adaptable, capable of rebuilding in novel forms. In facing modern challenges, our task is to learn from the dust of empires past—to innovate before the unraveling begins. Satdeep Gill, Angkor Wat with its reflection (cropped), CC BY-SA 4.0

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/25/2025

How Time Took Over the World

Time wasn’t always a master—once, it was a companion guided by sun and season. The invention of mechanical clocks and the rise of industrial society turned time into a rigid overlord. As global synchronization took hold, the human experience became ruled by deadlines and alarms. But in today’s digital blur, there's a growing push to reclaim time’s humanity. © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, Big Ben at sunset - 2014-10-27 17-30, CC BY-SA 4.0

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/25/2025

Person From History—Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir was a groundbreaking French philosopher and feminist who reshaped modern thought on gender, freedom, and ethics. Best known for The Second Sex, she argued that womanhood is socially constructed, not biologically fixed. Her activism, literature, and existential philosophy made her one of the 20th century’s most influential thinkers. Through bold theory and public action, Beauvoir challenged society to confront its treatment of women, aging, and human responsibility. Simone de Beauvoir never intended to be remembered merely as “Sartre’s companion.” A towering intellect in her own right, she was a writer, philosopher, and feminist icon who reshaped 20th-century thought about gender, freedom, and responsibility. Her work, particularly The Second Sex, didn’t just critique society—it cracked it open. Born in 1908 in Paris to a bourgeois family, she defied her conservative upbringing by pursuing rigorous philosophical training and entering the elite…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/24/2025

The Ethics of Archaeology: Who Owns the Past?

The ethics of archaeology grapple with the question: Who owns the past? From debates over artifact repatriation to indigenous rights, looting, and digital replicas, archaeology is entangled with power, politics, and identity. Ethical practice now emphasizes collaboration, conservation, and inclusivity. Ultimately, archaeology must move from possession to shared stewardship of human history. Archaeology is often romanticized as the noble quest to uncover lost civilizations and interpret the fragments they left behind. But beneath the dust and ruins lies a contentious and often uncomfortable ethical question: Who owns the past? Is it the nation-state where the artifact is found, the descendants of the culture that created it, the museum that preserves it, or the global public with an appetite for knowledge? As archaeological discoveries grow more politicized and commercialized, these questions are no longer theoretical—they’re urgent.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/21/2025

Operation Paperclip: From Hitler's Labs to NASA

Operation Paperclip was a secret U.S. program that brought over 1,600 Nazi-affiliated scientists to America after WWII. These scientists, including Wernher von Braun, helped advance military and space technology. The program prioritized Cold War advantage over moral accountability, often hiding the participants’ Nazi ties. Its legacy remains controversial as a symbol of ethical compromise in the name of national interest. Arliebright, Karl Baur with Werner Von Braun, CC BY-SA 4.0

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/21/2025

Caffeine Culture: How Coffee Fueled Revolutions and Startups

From revolutionaries to entrepreneurs, caffeine has powered history’s biggest ideas. This article traces how coffee evolved from sacred ritual to cultural fuel, energizing political change and startup culture alike. Beyond its biochemical kick, coffee symbolizes ambition, urgency, and community. Whether in a café or a co-working space, one thing is certain: the revolution may not be televised, but it will be caffeinated Dietmar Rabich, Dülmen, Privatrösterei Schröer, Kaffeebehälter -- 2018 -- 0529, CC BY-SA 4.0

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/17/2025

Know That Ideology: Stoicism

Stoicism is a practical philosophy focused on self-control, virtue, and emotional resilience. It teaches the power of focusing only on what we can control and reacting to life with reason rather than emotion. Though ancient, Stoicism is deeply relevant today, offering calm amid modern chaos. Its appeal lies not in fantasy, but in fiercely rational hope. In a world that rewards reaction over reflection, Stoicism offers a countercultural whisper: control yourself, not the chaos. Originating in ancient Greece around the 3rd century BCE, Stoicism was more than philosophy—it was a full-bodied way of life. Founded by Zeno of Citium and later refined by thinkers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, this school of thought teaches that while we can't control what happens to us, we can always control how we respond. Sounds simple. It isn’t.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/15/2025

Know That Felon—Al Capone

Al Capone, born in 1899, rose from a Brooklyn street thug to a feared Chicago mob boss during Prohibition. He built an empire through violence and vice while crafting a charitable public image. His downfall came via tax evasion charges in 1931, not murder. Capone’s story endures as a symbol of America's fascination with criminal power and charisma. Al Capone is one of the most infamous names in American criminal history, a symbol of both the glitz and the grit of Prohibition-era crime. Born in Brooklyn in 1899 to Italian immigrant parents, Capone rose from a street-smart teenager to the nation’s most feared gangster by his mid-20s. Though he styled himself as a businessman and community benefactor, his empire was built on bootlegging, bribery, racketeering, and bloodshed. He ruled the Chicago underworld with a mixture of charm and chilling violence, making millions while the federal government struggled to keep up.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/13/2025

Meet the Philosopher: Aristotle

Aristotle, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, pioneered a philosophy grounded in observation, logic, and practical wisdom. His work spanned ethics, politics, science, and art, laying the foundation for modern reasoning and categorization. While some of his views are outdated, his methods remain profoundly influential. To understand Aristotle is to understand the intellectual scaffolding of Western civilization. Aristotle, born in 384 BCE in Stagira, a coastal town in northern Greece, was one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. A student of Plato and later the tutor of Alexander the Great, Aristotle forged a legacy that spans virtually every field of knowledge, from biology and ethics to politics and logic. Unlike his teacher Plato, who emphasized ideal forms and metaphysical truths, Aristotle was deeply grounded in empirical observation and rational categorization. His method of inquiry helped shape not only ancient philosophy but also the…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 07/10/2025

Person From History—Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu, a legendary Chinese strategist, authored The Art of War, a timeless guide to strategy and leadership. His teachings emphasize intelligence, adaptability, and psychological insight over brute force. Rooted in Daoist philosophy, his legacy has influenced military, political, and business thinking across centuries. Even in the modern age, Sun Tzu’s wisdom remains a sharp lens through which to view power and conflict. Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese military strategist and philosopher, is best known as the author of The Art of War, a timeless treatise on strategy, leadership, and conflict. Thought to have lived during the Eastern Zhou period (approximately 544–496 BCE), his life and identity are the subject of both historical reverence and scholarly debate. Despite the uncertainties surrounding his biography, the influence of his work has echoed through millennia, shaping not only the battlefields of ancient China but also the boardrooms and political arenas of the modern…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/25/2025

The Superstitions That Outlived Religion

We may no longer pray to tree spirits or fear vengeful gods, but we still knock on wood and toss salt like our ancestors did. This article explores the surprising endurance of everyday superstitions—from black cats to birthday candles—and their pre-religious origins. These rituals persist not because they’re logical, but because they’re deeply human. In a secular world, they’re the folklore we still live by. In a world where belief in formal religion continues to decline, certain rituals and superstitions have proven themselves remarkably resilient. From tossing salt over your shoulder to knocking on wood, these tiny acts persist like cultural fossils—relics of ancient cosmologies, pagan practices, and long-forgotten fears. But rather than disappearing with the gods who inspired them, these superstitions have adapted, survived, and in some cases, thrived. Why do we still perform these irrational rituals in an allegedly rational age? Because belief, as it turns out, is…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/23/2025

Meet That Philosopher: Plato

Plato, the Athenian philosopher and student of Socrates, laid the foundation for Western philosophy with works like The Republic and the Theory of Forms. His allegory of the cave challenges us to distinguish between illusion and truth. As founder of The Academy and mentor to Aristotle, his intellectual lineage runs deep. Even today, Plato reminds us that thinking deeply is a revolutionary act.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/13/2025

The War on Boredom: Why We Fear Doing Nothing

In today’s hustle-fueled culture, boredom is treated like a glitch to be fixed rather than a gateway to creativity. We fear being alone with our thoughts, seeking constant stimulation to avoid the discomfort of stillness. But boredom is biologically and philosophically important—it fuels curiosity, reflection, and imagination. Reclaiming it might be our best defense against burnout. Boredom, once a hallmark of idle summer days and quiet Sunday afternoons, has become a kind of cultural enemy. In a world where productivity is valorized and stimulation is ubiquitous, doing nothing can feel more threatening than doing something badly. It’s no coincidence that we reach for our phones during even the briefest moments of stillness—at red lights, in checkout lines, on the toilet. Our addiction to micro-engagement has rendered boredom not just uncomfortable, but unacceptable. But what if our aversion to boredom reveals more about our culture than we care to admit?

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/13/2025

What Ancestry Tests Are Getting Wrong

Consumer DNA tests claim to reveal the truth of your ancestry, but they often rely on incomplete databases, reinforce racial myths, and reduce complex histories to simple percentages. These tests commodify identity and can destabilize people’s sense of self, while ignoring the cultural and experiential aspects of heritage. Though they offer some useful insights, DNA results are no substitute for the rich, lived stories of who we are and how we belong. You spit in a tube, seal it, and mail it off. Weeks later, an email dings with percentages—52% Italian, 24% West African, 14% Indigenous American, 10% “Broadly European.” The numbers feel revelatory, the data precise, the identity scientific. But behind those tidy percentages lies a messier truth: ancestry tests aren’t quite the genealogical gospel they claim to be. In fact, they may be warping our understanding of who we are and where we come from.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/11/2025

What Ancient Philosophy Says About Today's Burnout

Ancient Stoic philosophy offers surprisingly modern wisdom on burnout, urging clarity, boundaries, and the pursuit of inner peace over external validation. Thinkers like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius valued discipline, reflection, and acting with intention in chaotic times. Their advice—control what you can, let go of what you can’t—offers a countercultural remedy to today’s hustle-driven exhaustion. Maybe what we need isn’t more productivity tools, but a better philosophy. If Marcus Aurelius had a LinkedIn, his bio might read: Emperor of Rome, amateur philosopher, reluctant workaholic. But instead of churning out TED Talks or productivity hacks, he spent his quiet hours scribbling in a leather-bound notebook what would eventually become Meditations—a work of Stoic philosophy that has found unexpected resonance with the overcaffeinated, overcommitted workers of today. At first glance, ancient Stoicism and modern burnout seem like odd bedfellows. One conjures…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/10/2025

The Lost Cities Under Our Feet

Modern cities are built atop ancient ones, with layers of forgotten civilizations lying just beneath our feet. These buried cities, from Rome to Mexico City, reveal the continuity—and fragility—of human settlement. Urban stratification turns excavation into time travel, raising questions about memory, progress, and what we choose to preserve. In every subway dig or street repaving, the past murmurs back. Beneath the bustling sidewalks of our modern metropolises lie ruins more ancient than our streetlights, subways, or Starbucks. The ground beneath our soles often hides entire cities—once-vibrant hubs of culture, commerce, and conquest—now entombed by time and concrete. From the submerged alleys of ancient Alexandria to the Roman villas under London’s financial district, modern civilization isn’t built next to history; it’s built on top of it. Quite literally, our skyscrapers are standing on the shoulders of buried giants.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 06/05/2025

Person from History—Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant scientist whose X-ray work captured the iconic Photograph 51, crucial to the discovery of DNA’s double helix. Her contributions were overshadowed by Watson and Crick, who used her data without permission. Despite being denied recognition in her lifetime, Franklin's legacy has since been restored as a pioneering force in molecular biology. Her story is both a cautionary tale and a celebration of scientific brilliance. When we talk about DNA, names like James Watson and Francis Crick typically get all the spotlight—and occasionally a Nobel Prize. But in the shadow of the double helix stands Rosalind Franklin, whose X-ray crystallography work provided the crucial photographic evidence that made their model possible. Franklin wasn’t just the woman with the microscope; she was the scientist who literally illuminated the shape of life. Yet for decades, she was relegated to a scientific footnote—until historians, feminists, and frankly, people with…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 05/20/2025

The Secret Life of Postal Systems

Postal systems have shaped empires, resisted regimes, and carried intimate human stories for centuries. From colonial surveillance to queer love letters, mail has often doubled as a tool of both oppression and resistance. Today, though seemingly mundane, the post office remains a living infrastructure of cultural and historical importance. Its secret life is far more alive than we think. When was the last time you considered the post office a thrilling institution? Perhaps never. Yet, behind the sleepy facade of mail trucks and forever stamps lies a global web of power, secrecy, rebellion, and—yes—romance. The postal system has long served as a tool of empire, an archive of intimacy, and an infrastructure for resistance. It is no accident that spies, lovers, revolutionaries, and bureaucrats alike have entrusted their fates to envelopes. In a world ever-hurtling toward digital, the humble postal system quietly continues its centuries-old double life.

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 05/20/2025

Person from History—Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo turned her suffering into revolutionary art, using self-portraiture to explore identity, pain, and Mexican nationalism. Her bold aesthetic defied gender expectations and reshaped the role of the female body in visual culture. Though often mythologized, Kahlo's power lies in her unapologetic self-definition. She remains a complex icon who painted not dreams, but uncompromising reality. Few artists have become as iconic and as intimately studied as Frida Kahlo. Her striking self-portraits, political defiance, and unapologetic exploration of gender, pain, and national identity place her at a crossroads of personal vulnerability and cultural resistance. Born in 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico, Kahlo lived a life riddled with physical suffering—first from polio as a child, and later from a horrific bus accident at 18 that left her with chronic pain and a lifetime of surgeries. Yet, it was through this suffering that Kahlo carved out her visual language, one that is as raw as it is…

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 05/12/2025

Meet the Philosopher: Socrates

Socrates, the famously wordless philosopher, pioneered the Socratic method—asking questions to challenge assumptions and foster critical thinking. He believed the unexamined life wasn't worth living and stayed true to that belief even unto death. Through Plato’s writings, Socrates' influence continues to shape philosophy, law, and education. His legacy reminds us that good conversation isn’t about knowing—it’s about asking. Socrates might be the only philosopher in history who got famous without writing a single word. No books, no scrolls, not even a cryptic tweet. Instead, he strolled around Athens in a threadbare robe, bothering people with questions until they either had an epiphany or walked away fuming. His legacy survives because his student Plato wrote down their conversations—turning Socrates into the original podcast guest who always circles back to, “But what is justice, really?”

Amanda Hicok

Amanda Hicok on 04/30/2025

Person from History — Jonas Salk

Jonas Salk was the pioneering scientist who developed the first effective polio vaccine in 1955, using a killed-virus method that proved both safe and groundbreaking. His work led to a dramatic decline in polio cases and helped pave the way for near-global eradication of the disease. Salk famously chose not to patent the vaccine, prioritizing public health over profit. He later founded the Salk Institute and remained dedicated to medical research until his death in 1995. In an era when polio struck fear into families across the globe, Jonas Salk emerged as a scientific hero. His groundbreaking development of the first effective polio vaccine in 1955 changed the course of public health, turning the tide on one of the most devastating diseases of the 20th century. But Salk was more than a brilliant virologist—he was a humanitarian whose commitment to the greater good continues to inspire.

Amanda Hicok