The last stand of Native America — Introduction The Great Sioux War lasted from 1876 to 1877. By quite many people it is seen as a native Last Stand against the US government; afterwards there were very few conflicts between the two parties. Origin The Sioux is a collection of tribes (Lakota Sioux, Dakota Sioux and more) living in…

The creation of a ‘system of systems’ — If you are a mere ‘civilian’ like me, you may not have heard about Network-Centric Warfare (NCW). Still, it is a core principle in modern armed forces. Given its ever-increasing presence in warfare today, I think we shóuld know about Net-Centric Warfare. That is why I wrote this article: to…

How the identity of money changed throughout the ages — The emergence of currency To pinpoint the first use of currency is difficult for two reasons: A). The archaeological record suffers from ‘survivor bias’, and does not guarantee our notions about the starting-point for currency. B). It depends on the way in which currency is defined. Yuval N. Harari argues for “an intersubjective (existing…

The predominant reasons why gold is a preferred method of wealth insurance. — Introduction The English writer Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said: “Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity”. However, is it true that gold is merely a belief system, or does it have intrinsic, ever-potent value? Intrinsic Value Gold has been admired by civilizations for many ages. The properties, aesthetics and…

The Ancient Greek philosophy of opportune moments — Introduction Have you ever had a moment in which you felt the timing was ‘just right’? Did you succesfully predict the stockmarket or did you meet your childhood friend at a neighborhood yardsale? The Ancient Greeks had a word for such ‘ripe times’: Kairos. Defining Kairos It is somewhat difficult to define Kairos…

A history of Einstein’s Olympia Academy — Multiple disciplines Albert Einstein is best known for his contribution to science. One prominent contribution is his formulation of E=MC². This formula refers to Einstein’s theory of relativity; a concept that has proven quite foundational to modern Physics. However, did you know that Einstein’s interests went beyond the realm of science? He…

The life and legacy of Simón Bolívar, the ‘liberator’ of Latin America. — Introduction Outside of Latin America, not many people know of Simón Bolívar. But, as we learned in our article about Carl Mannerheim last week, such global unfamiliarity does not mean that such figures lack historic impact. Quite the contrary: Simón Bolívar led several Latin American countries to independence from Spain. This…

The context ánd content of the Kalevala Epic, Finland’s national epic. Context Every Scandinavian country has a rich history of folklore. You might think that people recounted each other’s epic, national tales of the ásatrú gods or of other supernatural elements. But it is far from that. In today’s age, countries…

An overview of events from the Falklands War — Introduction You have probably heard of ‘The Falklands War’. But, perhaps you are just like me, and do not know too much of it. That’s why this article outlines some major episodes and related events. Hopefully it helps you to get an overview of what the war was about. Colonization The Falklands…