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Guide to the classics: On The Art of Physical Exercise, a 16th century account of ancient sports and workouts

According to the World Obesity Atlas, 42% of the global population will be overweight or obese in 2025. Lack of physical activity is one of the primary causes. Experts regard this as a serious health problem and in Greco-Roman times, too, doctors thought being overweight was bad for one’s health.

The Conversation · Jul 16, 2024

Inequality in life – and death: Newspaper obituaries have long discriminated against women

Gender discrimination doesn’t always end after a woman dies. Newspapers have long treated women differently in the number, wording and presentation of obituaries.

The Conversation · Jul 11, 2024

Venezuela turns to dark fleet to supply oil to ally Cuba

The vessels disguise their signals, appearing to be elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Latin Times · Jun 28, 2024

Australia’s first civilian jury was entirely female. Here’s how ‘juries of matrons’ shaped our legal history

It’s hard to imagine now, but for almost 1,000 years, pregnant women in England could avoid the death penalty just by virtue of being pregnant. A pregnant woman sentenced to death would receive a stay of execution until the baby was born. It was called “pleading the belly” and often…

The Conversation · Jun 21, 2024

Solstices brought Mayan communities together, using monuments shaped by science and religion – and kingly ambitions, too

K’ahk’ Uti’ Witz’ K’awiil knew his history.

The Conversation · Jun 19, 2024

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ may be many Americans’ image of Judaism – but American Jews’ heritage is stunningly diverse

“Tradition!” rings out the opening line of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the Broadway play that brought Jewish life to stages around the world. The 1964 musical gives audiences a window into Yiddish-speaking, rural Jewish life in 19th-century Europe.

The Conversation · Jun 12, 2024

Catherine McKinnon’s panoramic new novel presents a gritty view of war’s complexities

Catherine McKinnon graduated from Flinders University Drama Centre, South Australia, and was a founding member of the Red Shed Theatre Company, where she worked as writer and director.

The Conversation · May 29, 2024

2 knights, 1 horse − how a legendary Knights Templar symbol has puzzled and fascinated since the Middle Ages

The Knights Templar, a legendary monastic military order forged in the fires of the Crusades, continue to enthrall 21st-century audiences.

The Conversation · May 28, 2024

35 optical illusions and why they trick your brain

Artists and scientists have been creating optical illusions for centuries. Here are 35 mind-bending examples that prove you can't always trust what your eyes are telling you.

LiveScience · May 27, 2024

Eugen Sandow was the posterboy of physical culture: his 1904 visit to South Africa reinforced racist ideas

Eugen Sandow was an internationally famous strongman. The German-born British showman (1867-1925) toured the world challenging other strongmen and staging displays of strength. He declared himself to be a physical culturist and became the face of the physical culture movement and a pioneer of bodybuilding. Historically, the term “physical culture”…

The Conversation · May 24, 2024