Adam Brown, one of the most famed Navy SEALs, was born tough. A breech birth necessitated dislocating his shoulder in order to take him out of the womb. The newborn didn’t shed a single tear, but we can imagine how much it hurt. Adam’s tough spirit served him well as a young adult, when he […]
The Life-Changing Magic of a Great Disguise
You may think of magicians as entertainers at children’s birthday parties, or the characters in the Harry Potter universe. But historically, some magicians have had very serious jobs, including John Mulholland, who was on staff at the Central Intelligence Agency. It makes sense if you think about it. Like magicians, spies need to do a […]
Where does Equality Come From?
The French economist Thomas Piketty says that history bends toward equality. Since 1820, life expectancy has been rising all over the world, along with literacy rates. A college education, which was once considered class privilege, is now accessible to almost everyone. Across the world, the average income has been multiplied by 10. But some of […]
The War on Secrets
Information has always been a valuable resource. For thousands of years, codemakers have struggled to hide secrets—and codebreakers have worked just as hard to find them. Codes have decided the results of wars and the fates of kings and queens, who historically relied on secret communication to keep sensitive messages out of the wrong hands. […]
The Two Faces of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
In Saudi Arabia, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is expected to succeed his 86-year-old father, King Salman. (In practical terms, MBS is already in charge.) The West is watching as Joe Biden’s team negotiates with the Saudis about the terms of the leaders’ first talk, which is expected in the coming months. Over […]
The Conservative Manifesto
Marked by civil unrest and shaped by the Cold War, the 1960s was a tumultuous time in the United States. People often associate that decade with liberal counterculture, but it was also an important and formative time for American conservatives. Enter Barry Goldwater, a Republican Senator who decided that what his party needed was a […]
What’s Hidden on Hunter’s Hard Drive?
In 2020, deep in a depression after his brother’s death, Hunter Biden left his laptop at a repair shop and never came back. The contents of the device were shocking: thousands of emails, text messages, photos, and videos detailing Hunter’s drug use, love affairs, and dodgy business deals. The details were too juicy to keep […]
The Man Behind the Conspiracy Theories
Before he became the subject of all those strange conspiracy theories, George Soros was best known as an honest-to-goodness businessperson and international philanthropist. At age 91, he still has billions, but that’s not even the most interesting thing about him. He survived Nazi Germany before he ever became a student of economics. His early brush […]
Inside the House of War
According to Islamic religious law, the world is made up of two parts: the house of Islam and the house of war. This rule came in handy for non-Muslim rulers who lived in the time of the Ottoman Empire, which lasted for more than six centuries. As long as opponents accepted the Ottoman sultan as […]
Is it Fair to Judge the Past By Modern Standards?
Nearly 75 years after his death, Mohandas Gandhi remains one of the most influential figures in human history. Known for his philosophy of nonviolence and for liberating India from British colonial rule, Gandhi has been an inspiration to some of our most important civil rights luminaries, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But if you […]
