Propagandacritic.com is a fascinating site dedicated to explaining what makes propaganda propaganda, and getting people to think critically about the messages they see. It's run by Aaron Delwiche, a professor of communications at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.
The history and inner workings of propaganda
These four minutes of BBC TV from 1938 only still exist because of weird atmospheric conditions
In 1938, unusual atmospheric conditions enabled a few minutes of BBC television to be picked up in the United States. An early cine camera, pointed at a TV set, captured the footage that includes BBC announcers, a drama, and the BBC station identification. From the Alexandra Palace Television Society and posted on Archive.org: It was… READ THE REST
Cats with human jobs
This BBC article about cats successfully holding down jobs, from mousers to mayors, is a couple of years old. But it's titled "Bureacats" and is timeless material. Another wartime hero was Crimean Tom, also known as Sevastopol Tom, who saved British and French troops from starvation during the Crimean War in 1854. The regiments were… READ THE REST
Cahokia: The massive North American city that pre-dated Columbus
Americans don't reckon with history well, especially when it comes to the indigenous people our forefathers displaced (and worse) in order to live on this land. Growing up in New Haven County, I remember being taught a lot about the local Quinnipiacks and other Algonquin peoples who once inhabited the area — but their story… READ THE REST
The Gravita is a trippy lamp that shines while levitating in thin air
"Dude, your lamp is broken." "No. No, dude, it is not." Perhaps the greatest lure of the Gravita Levitating Smart Lamp is that at a glance, it doesn't look like it should work at all. But it also packs in some other useful twists to go along with its unquestioned uniqueness, making it an absolutely… READ THE REST
Save more than 70% off these refurbished iMac and Mac Mini models
Time just flies in computer years. In fact, it's been almost 25 years since the iMac ascended to become Apple's premiere desktop computer. Just a few weeks after announcing the new M1 iMac, the brand's first major redesign in almost a decade, it's now open season on previous generations of iMacs past. In fact, there are… READ THE REST
This course explains what NFTs are
Up until the last few months, it would have been completely acceptable to shrug your shoulders and let your eyes glaze over if someone tried to explain a non-fungible token to you. But after decades of limited ownership over images, gifs, and virtually anything found on the web, the NFT process can now finally give… READ THE REST