Science · Education · Society · People

Academician Sakharov in his Nobel lecture on progress and intellectual freedom

Progress is possible and safe only under the control of Reason. Only in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom is an effective system of education and of creative continuity between generations possible. Academician A.D. Sakharov, Nobel Lecture

Cutaway of a sailing ship showing decks, holds, barrels, cannons and people inside, with a red cross on the mast.

NB! · Archive · Observations · Science

The Design of the São Gabriel, Vasco da Gama's Flagship on the 1497–1499 Voyage to India

I adore diagrams like this! How the São Gabriel, Vasco da Gama's flagship, was built: aboard her, as part of a flotilla of 4 ships, he sailed to India in 1497–1499

NB! · Observations · Science · People

Einstein Was a Genius After All

Archive · Books · Observations · Science

Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers corresponded from 1926 for forty years, their long conversation at a distance interrupted only by Arendt's emigration

Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers corresponded from 1926 for forty years, their long conversation at a distance interrupted only by Arendt's emigration. Pupil and teacher became, over the years, not merely each other's correspondents but good friends, and their families even grew close. Their correspondence is

Science · Society

Catherine I introduced square copper plate money in 1726 due to a silver shortage

Russian history once knew a period of square money. These were copper plates in denominations of a rouble, a poltina, a half-poltina, a grivna, 5 kopecks and 1 kopeck, issued by the Yekaterinburg Mint. Catherine I signed the decree on the minting of copper plates on 4 February 1726:

Archive · Faith · Science · Mores · People

Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov Makes a Most Unexpected Connection Between the Easter Festivities and a Rise in Mortality

Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov makes a most unexpected connection between the Easter festivities and a rise in mortality. In one of his letters to Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov, written in 1761, speaking of Easter, Lomonosov describes the dangers to life and the multitude of deaths that overtake the Orthodox people every year.

Aristocracy · Archive · Monarchies · Science · People

To mark Cosmonautics Day, here is a photograph of James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847-1913), President of the Royal Astronomical Society, dressed in heraldic regalia for the coronation of King George V in 1911

In the intervals of his aristocratic existence, this imposing old gentleman assembled one of the largest libraries of rare books in England, organised expeditions to the East to observe solar eclipses and the transit of Venus, built a private observatory, patronised astronomers, became a sponsor of the founding of the

Archive · Science · Humour

In the future you will be able to carry a telephone in your pocket!

April 1963

NB! · Coming Up · Observations · Science · Society

Poster for a lecture by the Austrian professor of philosophy Andreas Gustav Wetter, a specialist in Russian philosophy and scientific materialism, at a cinema in Italy

Poster for a lecture by the Austrian professor of philosophy, specialist in Russian philosophy and scientific materialism Andrey Gustav Wetter at a cinema in Italy. The subject, naturally, is Italian Marxism. I would have gone to listen

Antique engraving of a statue of a woman in long draped robes holding a snake, captioned Hygie.

NB! · Observations · Science

The origin of the word hygiene in the name of Hygieia, goddess of health

The word "hygiene" derives from the name of the goddess Hygieia, goddess of health, healing and cleanliness. After all, places of healing must, above all, be clean. Apollo is the patron of medicine, but it is Hygieia who is nonetheless answerable for health.

Archaeology · Science

Caltrops, called garlic in Russian, as a military obstacle from antiquity to the 20th century

This type of military anti-cavalry obstacle is usually called "garlic" (chesnok) in Russian. Metal caltrops consist of spikes pointing in different directions, and they were scattered in great quantities along the presumed path of the cavalry. These strewn spikes could stop infantry, elephants and war camels alike.

Coming Up · Museums · Science · Nature

Exhibition “The Wondrous World of Cones” from botanist Nikolay Budishevsky’s collection in Vidnoye

The Children's Library No. 1 in the town of Vidnoye is hosting an exhibition, "The Wondrous World of Cones". From Tuesday to Sunday, visitors to the library can see more than 70 species, representing 4 families and 22 genera from North America, Europe, North Africa and