Why and when scientists change their minds
2026-04-25 21:37 Individuals outside the scientific mainstream often complain about people within it refusing to listen to them. As if listening was the same as accepting an idea. Real scientists make high demands for accepting the ideas of others.
When no conspiracy is needed
2026-04-17 19:08 Something I don’t think requires a conspiracy is the Estonia disaster.  On the 28th of September 1994 the ferry Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea.  At least 852 people died in connection with this.
Weather is outside human control
2025-11-18 12:33 Some have hard coming to terms with the idea something can’t be controlled.  The fear they display leads to the most absurd ideas.  I have read about people denying that natural weather phenomena would exist nowadays.
Opportunity can’t be taken for granted
2025-10-16 13:47 Some people’s view of history is exaggeratedly person-centred.  The development of society is supposed to be driven by single famous individuals.  The resources for such a person is not spent a though at if it has varied.
The American catastrophe
2025-08-11 16:43 The depopulation of the Americas took place in the 16th and 17th centuries. Naturally, regional collapses had already taken place earlier. Maybe the most famous is the Mayan culture’s collapse.
Peoples of the wheel
2025-06-02 13:11 Proto-Indo-European was the first proto-language identified by linguists.  This based on similarities between Ancient Greek, Latin and Sanskrit.  Unfortunately, it took long before one could say something about where it had been spoken.
The deficiencies of the Americas
2025-04-18 17:25 Towards the end of the last ice age North and South America were populated. Since the seas were lower then there was no Bering Strait. People could simply walk to Alaska. However, the way south from there was almost entirely ice-covered.
Australia’s infertility
2025-04-10 13:33 There is considerable uncertainty on when Australia was populated.  Certain are the current human species reached it on rafts.  Likely they were built from bamboo.  What we know is the straits being too wide to see across.
Africa’s biogeographical disadvantages
2025-03-27 19:56 When I talk here about Africa I mean Sub-Saharan Africa.  Historically the Sahara has consisted a greater barrier than the Mediterranean.  Most from Africa’s north coast are more similar to Europeans than people south of the Sahara.
The basics of biogeography
2025-03-14 12:38 At the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs the world was already divided into continents.  Antarctica and Australia were still connected.  However, we don’t know much about the organisms of the time in Antarctica.