The instrument that changed the world
Ways of measuring magnetic field developed during the 1930s were considered early in the Second World War as possible means of detecting submerged submarines. In the end they did rather more than that.
A kangaroo court
On the 5th of April 1827, the survey vessel Research anchored off Hobart. The next day her captain, Peter Dillon, was arraigned for assault and wrongful imprisonment by the ship’s doctor, Robert Tytler. He was convicted, fined fifty pounds and sentenced to two months imprisonment. But was that justified?
West Bank
One matter on which Donald Trump, Ayn Rand and Bezalel Smotrich seem to be in complete accord is their approach to the future of Palestine. In their eyes it is unnecessary to consider the opinions of the Arabic-speaking half of the population inhabiting the land between the river and the sea. Even Ayn Rand might envy the smoothness of Smotrich’s transition, when presenting his solution to the problems, from reasonable analysis to barking madness.
Tikopia
Volcanoes that look like volcanoes fascinate. Almost all appear in the catalogue of the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, but one at least does not.
Early charts of the Carolines
In 1790 the cartographer Aaron Arrowsmith produced a comprehensive map of the world. It was an impressive achievement, but how accurate was it, as far as Micronesia was concerned?
Galt versus Musk
At first sight it might seem that one of Ayn Rand’s dreams has come even more true than she could ever have imagined. In her novel Atlas Shrugged it was necessary for her hero, John Galt, to take over the entire US radio network in order to get his message across. Elon Musk, his nearest modern incarnation, had a much simpler way of achieving the same ends. He bought Twitter.