The Bizarre History of Animals On Trial

We’ve all heard of animal trials; the controversial experiments on animals that give us our vital medicines, but also our inessential shampoos. But what about animals ON trial? Well, weirdly, that was once very much the case. In medieval and Renaissance Europe the application of logic in the legal system was paramount, despite our widely-held…

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The History of Communication: It’s Nothing New

If you’re hoping to understand the history of communication, perhaps it’s best to start with the obvious. Communication technology is nothing new, because technology is not just the shiny iPhone in your pocket. There’s an old joke about a young German boy who has been totally mute since birth. His parents are worried sick, and have…

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How To Trend On Twitter: Do Good Ideas Always Spread?

This is an essay about how to trend on twitter, but it didn’t start that way. It all began rather innocently. In June 2011, while on my lunch break, I was seeking audience feedback on the television programme I made at the time, a children’s comedy sketch-show called ‘Horrible Histories’. Series 3 was a few…

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Time To Rise and Shine!! The History of Waking Up

With the exception of zombies and sleepwalkers, who are surprisingly proactive with their subconscious lurching, almost every day in our life must first begin with the simple achievement of waking up.  Biological processes aside, going from a state of slumber to a state of alertness is wonderfully simple; you set your alarm clock, go to…

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(Coinci)DENTAL: The Terrifying History of Dentistry

I’m one of those tediously uber-rational types who disavow all superstitions, pseudoscientific claims and assertions of cosmic destiny.  As far as I’m concerned, with 7 billion people bumbling around the planet, the odds of spooky ‘I-bet-you-can’t-explain-that’ stuff happening on a daily basis are actually pretty high. It’s surely just statistical probability that coincidences will fling…

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Where there’s smoke (alarm)… there’s fire! A Brief History of Sleep

I am a terrible sleeper. I’m really, really bad at it, and not through lack of practice. I’ve been putting in the requisite hours of training since the day I was born. By Malcolm Gladwell’s estimations, I should be a world-class snoozer by now, having easily clocked up way more than 10,000 hours of slumber….

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Defending The Stone Age: Why I Wrote My Book

From our lofty vantage point in the 21st century, everything preceding our own era looks ridiculous: the weird beliefs, the stupid clothes, the primitive technology. But what we fail to realise is that every society since the dawn of time has considered itself the pinnacle of human achievement; Chaucer didn’t saunter around saying: “we’re in…

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