Right now in the headlines there’s a big controversy–in California particularly, but in other states as well–over parents’ right to opt out of having their children vaccinated. As of last week, the California House passed a proposal that would make… Read More
Sometimes prestigious awards are named after some pretty sketchy people (Pulitzer and Nobel come to mind). But after learning more about him, I’ve concluded that John Newbery (1713 – 1767) deserves to have his name associated with the most prestigious… Read More
As a young man, Benjamin Franklin tried to be a vegetarian along with his employer at his printing shop, Samuel Keimer. Franklin claimed to adjust to the new diet easily, but after about three months, his boss had had enough.… Read More
Construction of the Great Wall of China began in the seventh century BC and continued for centuries. As many as a million workers died building it, mostly from starvation or exposure.