🇫🇷 France

• 🖨️Reclaiming the Cliché

  What is it that makes the output of large language models and other varieties of generative AI so interesting, and then so boring? For me the most useful operative metaphor for AI’s promise and problems is the cliche.

• 🍦Who Invented Ice Cream?

  From ancient China to American tables, uncover the frosty journey of history's favorite frozen delight.

• 🕯️What the World Has to Learn from the Philosophy of Afro-Brazilian Religions

  Explore how Afro-Brazilian religions blend diverse spiritual elements to address modern life’s complexities.

• 🎈Defying Gravity and Monarchy

  Defy gravity in 1783 Paris! Relive the tension and triumph of the first human hot air balloon flight, featured on The History Channel's podcast.

• 🧐The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa

  The story begins with a discarded doorknob...

• 🌉Learning with L’Arche

  The groundbreaking community centered on people with intellectual disabilities will examine how to foster humility and compassionate love

• 📜Articles | Lists, Questions and Culinary Delights

  Over the past few months, I've been diving into the fun facts and intriguing stories of history for the History Channel's website.

• 🥧The History of Pumpkin Pie

  Discover the rich history of pumpkin pie, a staple that dates back to 5,500 B.C. and symbolizes American tradition and celebration.

• 🧱How Long Was the Berlin Wall?

  Explore the history and impact of the Berlin Wall, a stark Cold War symbol that split a city and its people for three decades.

• 🏛️Six Modern Capitals With Ancient Roots

  Explore how six capitals, including Athens and Beirut, have evolved from ancient roots to modern metropolises, blending rich histories with contemporary life.

• 🏆Who Were the First Women to Win Nobel Prizes?

  Explore the pioneering women who shattered Nobel Prize ceilings, from Marie Curie's double win to trailblazers in peace, literature, and medicine.

• 🥫How Canned Food Revolutionized The Way We Eat

  Explore how a 1795 French innovation contest sparked the canned food revolution, forever changing our culinary landscape.

• 📏Who invented the metric system?

  Discover how French revolutionaries standardized measurements and gave us the metric system, simplifying everything from science to daily life.

• 🎶Mix CD | NY/ROBI

  An exploration of the connections between Africa and New York through music, including a unique take on Babatunde Olatunji's "Akiwowo."

• 🎭It creates no wealth or goods

  Exploring the complexities of play, work, and art through Roger Caillois' insights on the nature of leisure and productivity.

• 🎨The polychromatic Middle Ages

  Exploring the splendid visual motifs of the Middle Ages through the vibrant aesthetic of Auguste Racinet's _L'Ornament Polychrome_, showcasing art from ancient to 18th-century Europe.

• 🏘️The bottom of the urban planning bag

  An exploration of how cul-de-sacs contribute to the depersonalization of suburban life and the challenges they pose for walkability in neighborhoods.

• 🎬Two clichés make us laugh. A hundred clichés move us

  Eco explores how _Casablanca_ transcends clichés to unveil narrative power and emotional depth.

• 🛋️We’ll always have HOVÅS

  Here's a clever mix of comfort and creativity in urban space with IKEA's ad campaign in the Paris Metro.

• 🎶A graphical analysis of national anthem lyrics

  My quest to learn "La Marseillaise" led me to explore the curious and often violent lyrics of national anthems from around the world.

• 📞You had me at 'hello'

  An exploration of how the word "hello" transcended technology and culture through the evolution of telephonic communication.

• 🧽Patience and fortitude

  Reflecting on Brother Lawrence's mindfulness in everyday tasks, like dishwashing, and the beauty of simplicity in our routine.

• ✋Not all thumbs

  This study reveals how counting gestures differ across cultures, particularly between Germans and Canadians.

• 🇱🇧Food flags

  A delightful exploration of national cuisines represented as flags, showcasing Lebanon's specialties among other global favorites.

• 🖼️Gold Rush, by Francesca Gabbiani

  Francesca Gabbiani's work captivates with its rococo naturalism and reflective voids, echoing themes found in circular panoramic photography.

• 📚Moby Dick, a book about computers

  Exploring the whimsical errors in Google Books' categorizations reveals unexpected connections in literature.

• 🙏Merci

  A beautiful exploration of faith and gratitude captured in tiles at a Catholic shrine in France.

• 🌐Babel undone

  The transformative journey of a biblical story through many languages.

• 🍚Eating and absorbing a technological tradition

  This excerpt from Francesca Bray highlights how cultural objects and practices can embody profound meanings through the technologies involved in their production, particularly in the context of Japan's agricultural traditions.

• ✍️Copies

  A celebration of beautifully handcrafted French signage, showcasing its unique charm and artistry.

• 🧀Cheese and ashes

  Reflecting on a memorable cheese experience shared with a friend, especially highlighting Morbier's unique features and flavor.

• 🎨Arabesques

  From a lovely French collection of prints, this piece showcases "Arab art from the monuments of Cairo, from the 7th through the 19th centuries," illustrating a vibrant tapestry of designs over the centuries. Geolocation coordinates

• 🌍If There Ever Was - A Book of Extinct and Impossible Smells

  Aroma is creatively underutilized, as Robert Blackson explores through conceptual scent art.

• 🍽️At most, sharing a pudding

  As the French grapple with economic challenges, their beloved tradition of lengthy business lunches is at risk, illustrating a cultural shift that echoes across the channel. "It is seen as the mark of civilised eating, distinguishing well-fed French workers from the English who wolf prawn sandwiches at their desks..."

• 🌳Gourdon’s Garden, Provence, France

  The perspective captured in this photo beautifully contrasts the cultivated gardens with the wild canyon below, showcasing the gardeners diligently tending to the hedges.

• 🌳Tree of life

  From Vijaysree Venkataraman, a reflection on the journey of the moringa tree and its potential in addressing malnutrition across cultures.

• 🌌Grand ideas first,  obstacles later

  A critical reflection on the narrative of world-changing meetings and the potential consequences of scientific endeavors, particularly referencing CERN's impact on our understanding of the universe.

• 🎨No. 8 Rue Franklin, Nantes, France

  A reflection on the juxtaposition of beauty and vandalism in Nantes' architectural landscape.

• 🍳L’oeuf à soixante-cinq degrés

  An exploration of the exquisite results achieved when cooking eggs at precise temperatures.

• 🎶Never mind the propaganda, let’s dance!

  An exploration of the vibrant musical culture of Kinshasa and the phenomenon of libanga in Congolese music.

• 💍Mix CD | The Bridegroom Special

  Celebrating love with a joyous mix of multicultural tunes for a wedding celebration.

• 🗺️A star in the East- The enduring myth of Prester John

  The legend of Prester John serves as a lens through which we examine medieval European dreams of Christian power in distant lands.