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Chris Wickham's synthesis of Europe from 400 to 1000, refusing to read the period as a run-up to the nation-state or a long decline from Rome — Byzantium, the caliphates, Franks and Anglo-Saxons on their own terms, built on material and documentary evidence. Dense and demanding; the standard answer to anyone who still says 'Dark Ages'.
July 13, 2026
Scott Alexander's team publishes its plan for AI going well, Joel Mokyr defends his Nobel thesis, and Ted Gioia argues the Odyssey belongs in the music department.
March 30, 2026
Veritasium tells the story of antimatter's discovery, PBS Space Time asks if we can test quantum gravity, and Experimental History on why being serious matters.
February 16, 2026
An EconTalk episode on America's WWII production miracle, Gwern's scaling hypothesis revisited, and Scott Alexander introduces the AI 2027 scenario.
