Trade & Economy
Was Tulip Mania Really a Mass Delusion?
It is the standard story of a financial bubble. The evidence for a nation ruined by flowers is surprisingly thin.
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Africa & the World
Who Built Great Zimbabwe, and Who Tried to Erase Them?
The largest stone ruins in sub-Saharan Africa were credited to the Queen of Sheba, Phoenicians and anyone but the Africans who built them.
Africa & the World
Was Mansa Musa Really the Richest Person Ever?
His pilgrimage shook the economy of Cairo. The claim that he was “richer than anyone in history” says more about our habits than about Mali.
Sport & Society
Did Hitler Really Snub Jesse Owens?
The most famous scene of the 1936 Olympics is told as a story of one man’s contempt. The record points somewhere less comfortable.