How Russia turned to medieval saints in its push for ‘traditional values’ – and more babies

The Russian Orthodox Church is creating another pro-family day, part of a broader ‘traditional values’ campaign run by the government.

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Aeon

Lore of the rings

Trees contain an archive – tales of planetary shifts, cosmic events, historical pivots – that we’re only just unlocking- by Valerie TrouetRead on Aeon

Valerie Trouet·Jul 10, 2026

National Geographic

Inside the secret operation to move the Bayeux Tapestry

After more than 900 years in France, the Bayeux Tapestry—one of medieval Europe’s most fragile, priceless treasures—slipped back into England in a controversial overnight operation. Here’s what transporting a 225-foot-long masterwork actually takes.

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Artforum

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch Defends Institution Against White House Criticism

In an email to his staff, American educator, historian, and Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III pushed back against a recent White House Domestic Policy Council report which accused the Smithsonian National Museum of American History of veering towards a mission rooted in “extreme political activism.” Bunch’s email, which was published by the Washington Post […]

Mika Lee·Jul 10, 2026

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The Conversation

Brazil’s highland forest has been shaped by climate change and Indigenous people for 6,000 years

Prehistoric pollen records show that forest dynamics were driven by more than just broad-scale climatic changes.

Oliver Wilson, Lecturer, School of Natural Sciences, University of Lincoln·Jul 10, 2026

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The Conversation

Why an EU ruling about a traffic app could have major implications for big tech companies

Big tech platforms argue they simply store and display information created by others, so should not be seen as legally responsible for it.

Iain Nash, Associate Director and Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Technology Law, Edge Hill University·Jul 10, 2026

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The Public Domain Review

“Worthless Idiot, Donkey Head”: Parodies of Pedantry on the Renaissance Stage

Pompous know-it-alls were once a mainstay of mockery on the Italian stage. Arnoud Visser investigates this stock character of the pedant and his association with individual superiority, social distinction, and sexual transgression, finding a form of satire that took aim at the Renaissance humanist’s erudition and lofty ideals.

Jul 8, 2026