Fun with Toponyms
Place names tell us all sorts of interesting things about history and people. Also, what is the longest one word place name in the world?
The British Library: The Importance of Legal Deposit
“This library has every book ever published.” A visit to the British Library.
Libraries, Archives, Choice and Red Envelopes: The Growth of Streaming, the Decline of Choice, and the Death of the Red Envelope
The role of libraries and archives as streaming grows, choice declines, and the death of the red envelopes arrives.
Appeals Court Rules That Library of Congress Can No Longer Require Deposit of Published Works
An appeals court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for the government to require deposit of published works in the Library of Congress
The Size of Things: Historical Overlaps
What else was happening during well known historical events? Where did the fax machine and the Oregon Trail overlap? What about Woolly Mammoths and the Great Pyramids?
The Size of Things: Time in Context
What does the timeline of human existence look like when physically laid out to scale? How does that compare to the timeline of the universe?
Design Matters: Critiquing US Flag Designs
How well-designed is your state’s flag?
Is the Letter “R” a Vowel? What is a Vowel Anyway, and What Does How You Pronounce “R” Say About You?
Did your teacher lie to you when they told you that the only vowels were A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y?
Trust and the Personal Library
Who holds the particular book needed by a reader? What is the balance between the personal library and the institutional collection?
The Year in Review: 2022 in The Scholarly Kitchen
Before we launch into 2023, a look back at 2022 in The Scholarly Kitchen.
The Smithsonian Barbie Letter and the Samizdat of Science Humor
An amusing, if apocryphal, response from the Smithsonian offers a glimpse at the sorts of pre-internet humor scientists would share through their networks.
A History of Encabulation — Advancements From the Turbo Encabulator and the Retro Encabulator Have Led to the Hyper Encabulator
Significant breakthroughs in jargon have enabled the development of the hyper encabulator, sure to serve all your encabulation needs.
Adieu to Educopia: An Interview with Katherine Skinner
Read about the history of Educopia and look ahead to its future in today’s interview with co-founder Katherine Skinner, who recently stepped down as their Executive Director
New Light on the New OSTP Memo: An Interview with Dr. Alondra Nelson
Karin Wulf and Rick Anderson interview Dr. Alondra Nelson, acting director of the White House Office on Science & Technology Policy when the new OSTP memo was published.
Scientific Journeys: A Physicist Explores the Culture, History and Personalities of Science – A Book Review
Robert Harington reviews Fred Dylla’s book, Scientific Journeys: A Physicist Explores the Culture, History and Personalities of Science, a collection of prose pieces that portray the author’s approach to a world of science and the science of the world.