Category: Retroshorts
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‘The Sun King’: A Perspective on How Astronomy Might Help Us Understand This Famous Nickname for Louis XIV
Harry Child explains why the French king Louis XIV was called “The Sun King”
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Las Madres Buscadoras
Isabelle Shaw explains how Mexico’s Madres Buscadoras have emerged as a powerful grassroots response to the country’s ongoing crisis of disappearances linked to narcotrafficking.
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Bong Joon Ho’s Spooking: Miasma, Geometry, and Redness in Parasite
Harry Fry explores the theme of shared corruption in the movie Parasite.
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Perseus and Odysseus – Bookends of the Hero
George Jefferson considers the evolution of the ‘hero’ in Greek mythology, and what this represents about human nature.
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Love, All: A Brief History of Tennis
Tennis is an exceptionally popular, and somewhat complicated sport. Ailsa Fraser demystifies the history of tennis from the introduction of the neon ball to the bizarre scoring system.
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The Art of the Ordinary: Marginalia as a Window into Medieval Culture
Ever pondered the purpose behind medieval margin drawings? Fleur O’Reilly questions the countless possible meanings of these charming and puzzling drawings.
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A History of the Vaults beneath Edinburgh’s South Bridge
The Edinburgh Vaults, constructed in 1788 beneath the South Bridge, transitioned from storage spaces to a refuge for the impoverished. Due to unsanitary conditions, they became infamous for illicit activities. Rediscovered in the 1980s, Louisa Steijger analyses how they now serve as a historical venue, reflecting the city’s complex identity.
Retrospect Journal 