Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in FYI.
Philip the Arab: Emperor of Rome
Philip the Arab is so named because his family came from Syria. However, this background does not appear to have affected his behavior in office to any extent – there was nothing noticeably “un-Roman” in how he treated the role of Emperor.
By John Welford4 years ago in FYI
What's the Difference Between a Casket and a Coffin?
Many people used the word "casket" and the word "coffin" interchangeably because they both serve the same purposes. However, there are some differences between the two containers for a deceased person. The major difference is their appearance. They do not look the same. The only thing they have in common is that they hold the remains of a deceased for burial and for display during a funeral service. It is the family's preference whether they choose a casket or coffin for their deceased loved one.
By Margaret Minnicks4 years ago in FYI
History and Memory
Individual and collective memories of historic events are unreliable. Because memories are influenced by internal and external forces, the recollection of events can be rendered incomplete or incorrect by factors such as time, sentiment, circumstance, and even basic human ego.
By Mack Devlin4 years ago in FYI
Truth Bomb
Knowledge fosters truth and truth feeds reason. The ultimate goal of philosophical analysis should then, therefore, be the development of reason through the revelation of truth. Truth, though, requires continual development, because although certain knowledge may seem like a universal truth, universal truth only comes with complete understanding of all things, all elements, and all the intricacies of existence. No one can claim to possess universal truth, because no one, as far as we know, is universally aware.
By Mack Devlin4 years ago in FYI
The World That Came After
Wars are transformative events, but because of the nature of warfare prior to the twentieth century, their consequences were generally localized. The thirty-two years war, for instance, involved many combatants, but Eastern and Central Europe experienced the bulk of the consequences. World War II, on the other hand, was a massive global conflict, a war of such magnitude that the consequences carried worldwide significance and would vastly alter the course of human history.
By Mack Devlin4 years ago in FYI
From the Cave to the Page
Language has been a major part of our social evolution, completely altering the course of human life. We have evolved from a series of grunts and gesticulations to a deeply articulated language. What is even more impressive is that we have taken our myriad vocalizations and learned to transfer them to the page. Writing has come a long way, from the cave wall to the Facebook wall. The evolution of writing is a complex narrative of slow progression: from rudimentary figures drawn on stone with blood and chalk, to lines etched in clay, to complex pictographs carved into temple walls, to fully formed words and sentences being combined into volumes of text, to the complex world-building of binary code.
By Mack Devlin4 years ago in FYI
Old School
Decades ago I came across In The Morning Of My Life, an account of the life, times etcetera of the recently deceased singer entertainer Tom Netherton. What brought this to mind was the part of this fairly thin celebrity autobiography that dealt with Mr. Netherton's time spent in the armed forces before making a career for himself as an entertainer. His description of what it was like to rise to the level of Drill Instructor interested me. Mostly what seemed to ring true was that at the end of the day as a DI he would collapse in exhaustion from expending so much energy outdoing his pupils in every way all day long. Somehow I find this relatable. Of course there was nothing that I recall about Mr. Lou Gossett's Officer And A Gentleman DI struggling in this way.
By P. B. Friedman4 years ago in FYI
DOES COVID-19 VACCINE REALLY CAUSE HAIR LOSS?
As the world entered into this generation’s first pandemic era, it also sprouted thousands of speculations, misconceptions, and misinformation. For most of us, it was all completely new. Nobody knew what to expect or how it will turn out. The dreaded pandemic was spreading like wildfire. It didn’t look like this ordeal was ever going to come to an end. However, it was finally brought to control thanks to the vaccines developed by our esteemed scientists.
By Anand Mishra4 years ago in FYI
The Beautiful Costumes on Downton Abbey
The costumes used in Downton Abbey are extremely authentic and beautiful! The research which must have gone into these costumes must have taken hours, maybe even days. The fact that some of the costumes were real dresses that had been actually worn in the 1900’s - 1920’s, fascinates me.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff4 years ago in FYI
