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purple motes

a journal of whimsy and hope

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Highlights

  • most recent articles
  • incarcerating child support debtors
  • Wednesday's flowers
  • Aristotle's advice to Alexander
  • unjust paternity establishment
  • Gog & Magog behind wall
  • Dhuoda's Liber Manualis
  • Charlie Chaplin & Joan Berry

knowledge

hair samples from first 14 US presidents thanks to John Varden

In the early 1850s, John Varden assembled a collection of hair samples from the first 14 US presidents. That’s pioneering work in bio-informatics. … Read the post hair samples from first 14 US presidents thanks to John Varden

anti-medical satire in al-Harizi's Tahkemoni

Gate 30 of Judah al-Harizi’s Tahkemoni presents a charlatan physician. Harsh fate, or a despicable excuse, is having to dupe others to get money for food. … Read the post anti-medical satire in al-Harizi's Tahkemoni

medieval anti-medical satire reveals greed and pretense to know

Zabara’s and Galipapa’s under-appreciated medieval anti-medical satire attacked physicians who lost their moral balance to greed and pretense of knowledge. … Read the post medieval anti-medical satire reveals greed and pretense to know

physiognomy of skin color before the Enlightenment

Through humoral physiognomy, a choleric temperament became associated with yellow skin color. Yellow skin in 13th-century France signified Orientals. … Read the post physiognomy of skin color before the Enlightenment

cultural cognition in social self-construction of intellectual elite

The academic science of cultural cognition is rife with scientism. More humanistic self-consciousness and more social daring would produce better science. … Read the post cultural cognition in social self-construction of intellectual elite

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