TIL that it wasn’t Star Trek TNG that came up with the idea for a positronic brain for androids. Isaac Asimov used that terminology in I, Robot in the 1950s. I’m not sure if he was the first but that’s still decades before Commander Data was imagined into existence. #scifi#StarTrek#IsaacAsimov
Interesting take: "The #Luna25 effort does not presage the coming of a golden era of exploration for #Russia. Rather, it is more properly seen as the last gasp of a dying #empire."
I just started (re)reading Empire of Cotton by Sven Beckert and it's great. It's amazing how impactful that one little plant has been in the trajectory of human history.
It's an interesting question, stated a few different ways -- 10 games to know me, or games that defined me. The question has been bouncing around Mastodon for a few days. Here's mine.
Here’s a bit of painful truth. Seems obvious.
The myth of American Exceptionalism came about while the rest of the world was recovering from WWII.
It’s easy to be exceptional when you’re the only one with un-bombed industrial and agricultural capacity.
Once the rest of the world recovered, the need to compete was ignored by the US, buoyed by the false idea of being exceptional. #americanexceptionalism#empire#wwii#americandream#politics
Newly-graduated #imperial officer Justin is convinced he has no future. When he's assigned a secret mission to rescue the #Empire from the brink of #CivilWar, he could be literally correct.
I often read texts that suggest that there is a concept of #Empire that everyone is relating to, but so far no one has bothered to explain to me what this is supposed to be. Apparently, it is more than just a dynastic or multi- or supranational state. Sometimes it is suggested that the concept is related to the Holy Roman Empire and its relation to the #Catholic Church. And that a genuine empire has a claim to the world.
We would like to invite you to the movie screening „Der vermessene Mensch“ on July 27th at 8:30 pm, which our RTG is organising in cooperation with the KoKi Freiburg.
Our RTG sponsors the event to provide free entrance.
As a special treat for our Mastodon followers, the first five people who present this post when picking up their tickets will receive a little gift.
At RTG 2571 we have just finished the symposium Echoes of Empire, with contributions by Barbara Korte (organiser), Berny Sèbe (Birmingham), Onookome Okome (Edmonton), Christian Mair (Freiburg), and Sophie Bantle (Freiburg). Their papers explored how empires resound in present-day politics, social orders, languages and cultures. Thanks to our presenters and the audience for the lively discussion. @empires@ManuelaBoatca@jabunna@unifreiburg#empire#decoloniality#histodon#histodons#sociology
At RTG 2571 we have just finished the symposium Echoes of Empire, with contributions by Barbara Korte (organiser), Berny Sèbe (Birmingham), Onookome Okome (Edmonton), Christian Mair (Freiburg), and Sophie Bantle (Freiburg). Their papers explored how empires resound in present-day politics, social
orders, languages and cultures. Thanks to our presenters and the audience for the lively discussion. @empires@ManuelaBoatca@jabunna@unifreiburg#empire#decoloniality#histodon#histodons#sociology
In 1640, John Punch, a Black-American indentured servant, received a sentence of lifelong slavery for running away to Maryland with two white indentured servants. Unlike Punch, the two white servants were given only an additional four years of servitude as punishment. Punch’s case served as the starting point for the establishment of race-based slavery through legal means in British North America.
The indenture system was revived in the #british#empire after #abolition of #slavery there. Indentured labour from #india affected both the demography and the politics of of #guyana markedly but was not negligible in #trinidad either. And the effect was not confined to the former slave colonies of the #caribbean. There were also impacts in Fiji and kwazulu/natal. So while indenture developed into slavery in the seventh century in the way described it also replaced it later on.
Our RTG is throwing a July merch raffle exclusive on Mastodon. We are handing out three merch packs which we will ship to the lucky winners in August. To enter the competition, all you need to do is 1) follow us here on Mastodon before the end of July 2023 and 2) boost this post. On August 1st, we will randomly draw the three winners from all participants. Please see below for further information. @empires@dhinamug@dfg_public@unifreiburg#raffle#empire#histodons#histodon#DHinaMug#free
In this issue of Discover Society, the various contributors examine different aspects of the relationship between who pays and who benefits, addressing the longer colonial histories that have shaped national institutions and ideas of legitimate claims upon a supposed national patrimony
Alex Cobham, Mike Savage, Laura Clancy, Karen Rowlingson & John Narayan
Failed to reform itself.
Failed to remain in the EU.
Failed to retain its reputation.
Failed to respect international law.
Failed to regard the poor and vulnerable.
...Once #England had been consolidated, it exported the concept of #empire globally, first invading or conquering most of the #BritishIsles, then other continents.
No, the resulting #colonialism and today's repercussions are, of course, not #Thatcher's fault, they are to be owned by roughly a milenium of rule by the #English Crown, as it is where the proverbial "buck stops." It has become an anachronism.
FreeOrion (sourceforge.net)
FreeOrion is a free and open source community-developed 4X turn-based galactic empire strategy game.
Target! Maximum firepower!