The past is the largest study ever conducted.

Passing Through History

The past is the largest study ever conducted.

Articles — Page 3

We Were Certain Too: Six Places Where History's Worst Confident Decisions Are Still Visible
Digital History

We Were Certain Too: Six Places Where History's Worst Confident Decisions Are Still Visible

From the generals at Gettysburg who knew exactly what they were doing to the urban planners who demolished entire neighborhoods to build highways nobody ended up wanting, history is littered with spectacularly self-assured catastrophes. Visiting these places isn't about feeling smarter than the people who built them. It's about the uncomfortable realization that we're probably doing the same thing right now.

Mar 13, 2026
Merge Here: The 2,000-Year-Old Idea Behind Every American On-Ramp
Digital History

Merge Here: The 2,000-Year-Old Idea Behind Every American On-Ramp

The Romans built 250,000 miles of roads to move legions, project power, and keep an empire from falling apart. Eisenhower built 41,000 miles of interstate highway for almost exactly the same reasons. Next time you're stuck in traffic, you're sitting inside one of history's longest-running arguments about what infrastructure is actually for.

Mar 13, 2026
The Rise, Fall, and Stubborn Resurrection of Digg: A Story About the Internet We Almost Had
Digital History

The Rise, Fall, and Stubborn Resurrection of Digg: A Story About the Internet We Almost Had

Before Reddit became the front page of the internet, there was Digg — a scrappy, community-driven news aggregator that felt like the future of media. This is the story of how it conquered the web, lost a war it didn't see coming, and refused to stay dead.

Mar 12, 2026