History

As business leaders and politicians alike have proclaimed, this may be China’s century. Which is why we at Hippo have invited American journalist Evan Osnos, who witnessed China’s transformation firsthand as The New Yorker’s China Correspondent, to be our next Ask Me Anything guest.

A single inscription, the Radcliffe Line, changed the fates of millions. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs suddenly became enemies; they fought over land, wealth, respect, community, and national identity. The objects the refugees brought with them speak volumes.

Alan Ziegler, award-winning author of several books of short prose, describes the history of this intriguing literary form, his preferred style.

It’s true that the 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee—probably the longest civil disorder in U.S. history since the Civil War—brought national attention to the oppression of Indian people. But Wounded Knee 1973 did not end the oppression. A new film by Kevin McKiernan, an NPR journalist who defied an embargo to get inside, could shed new light on what happened during the conflict.

Writer Eva Lou explores the history of her great-uncle, Taiwanese independence activist Lo Fu-Chen, and how important memoirs have shaped Taiwan’s national and political identity.

The ideals of personal liberty and privacy are at the core of cypherpunk ideology. The Crypto Wars, a battle for privacy begun in the 1990s, are far from over.

Ancient Greeks worshiped Helios, the “Sun God.” It’s not hard to see why they worshiped the personification of the great ball of fire in the sky. The sun provides warmth, heat, and now—energy. Here, science writer Kristen Pope provides 15 facts about solar energy you likely didn’t know.