Culture & Religion — July 29, 2014

Big Brother is Watching You

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

This looks like a still from Federico Fellini‘s classic film Amarcord, inspired by the filmmaker’s childhood in fascist Italy. According to Historical Pics, it’s Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Party headquarters in 1934 Rome.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Charles bridge in prague, czech republic.

Neuropsych

An untold story of LSD psychotherapy in communist Czechoslovakia

Uncovering the story of Milan Hausner, the Sadská clinic, and LSD psychotherapy behind the Iron Curtain.

A model of the Colossus depicting the grandeur of ancient Rome.

The Past

This virtual 3D model lets you wander the streets of ancient Rome

Archaeologist Bernard Frischer spent decades uploading the ruins of the Eternal City to the cloud. Here’s what it looks like.

Five new book covers of various genres on a colorful background.

High Culture

5 brilliant books that pioneered new subgenres of literature

From “The Castle of Otranto” to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, these books changed the literary landscape.

An image of a dark forest at night infused with the mysterious aura of the Bell Witch.

The Past

The baffling and terrifying mystery of the Bell Witch

Serving as the inspiration for the modern horror classic “The Blair Witch Project,” what does our fascination with this unsolvable mystery tell us about our modern psyche?

A man is taking a bath in a Thermae Romae-style bathtub.

The Past

The case for resurrecting the lost world of collective bathing

In ancient Rome, collective bathing was the norm. In the West today, it’s the exception — and that’s too bad.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

Cusack on the Senses

“I force people to have coffee with me, just because I don’t trust that a friendship can be maintained without any other senses besides a computer or cellphone screen.” – John Cusack