History is in use all around us for a variety of purposes. The Pragmatic Historian’s “Using History” series is meant to highlight some of these uses by presenting a few articles and other online resources each week.
- [Reuters] Giant sloth vs. ancient man: fossil footprints track prehistoric hunt – By using 3D modeling, scientists have been able to analyze the footprints of giant sloths and ancient humans to see how sloths were hunted. Not only does this research show how ancient humans worked together to bring down the giant creatures; it reveals how giant the giant sloths were.
- [The Guardian] The history boys: how one couple’s funky flat is bringing the past alive – Two designers in North London use their love of history to decorate their flat.
-
[The Atlantic] The Hardest Job in the World: What if the problem isn’t the president—it’s the presidency? – A long (seriously, set aside time to read this one), interesting read about the history of the job of being the President of the United States. It didn’t always used to be as onerous as it is today. Because President Trump is breaking all the norms of the office, enterprising journalists like John Dickerson are taking a hard look at the fascinating development of how things are done within the government.
Where and how do you see history being used?