In 1569, Gerardus Mercator, by far the most accomplished cartographer in Europe, and creator of the map projection system still most commonly used today, began what he hoped would be his seminal work: the
I love what you do here, Mikey. As a lifelong learner myself, I love all of the threads of history, geography, religion, art and more that you follow. And I look forward to reading many more of them in 2025.
"I can’t pretend to be an expert in any of the topics I write about; neither can I make claim to much original scholarship. But I hope, if nothing else, to be able to inspire a sense of curiosity for the world — which, contrary to popular sentiment, remains a beautiful and fascinating place."
I might as well have written this myself, if a bit more clumsily. My role is to find neat things and share them with people, so they feel that same sense of wonder. You do this really well here, Mikey.
Lifelong learning driven by curiousity is such an unfashionable, economically non-viable idea! You have a created a space that is, in its own way, a miracle. Thank you!
Each of the pioneers you mention must be admired, as you say, for the sheer audacity of their goal. But I think I admire them most because they didn't "wait for permission..." We can call such an explorer a polymath or a Renaissance man, but they also let their appetite to explore and study disregard all scoffers, nitpickers and rule-makers. While there's much to respect in the specialist's depth of knowledge, I applaud all who are hungry to learn *all* about the world.
I definitely love that you are trying to encapsulate it all, and first and foremost, that you have the drive and the interest in so doing. Kudos on your very best efforts, as they truly are The Best! Thanks for wonderfully interesting and amazing realties of the world we live in. And Happy New Year!
To quote Carroll's "Hunting of the Snark" - "What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators,/Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?"/So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply/"They are merely conventional signs!"
Beautiful. And Mercator’s story reminds me, sadly, of another person who died too early by any measure and long before his (somewhat) never ending task could be completed, Jason Polan of Every Person in New York. He was a kind and curious soul.
Reading your newsletter gives me the same vibes as when I would play ‘Uncharted’ as a kid. It really does feel like reading a map to figure out where the next adventure is. Not to mention I love the aesthetics of your publication.
That’s very kind of you to say — thank you! I was obsessed with Uncharted 2 for a time, though for some reason never got around to playing the later games. Have been meaning to do a post on Shambala and Marco Polo for a while actually
I love what you do here, Mikey. As a lifelong learner myself, I love all of the threads of history, geography, religion, art and more that you follow. And I look forward to reading many more of them in 2025.
I love it.
"I can’t pretend to be an expert in any of the topics I write about; neither can I make claim to much original scholarship. But I hope, if nothing else, to be able to inspire a sense of curiosity for the world — which, contrary to popular sentiment, remains a beautiful and fascinating place."
I might as well have written this myself, if a bit more clumsily. My role is to find neat things and share them with people, so they feel that same sense of wonder. You do this really well here, Mikey.
” After all, life is all too finite. Let us not waste it; let us learn instead.”
This last line is so moving. The world is awe inspiring, so much going on even in one tiny drop of water.
Of all the Latin phrases out there it is ”sapere aude” that makes me get out of bed even when I’m exhausted.
How can one not know and not wonder? will be my epitaph.
Lifelong learning driven by curiousity is such an unfashionable, economically non-viable idea! You have a created a space that is, in its own way, a miracle. Thank you!
You hooked me in my early days and your work remains some of the very best there is to lose oneself in. Thank you. Keep on seeking, Mikey.
Thanks for sharing. I love your writing, and think you’ve got the balance (expertise vs curiosity) just right.
You had me at "rhumb lines." Yours is one of my favorite stacks. An absolute delight.
Each of the pioneers you mention must be admired, as you say, for the sheer audacity of their goal. But I think I admire them most because they didn't "wait for permission..." We can call such an explorer a polymath or a Renaissance man, but they also let their appetite to explore and study disregard all scoffers, nitpickers and rule-makers. While there's much to respect in the specialist's depth of knowledge, I applaud all who are hungry to learn *all* about the world.
I definitely love that you are trying to encapsulate it all, and first and foremost, that you have the drive and the interest in so doing. Kudos on your very best efforts, as they truly are The Best! Thanks for wonderfully interesting and amazing realties of the world we live in. And Happy New Year!
To quote Carroll's "Hunting of the Snark" - "What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators,/Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?"/So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply/"They are merely conventional signs!"
Thank you and Happy New Year. I am eager to read your posts.
Not that I'm surprised, but happy to know that we have a similar reason for writting: learning about the world, and share whatever we happen to learn.
This is the good stuff. The lsat two paragraphs especially. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful. And Mercator’s story reminds me, sadly, of another person who died too early by any measure and long before his (somewhat) never ending task could be completed, Jason Polan of Every Person in New York. He was a kind and curious soul.
Mikey, I saw your post on Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii and it hooked me right away, great job!
Thank you!
Reading your newsletter gives me the same vibes as when I would play ‘Uncharted’ as a kid. It really does feel like reading a map to figure out where the next adventure is. Not to mention I love the aesthetics of your publication.
That’s very kind of you to say — thank you! I was obsessed with Uncharted 2 for a time, though for some reason never got around to playing the later games. Have been meaning to do a post on Shambala and Marco Polo for a while actually
I’ll definitely be here to read it whenever you get around to them!