Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗

@charlescmann.bsky.social

6.4K followers 280 following 3K posts

Author of "1491, "1493," and, most recently, "The Wizard and the Prophet." Working, inefficiently, on another book. The background image is pretty old by now, but I like the pig. The avatar photo is only a couple years old, though, so that's something.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · May 1

My thanks to the New Atlantis, letting me do this series on "How the System Works," and for removing the paywall today. It's maddening how little attention our society--and our political leaders, who take cues from us--pay to the systems that have made things better for so many billions.

How the System Works

A series on the hidden mechanisms that support modern life — and what happens if we don’t maintain them

www.thenewatlantis.com

1 15 40

Reposted by 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗

manvir singh @manvir.bsky.social · 4h

Excited to speak with Prof. Charles Stang tomorrow (Wednesday, October 15th) about my new book, "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion"!

The conversation is sponsored by Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions and will take place at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern. Join live here: shorturl.at/Holy8

3 8

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 13h

Not that it matters in the context of all the other howlers here, but the peoples of Mesoamerica had regular trade relations with South America. In fact, the Spaniards learned of the Inka when they captured an Inka ship on a trade expedition off the coast of Central America.

2 4 52

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

bsky.app/profile/char...

Katelyn Boo-urns @katelynburns.com · 1d

name an italian more worthy of an american holiday than columbus

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

This is true. But the Spanish accounts seem pretty clear to me. They called him a spy for the Taino. But when you read what he did, it seems clear to me he had concluded the foreigners weren't going away and was trying to find some diplomatic way to make the encounter work for the benefit of all.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, he got heat from the other caciques. And the Spaniards, who called him a spy for the Taino. But when I read the documents, it looks to me like he is trying to be an intermediary and diplomat. He seems to have recognized the Spaniards weren't going away, and sought to cut a deal for everyone.

1 1

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

The other is Julian NoiseCat's We Survived the Night, a kind of sweeping survey of Indigenous America today from the inside. Both are terrific ways to remark upon this day. /14

We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat: 9780593320785 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

A stunning narrative from one of the most powerful young writers at work today, and the director of the Oscar®-nominated documentary, Sugarcane, We Survived the Night interweaves oral history with...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

2 3 17

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

So, what the heck, maybe name it after Columbus.

On this general front, two great books have just come out. One is Matthew Restall's Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus, which deals with his legacy in a way far more sophisticated than this stream of posts. /13

The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus

A gifted historian presents a definitive book on Columbus—his life, his legacies, and the controversies that outlived him., The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus, Matthew Restall, 9781324086932

wwnorton.com

1 1 14

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Columbus Day could be the same thing—a complex mix of recognition and sadness. It doesn't seem bad to me to set aside a day to acknowledge past injustice while recognizing good in the present. No single person could encompass the entire 400 yrs of events, good and bad. /12

1 1 11

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

If you insist on Columbus, then we might 3) rethink its meaning. We have holidays we celebrate (Christmas/Hanukkah, etc.) and holidays we observe (Memorial Day). Nobody says, “Hooray, all these people died!” on Memorial Day. Instead we honor the sacrifices that made it possible for us to be here./11

1 19

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Same holiday, same date, same meaning (honoring the encounter). Just a different guy. One who in my opinion better fits the hopes that this version of the holiday is intended to convey. (Also, he actually knew where the encounter was taking place—not Asia, like Columbus thought). /10

3 1 16

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Spanish archives suggest that Guacanagaríx spent the rest of his life trying to come to peaceful terms with the Spaniards. All we know suggests he was a good guy—and a symbol of the encounter as it coulda/shoulda been. How about Guacanagaríx Day? /9

1 3 22

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

When Columbus grounded the Santa Maria, wrecking it, Guacanagaríx mobilized the successful effort to save Spaniards from the disaster. After the wreck, Columbus had to leave men behind. Guacanagaríx generously lent the land and helped build La Navidad, the 1st European settlement in the Americas. /8

2 4 21

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

I see I've wandered into 2) Rename the holiday.

If the intent of the holiday was to celebrate the encounter of Europe and the Americas, as most people think nowadays, you could rename it more appropriately. The hero of 1492 was Guacanagaríx, the Taino leader who befriended Columbus. /7

1 3 26

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

If you want to honor Italian-Americans, why not pick one with a real bond to the US? Enrico Fermi, Franco Modigliani, Salvador Luria, etc. Me, I’d love a Fermi Day. Fermi: a great physicist, a great guy, Nobel Prize, anti-Fascist, Manhattan project but anti-nuke, etc. A truly remarkable man. /6

3 8 58

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

He had no tie to the Americas—he always insisted he landed in Asia. For him, “the Americas” didn’t exist. (This is all not considering the part Indigenous people object to--I'm just talking about the holiday's stated purpose, which is him as a stand-in for Italian-Americans.) /5

1 1 27

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Columbus seems to have hated being Italian. He left Italy as soon as he could and after the age of 26 never went back to Italy, never would talk about his background, and never wrote in Italian. And the "American" part of "Italian-American"? Also bad. /4

2 2 30

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

1) Get rid of it: Columbus Day became a holiday in 1934 to honor Italian-Americans. Its main backers were the Knights of Columbus and rich guy Generoso Pope, who secured NY's Italian vote for FDR. Honoring Italian-Americans seems fine to me. But here's the deal: Columbus is the wrong guy for that./3

2 3 36

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

As far as I can see, there are three basic possibilities:

1) Get rid of the holiday;

2) Rename the holiday;

3) Rethink its meaning. 2/

2 2 28

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

As the guy in the White House has recently insisted, today is Columbus Day. What to do about it, given Indigenous peoples’ entirely merited dislike of the whole thing? A couple-three ideas that I've been thinking about. 1/

6 27 91

Reposted by 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗

Lalo @lalo-atx.bsky.social · 1d

Today is (or was, depending) Columbus Day.

I can’t encourage you enough to go read 1493 by the very thoughtful Charles Mann @charlescmann.bsky.social.

1493 engages frankly with the changes wrought upon the world from connecting Europe to Asia through the Americas.

Fascinating, and educational.

2 5 14

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 2d

9/11 Memorial, Napa, CA.

Woman who is part of tour group riding ATV covered with a sequined horse costume (the scooter, not the person) visits a memorial in Napa made from steel girder pieces from the North Tower.

1 5

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 2d

I think not, but also it would be hard to measure. This study has definite endpoints (IQ scores, different countries' school systems) so its authors are working with something they can measure with some exactitude.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 2d

This one is just a single twin pair, so the statistical power is low. But it was nonetheless displeasing as a US person to learn that the twin educated in the US system had a significantly lower IQ at the end than the one educated in South Korea.

Personality traits, mental abilities and other individual differences: Monozygotic female twins raised apart in South Korea and the United States

Twins reared apart are rare, especially twins raised in different countries and cultures. This report documents the behavioral, physical, and medical …

www.sciencedirect.com

1 1 9

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 2d

Surprised to learn that two studies about twins separated at birth have emerged to counter the conventional claim that IQ is little affected by education and is hence controlled overwhelmingly by genetics. The one below supposedly includes every known separated twin pair with IQ data.

IQ differences of identical twins reared apart are significantly influenced by educational differences

Over the last century, several large studies have been published exploring IQ differences amongst monozygotic (MZ) twins reared apart (TRA). By and la…

www.sciencedirect.com

2 3 11

Reposted by 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗

Capitán Swing @capitanswing.bsky.social · 2d

Todo lo que tenemos que decir sobre el 12 de octubre está en estas eruditas 1.500 páginas de @charlescmann.bsky.social.

1 13 71