RB Kollannur
@arby-k.bsky.social
Career - Finance, Data.
Interests - History, Genealogy, Astronomy.
Rotarian, JCI Senator.
Unseen in Plain Sight.
Interests - History, Genealogy, Astronomy.
Rotarian, JCI Senator.
Unseen in Plain Sight.
Pinned
RB Kollannur
@arby-k.bsky.social
· Nov 1
Back in 2020, I began writing Twitter threads on historic personalities (mostly European). It ran for a couple of years. Starting from today, I will be posting those threads here twice a week, with some minor corrections and updates, as required. Hopefully, I can add new threads here as well.
Wormholes may not exist – we’ve found they reveal something deeper about time and the universe
theconversation.com/wormholes-ma...
theconversation.com/wormholes-ma...
Wormholes may not exist – we’ve found they reveal something deeper about time and the universe
Science fiction imagines wormholes as shortcuts through spacetime. But the original idea suggests they could be something far stranger.
theconversation.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Wormholes may not exist – we’ve found they reveal something deeper about time and the universe
theconversation.com/wormholes-ma...
theconversation.com/wormholes-ma...
When the Vikings laid siege to his city, this noble led with valour and courage expelling the invaders. Acclaimed new king on the death of the old one, he would be the first king of a 1,000-year-old dynasty that still rules in Europe.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 17, 2026 at 2:30 AM
When the Vikings laid siege to his city, this noble led with valour and courage expelling the invaders. Acclaimed new king on the death of the old one, he would be the first king of a 1,000-year-old dynasty that still rules in Europe.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Even linguists can find Hindi verbs confusing.
(One of the most confusing aspects of Hindi for someone with a Dravidian language as mother tongue is the gendered verbs, especially since pretty much all nouns have gender)
(One of the most confusing aspects of Hindi for someone with a Dravidian language as mother tongue is the gendered verbs, especially since pretty much all nouns have gender)
January 16, 2026 at 1:31 PM
Even linguists can find Hindi verbs confusing.
(One of the most confusing aspects of Hindi for someone with a Dravidian language as mother tongue is the gendered verbs, especially since pretty much all nouns have gender)
(One of the most confusing aspects of Hindi for someone with a Dravidian language as mother tongue is the gendered verbs, especially since pretty much all nouns have gender)
During the Second Punic War, Syracuse defended itself against the Roman war machine with a secret weapon—antiquity’s greatest mathematician.
The Siege of Syracuse
warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-...
The Siege of Syracuse
warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-...
The Siege of Syracuse
During the Second Punic War, Syracuse defended itself against the Roman war machine with a secret weapon—antiquity’s greatest mathematician.
warfarehistorynetwork.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:37 AM
During the Second Punic War, Syracuse defended itself against the Roman war machine with a secret weapon—antiquity’s greatest mathematician.
The Siege of Syracuse
warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-...
The Siege of Syracuse
warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-...
Since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, relations between the United States and Latin America have oscillated between cooperation and conflict, reflecting deeper tensions over competing visions of world order.
The two Americas engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-t...
The two Americas engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-t...
The two Americas
Since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, relations between the United States and Latin America have oscillated between cooperation and conflict, reflecting deeper tensions over competing visions of world or...
engelsbergideas.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, relations between the United States and Latin America have oscillated between cooperation and conflict, reflecting deeper tensions over competing visions of world order.
The two Americas engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-t...
The two Americas engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-t...
Cowabunga, dude.
One bought three decades ago, and the other freshly arrived. Both from Archie and with the same origin story with Splinter being a human initially.
One bought three decades ago, and the other freshly arrived. Both from Archie and with the same origin story with Splinter being a human initially.
January 14, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Cowabunga, dude.
One bought three decades ago, and the other freshly arrived. Both from Archie and with the same origin story with Splinter being a human initially.
One bought three decades ago, and the other freshly arrived. Both from Archie and with the same origin story with Splinter being a human initially.
Anti trust and spinoffs are instruments that get used when companies become too big. But what happens when countries become too big. This is the story of one such spinoff and though the spinoff was a failure it would live on in another form.
Story in the evening...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 14, 2026 at 2:30 AM
Anti trust and spinoffs are instruments that get used when companies become too big. But what happens when countries become too big. This is the story of one such spinoff and though the spinoff was a failure it would live on in another form.
Story in the evening...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
A culture clash driven by finances and Old World alignments had the Big Apple contemplating leaving the Union. The Civil War ended that
The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States - www.smithsonianmag.com/history/time...
The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States - www.smithsonianmag.com/history/time...
The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States
A culture clash driven by finances and Old World alignments had the Big Apple contemplating leaving the Union. The Civil War ended that
www.smithsonianmag.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:37 AM
A culture clash driven by finances and Old World alignments had the Big Apple contemplating leaving the Union. The Civil War ended that
The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States - www.smithsonianmag.com/history/time...
The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States - www.smithsonianmag.com/history/time...
Eating Large Amounts of Certain Preservatives Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes - www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/e...
Eating Large Amounts of Certain Preservatives Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes
Two studies tracked more than 100,000 participants over 14 years to reveal the trends. But they can't confirm a direct link between eating these preservatives and developing disease, especially becaus...
www.smithsonianmag.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Eating Large Amounts of Certain Preservatives Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes - www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/e...
The Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbol of the Scottish kings, was taken by four university students in an audacious Christmas raid 75 years ago.
'As long as it's in Scotland I'm happy': The 1950 heist to reclaim the ancient Stone of Destiny
bbc.com/culture/arti...
'As long as it's in Scotland I'm happy': The 1950 heist to reclaim the ancient Stone of Destiny
bbc.com/culture/arti...
'As long as it's in Scotland I'm happy': The 1950 heist to reclaim the ancient Stone of Destiny
In a daring raid 75 years ago, four university students stole back an early symbol of the Scottish kings. It had been taken by an English monarch more than six centuries before.
bbc.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:12 AM
The Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbol of the Scottish kings, was taken by four university students in an audacious Christmas raid 75 years ago.
'As long as it's in Scotland I'm happy': The 1950 heist to reclaim the ancient Stone of Destiny
bbc.com/culture/arti...
'As long as it's in Scotland I'm happy': The 1950 heist to reclaim the ancient Stone of Destiny
bbc.com/culture/arti...
Parikshith appears to have been a Vedic Constantine calling the Council of Nicaea (Or the other way around since Constantine lived much later). 1/2
January 13, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Parikshith appears to have been a Vedic Constantine calling the Council of Nicaea (Or the other way around since Constantine lived much later). 1/2
My newsletter is up with a dash of books, history and science. This week, I review Frank Miller’s Ronin.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
A View From My Disjointed Laptop - Issue #138
Books, History, Science and more
This week, I review Frank Miller’s Ronin. The 1984 classic set in a dystopian world is often cited as an inspiration for Samurai Jack and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
disjointedlaptop.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 5:37 PM
My newsletter is up with a dash of books, history and science. This week, I review Frank Miller’s Ronin.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
In total, the three burials yielded 81 coins. Most are from northern Italy and date to the reign of Berengar (888 to 924)
1,100-year-old burials of elite warriors and their ornate weapons discovered in Hungary www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,100-year-old burials of elite warriors and their ornate weapons discovered in Hungary www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,100-year-old burials of elite warriors and their ornate weapons discovered in Hungary
The 1,100-year-old burials of three elite warriors — two of whom were possibly father and son — have been discovered in Hungary.
www.livescience.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:13 AM
In total, the three burials yielded 81 coins. Most are from northern Italy and date to the reign of Berengar (888 to 924)
1,100-year-old burials of elite warriors and their ornate weapons discovered in Hungary www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,100-year-old burials of elite warriors and their ornate weapons discovered in Hungary www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
The breach at EAST enabled the researchers to heat the plasma to a previously theorized state called the "density-free regime" for the first time
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy.
China's EAST nuclear fusion reactor has successfully kept plasma stable at extreme densities, passing a major fusion milestone and potentially bringing humanity closer to wielding near-limitless clean...
www.livescience.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:28 AM
The breach at EAST enabled the researchers to heat the plasma to a previously theorized state called the "density-free regime" for the first time
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
An heiress of a vast realm, married to kings and mother of three. Imprisoned at times and a power behind the throne, inciting revolts and discord, also putting the seed for a war that would last over a hundred years.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 AM
An heiress of a vast realm, married to kings and mother of three. Imprisoned at times and a power behind the throne, inciting revolts and discord, also putting the seed for a war that would last over a hundred years.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
The researchers found that how neural timescales are arranged across the cerebral cortex plays a key role in how efficiently the brain shifts between large scale patterns of activity tied to behavior.
The hidden timing system that shapes how you think www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
The hidden timing system that shapes how you think www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
The hidden timing system that shapes how you think
The brain constantly blends split-second reactions with slower, more thoughtful processing, and new research shows how it pulls this off. Scientists discovered that brain regions operate on different ...
www.sciencedaily.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:29 AM
The researchers found that how neural timescales are arranged across the cerebral cortex plays a key role in how efficiently the brain shifts between large scale patterns of activity tied to behavior.
The hidden timing system that shapes how you think www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
The hidden timing system that shapes how you think www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
The common threads of Sanskrit and the Indian subcontinent.
January 9, 2026 at 11:08 AM
The common threads of Sanskrit and the Indian subcontinent.
Why Scotland lost its tongue engelsbergideas.com/essays/why-s...
Why Scotland lost its tongue
The disappearance of the Scots language from its native land is more than a linguistic conundrum. It is testament to Scotland's distinctive status within the British Isles and its complex relationship...
engelsbergideas.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Why Scotland lost its tongue engelsbergideas.com/essays/why-s...
Experts estimate the labyrinth to be nearly 2,000 years old, dating it to the period of the Satavahana dynasty, a time marked by extensive trade and cultural exchange.
Ancient stone labyrinth discovered in India’s Solapur district www.heritagedaily.com/2025/12/anci...
Ancient stone labyrinth discovered in India’s Solapur district www.heritagedaily.com/2025/12/anci...
Ancient stone labyrinth discovered in India’s Solapur district
Archaeologists have identified what is believed to be India’s largest circular stone labyrinth in the Boramani grasslands of Solapur district, shedding new light on the region’s ancient cultural and t...
www.heritagedaily.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Experts estimate the labyrinth to be nearly 2,000 years old, dating it to the period of the Satavahana dynasty, a time marked by extensive trade and cultural exchange.
Ancient stone labyrinth discovered in India’s Solapur district www.heritagedaily.com/2025/12/anci...
Ancient stone labyrinth discovered in India’s Solapur district www.heritagedaily.com/2025/12/anci...
Not so masterful Splinter?
January 8, 2026 at 10:10 AM
Not so masterful Splinter?
Advances in analytical technology have allowed researchers to focus on what many consider the strongest indicator of a cosmic impact: shocked quartz -- sand grains that show internal damage
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths?
Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites, researchers found shocked quartz—evidence of intense heat a...
www.sciencedaily.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Advances in analytical technology have allowed researchers to focus on what many consider the strongest indicator of a cosmic impact: shocked quartz -- sand grains that show internal damage
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A Republic with the explicit rule that no single person will have complete authority, started growing into an empire when a statesman reformed its military creating a generation ready for war.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 7, 2026 at 2:30 AM
A Republic with the explicit rule that no single person will have complete authority, started growing into an empire when a statesman reformed its military creating a generation ready for war.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
An attack by the Zamorin on Cochin presented Francisco de Albuquerque with a perfect opportunity to persuade the King of the need to build a fortress to defend the Portuguese there.
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
A place where you can find articles covering the history of Malabar from the earliest of times, as well as its people and personalities.
historicalleys.blogspot.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:08 PM
An attack by the Zamorin on Cochin presented Francisco de Albuquerque with a perfect opportunity to persuade the King of the need to build a fortress to defend the Portuguese there.
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
There is no evidence of any direct contact between Renaissance European culture and Japanese architectural practices, so this seems to be a case of “convergent invention.”
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
Yakisugi, a Japanese technique of burning wood surfaces, creates a protective carbonized layer...
arstechnica.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:02 PM
There is no evidence of any direct contact between Renaissance European culture and Japanese architectural practices, so this seems to be a case of “convergent invention.”
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...