Free Republic

Would you sell your soul to stay young forever? In Oscar Wilde’s famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a handsome young man’s wish for eternal youth is granted while his portrait ages in his place. As Dorian indulges in a life of hedonism, his portrait reveals the grotesque toll of his moral corruption. Join Michael Knowles and Will Witt as they discuss this beloved novel and explore its insights into the dangers of vanity, immorality, and the ultimate cost of a life without virtue.

Disclaimer: I must admit I have never read a biography of Queen Victoria. My knowledge of her as a person has been accumulated by reading articles, mentions in non-fiction books, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts. As a side note, if you are interested in the Victorians the “Age of Victoria” podcast is excellent. Just like season 2, season 3 starts with a bang. It is 1848 and one sees King of the French Louis Philippe preparing to disguise himself as a common working man to escape his father’s fate via the National Razor. In Britain, the Hungry Forties and...

Disclaimer: I must admit I have never read a biography of Queen Victoria. My knowledge of her as a person has been accumulated by reading articles, mentions in non-fiction books, watching documentaries, and listening to podcasts. As a side note, if you are interested in the Victorians the “Age of Victoria” podcast is excellent. After an excellent start to the series with season 1, season 2 keeps up the quality as Victoria and Albert enter the 1840s. I find this series is quite subversive in our post-modern world. What do I mean by that? Starting with Lytton Strachey publishing “Eminent...

BEFORE THE FUNERAL: The manner of caring for the dead is growing gradually into a closer imitation of life, and we see the dear ones now lying in that peaceful repose which gives hope to those who view them. No longer does the gruesome and chilling shroud enwrap the form. The garments worn in life have taken its place, and men and women are dressed as in life. It gives a feeling of comfort to see them thus, for it imparts a natural look which could never accompany the shroud. Flowers are strewn about the placid face, and one cannot...

Abstract The Victorian era was marked by an explosion of innovation and genius, per capita rates of which appear to have declined subsequently. The presence of dysgenic fertility for IQ amongst Western nations, starting in the 19th century, suggests that these trends might be related to declining IQ. This is because high-IQ people are more productive and more creative. We tested the hypothesis that the Victorians were cleverer than modern populations, using high-quality instruments, namely measures of simple visual reaction time in a meta-analytic study. Simple reaction time measures correlate substantially with measures of general intelligence (g) and are considered...