A Russian colonel, Andrei Demurenko, returned to active duty in 2023, at the age of 67, to fight in Ukraine. He believed leaders should share the hardships of their soldiers. So, he visited the frontlines, crawling through trenches in the rain and sleeping in mud, while artillery boomed in the distance and Bakhmut burned. Demurenko's path to this moment was unusual....
Thirty-five years ago, a movie called Robot Jox hit the screens. It was not a big hit, but it was not completely bad either. The story is set in a future where wars are illegal, and instead, giant robots fight to settle disputes. This might sound exciting, but the movie did not deliver on its promise. The robots are big and clunky, and the fights are not as fun as th...
The world is on edge as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warns of a possible war between NATO and Russia. He says Europe is quickly building up its military power, calling it "defense, " while Russia is getting ready for war. Countries like Finland, Poland, and Romania are spending a lot more on their military, ignoring Russia's attempts to talk things out. This is...
Berlin's Teufelsberg, or Devil's Mountain, is more than just a hill. It's a pile of rubble from World War II, hiding the ruins of a Nazi military college. But during the Cold War, it became a spy hub for the U. S. and its allies. The hill's height made it perfect for spying on East Germany and the Soviet Union. American, British, and French spies set up antennas and...
In 1950, the United States had a big opportunity. A Chinese rocket scientist named Qian Xuesen was living and working in the country. He had done amazing things in aerospace and weaponry. He had helped create the first guided ballistic missiles for the U. S. and had even worked on the secret Manhattan Project. He was even made a colonel in the U. S. Air Force. H...
The Cold War was a tense time, filled with secrecy and espionage. One of its mysteries involves a satellite that vanished and then reappeared. This is not a story about losing keys or a phone. This is about losing a satellite in space. It is even more unusual because it was found again after 25 years. The satellite in question is the IRCB. It was launched by the Unit...
The tech world is buzzing with a major shift in global power dynamics. Saudi Arabia is stepping into the spotlight as a key player in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena. This move is part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on oil. The Saudi government is investing heavily in AI, aiming to add a trillion dollars to the global AI market. This is a signifi...
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War in 1968, the story of "Honeytrap" unfolds with a unique twist. Max, a young man who is fluent in Swedish, is tasked with a secret mission by Stasi, an organization that trains agents to flirt and gather information from Westerns. The mission goes astray when he meets Inger, a young secretary working for a firm exporting weapon...
What happens to Russia when Vladimir Putin steps down? Some think a new leader might emerge, one who mirrors Nikita Khrushchev's style. Unlike Putin's dream of a vast Russian empire, a Khrushchev-like figure might seek a friendlier relationship with the West. Back in the 1960s, Khrushchev welcomed foreign visitors, supported cultural exchanges, and even cried when he...
In 1953, a well-known neurologist named Robert Wartenberg faced an unusual paradox. He was a prominent figure in neurology who fled Nazi Germany, yet he found himself advocating for a German neuroscientist with a dark past. Julius Hallervorden, a former Nazi collaborator, was invited to speak at an international neurology conference in Lisbon. The Dutch delegation bo...