Sokal affair

The Sokal affair, also called the Sokal hoax, was a demonstrative scholarly hoax performed by Alan Sokal, a physics professor at New York University and University College London. In 1996, Sokal submitted an article to Social Text, an academic journal of cultural studies. The submission was an experiment to test the journal's intellectual rigor, specifically to investigate whether "a leading North American journal of cultural studies—whose editorial collective includes such luminaries as Fredric Jameson and Andrew Ross—[would] publish an article liberally salted with nonsense if (a) it sounded good and (b) it flattered the editors' ideological preconceptions."
The article, "Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity", was published in the journal's spring/summer 1996 "Science Wars" issue. It proposed that quantum gravity is a social and linguistic construct. The journal did not practice academic peer review and it did not submit the article for outside expert review by a physicist. Three weeks after its publication in May 1996, Sokal revealed in the magazine Lingua Franca that the article was a hoax.
The hoax caused controversy about the scholarly merit of commentary on the physical sciences by those in the humanities; the influence of postmodern philosophy on social disciplines in general; and academic ethics, including whether Sokal was wrong to deceive the editors or readers of Social Text; and whether Social Text had abided by proper scientific ethics.

Today is September 29th and on this day, in 1571, the great painter Caravaggio (pseudonym Michelangelo Merisi) was born in Milan. Private "Madalena Pentitiva" Painting made around 1594-1595 preserved in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome In these tears so true all the greatness of Caravaggio

The illusion of a silver egg 🥚

When smoked, the shell is covered with a thin layer of charcoal, leaving air in the pores. When immersed in water, the egg seems to be “clothed” in an air shell, which refracts light and creates the appearance of a mirror surface.

Can you decide?👇🏼

Which rope will tie the knot?

Image of the lottery in Popular Mechanics (January 1912)

Loterie de Bébés

The Loterie de Bébés was an alleged raffle in Paris, France, in 1911 where the prizes were orphaned human babies. This was done with approval from the authorities in Paris in order to find homes for the children and raise money for an orphanage and several charities.
From 1804 until 1923, only adults could be adopted in France, and only in very specific circumstances. In January 1912, Popular Mechanics noted that "an investigation of the winners was made, of course, to determine their desirability as foster parents".

Karpatia Show, Romania
The Karpatia Horse Show is more than just a competition – it’s a festival dedicated to horse lovers.