Tim Brinkhof

Joined: Jul 19, 2023

Tim Brinkhof is a Dutch journalist based in the U.S. who has written about art and history for Vox, Vulture, Esquire, Big Think, and more.

‘T. rex’ Might Have Been as Smart as a Crocodile (But Not As Smart As We Thought)

Wetness is a battle between cohesive and adhesive forces.

Is Water Wet? The Answer is Surprisingly Elusive

Unlovable Sea Lampreys Might Share Our Fight-or-Flight Instinct

Missouri Lawmaker Aims to Bring Back Dueling

This is no time to batten down the hatches.

16 Sailing Terms for Landlubbers

A handful of centuries-old sailing words remain known only to the saltiest of seamen, but some have become part of our everyday language.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: The True Origin of Julius Caesar’s Famous Proclamation

With his catchphrase ‘veni, vidi, vici,’ Julius Caesar was saying much more than simply “I came, I saw, I conquered."

The Vinland Map courted controversy from the moment its discovery was announced.

The Vinland Map: How a Mysterious Forgery Fooled Experts for Decades

Unravel the mystery of the Vinland Map—a controversial document that claimed Vikings arrived in North America before Columbus. Discover the truth now.

René Descartes contemplates his famous conclusion: Cogito ergo sum.

‘Cogito Ergo Sum’: The Genesis and Meaning of René Descartes’s Famous Declaration

Dive into the philosophical questions that prompted René Descartes to come up with his famous phrase, “I think therefore I am.”

Jacques Louis David’s portrait of Antoine and Marie Anne Lavoisier. Antoine Lavoisier was a chemist during the Enlightenment who was later beheaded.

10 Illuminating Facts About the Enlightenment

The period of scientific, artistic, and political revolutions isn’t known as the “Age of Reason” for nothing.

Soviet Chanel: How “Red Moscow” Became the Most Popular Perfume in the USSR

Just a whiff of Krasnaya Moskva (Красная Москва, or “Red Moscow” in English) is enough to transport Russian citizens to the nostalgia of their childhoods.

A lithograph of the 1889 Johnstown Flood made in the 1890s shows the debris caused by the flood in flames.

10 Things You Need to Know About the Johnstown Flood

The Great Flood of 1889 killed more than 2000 people, swept away 1600 homes, and caused $17 million in damage. And it wasn’t the last time Johnstown would flood.

10 Chilling Facts About Permafrost

About 11 percent of the Earth’s surface is perpetually frozen, though that will surely change as global warming continues.

The Bizarre (and Blatantly False) Conspiracy Theory That Says the Middle Ages Never Happened

We’re currently living in the year 1725, not 2023. At least, that’s what adherents of the Phantom Time Hypothesis would have you believe. The historical conspiracy theory alleges that the years spanning from 614 to 911 CE never actually happened.

A galaxy cluster surrounded by blue-toned cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang.

8 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Big Bang

The birth of our universe happened at least 13 billion years ago—and you may have seen it on TV.

15 Dutch Slang Terms You Should Know

Knowing a bit of Dutch slang will not just help you find your bearings when you visit Amsterdam and its surroundings, but also earn you respect from the locals—who, despite being great at English, have a strong connection to their mother tongue.

Scientists who worked on the Chicago Pile-1, a component of the Manhattan Project. Leo Szilard is pictured in the middle row in the trench coat.

“I Will Have Nothing to Do with a Bomb!”: The Scientists Who Opposed the Manhattan Project

Before J. Robert Oppenheimer had a change of heart, some of his fellow scientists opposed the U.S. government’s plan to make and deploy an atomic bomb.