Nick Kapur
@nickkapur.bsky.social
2.4K followers 150 following 870 posts
Historian of Japan and East Asia. I only post extremely interesting things. Author of "Japan at the Crossroads," out now from Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674984424
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Reposted by Nick Kapur
nickkapur.bsky.social
The earlier kids receive access to a smartphone (and especially before age 13), the worse their mental health is in their twenties, study finds
Reposted by Nick Kapur
anneapplebaum.bsky.social
"We took the freedom of speech away," says the president
atrupar.com
Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."
nickkapur.bsky.social
The earlier kids receive access to a smartphone (and especially before age 13), the worse their mental health is in their twenties, study finds
nickkapur.bsky.social
"A new study revealed that only 16 percent of Americans are reading for pleasure, which represents a 40 percent drop from peak rates just over a decade ago"
nickkapur.bsky.social
I've been learning a bit of Danish recently, and it really is a crazy language
nickkapur.bsky.social
I get that journalists need to make money, and I don't have a good answer, but it can't be to limit real journalism only to older people who already know and love real journalism. Because TikTok is there with a free (but vastly inferior) alternative.
nickkapur.bsky.social
In the long run, journalism paywalls will be utterly self-defeating.

I subscribe, but I grew up in a home with subscriptions to multiple paper newspapers. As we enter a post-literate era, younger generations won't to read, let alone subscribe, if they don't even know what exists behind paywalls.
nickkapur.bsky.social
The number of international students arriving in the US in August fell by nearly 20% year-on-year, the largest decline in history aside from the COVID-19 pandemic year
nickkapur.bsky.social
Old photos of German World War II cavalry lancers wearing gas masks are pure nightmare fuel
Reposted by Nick Kapur
modernjapanhist.bsky.social
A video of this year's Distinguished Lecture, "After the Pandemic: Revising a Textbook and Rethinking History," given by Andrew Gordon is now available on the MJHA YouTube channel.

Please have a look, and feel free to share with anyone who might be interested

youtu.be/EN8tx8J8KzA
2025 Annual Lecture: Andrew Gordon, "After the Pandemic: Revising a Textbook and Rethinking History"
YouTube video by Modern Japan History Association
youtu.be
nickkapur.bsky.social
Again, I'm not saying Soto is a bad player. He's really good!

I'm saying the price was too high for 1/26 of your team.

Markets are not always rational. Especially when there are only two real participants.
nickkapur.bsky.social
I didn't say adding him was a mistake. I said signing him at that particular price was a bad idea.
nickkapur.bsky.social
That's exactly the point. One player can't make or break a team!
nickkapur.bsky.social
The tale of the tape:

The Yankees were 94-68 last year with Soto and...94-68 this year without him.

Meanwhile, the Mets were 89-73 last year with Soto and just 83-79 this year with him, even though Soto played great.
nickkapur.bsky.social
The Mets signing Juan Soto to a bananas contract completely outside of market was always a bad idea, but the results have been a brutal reminder that one superstar doesn't get you that far in baseball (unlike in other sports).
nickkapur.bsky.social
I still think I was right.

But the crazy thing is, right now we're getting both at the same time.
nickkapur.bsky.social
Our high school English teacher had us vote which was scarier: Orwell's "1984" where fascists use force to make you do what they want, or Huxley's "Brave New World," where they keep you so mindlessly entertained they don't even have to.

I was the only one in the class to vote for Huxley.
nickkapur.bsky.social
Thought-provoking piece on the collapse of reading in the wake of the smartphone revolution and the disaster a post-literate society portends for creativity, science, and democracy

"The screen revolution represents the greatest theft of knowledge from ordinary people in history"
nickkapur.bsky.social
Thrilled to finally get my hands on this brand new treatment of postwar Japanese history by one of the leading experts in our field, Simon Avenell!

Can't wait to read this one!
Reposted by Nick Kapur
modernjapanhist.bsky.social
Today!!!
modernjapanhist.bsky.social
Mark your calendars!

The 2025 MJHA Distinguished Annual Lecture will be given by Andrew Gordon (Harvard) on Monday, September 15, 2025, and is titled "After the Pandemic: Revising a Textbook and Rethinking History."

REGISTER FOR ZOOM HERE: mjha.org/event-6201539