RB Kollannur
@arby-k.bsky.social
Career - Finance, Data.
Interests - History, Genealogy, Astronomy.
Rotarian, JCI Senator.
Unseen in Plain Sight.
Interests - History, Genealogy, Astronomy.
Rotarian, JCI Senator.
Unseen in Plain Sight.
Pinned
RB Kollannur
@arby-k.bsky.social
· Nov 1
Back in 2020, I began writing Twitter threads on historic personalities (mostly European). It ran for a couple of years. Starting from today, I will be posting those threads here twice a week, with some minor corrections and updates, as required. Hopefully, I can add new threads here as well.
Not so masterful Splinter?
January 8, 2026 at 10:10 AM
Not so masterful Splinter?
Advances in analytical technology have allowed researchers to focus on what many consider the strongest indicator of a cosmic impact: shocked quartz -- sand grains that show internal damage
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths?
Scientists are uncovering new clues that a cosmic explosion may have rocked Earth at the end of the last ice age. At major Clovis-era sites, researchers found shocked quartz—evidence of intense heat a...
www.sciencedaily.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Advances in analytical technology have allowed researchers to focus on what many consider the strongest indicator of a cosmic impact: shocked quartz -- sand grains that show internal damage
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Did an exploding comet wipe out the mammoths? www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A Republic with the explicit rule that no single person will have complete authority, started growing into an empire when a statesman reformed its military creating a generation ready for war.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 7, 2026 at 2:30 AM
A Republic with the explicit rule that no single person will have complete authority, started growing into an empire when a statesman reformed its military creating a generation ready for war.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
An attack by the Zamorin on Cochin presented Francisco de Albuquerque with a perfect opportunity to persuade the King of the need to build a fortress to defend the Portuguese there.
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
A place where you can find articles covering the history of Malabar from the earliest of times, as well as its people and personalities.
historicalleys.blogspot.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:08 PM
An attack by the Zamorin on Cochin presented Francisco de Albuquerque with a perfect opportunity to persuade the King of the need to build a fortress to defend the Portuguese there.
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
Portuguese forts - Cochin and Kodungallur
historicalleys.blogspot.com/2025/12/port...
There is no evidence of any direct contact between Renaissance European culture and Japanese architectural practices, so this seems to be a case of “convergent invention.”
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
Yakisugi, a Japanese technique of burning wood surfaces, creates a protective carbonized layer...
arstechnica.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:02 PM
There is no evidence of any direct contact between Renaissance European culture and Japanese architectural practices, so this seems to be a case of “convergent invention.”
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Leonardo’s wood charring method predates Japanese practice
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
My newsletter is up with a dash of books, history and science. This week, I review Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple. It covers the decades long breakup of the (British) Indian Empire in mid twentieth century.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
A View From My Disjointed Laptop - Issue #137
Books, History, Science and more
This week, I review Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple. It covers the decades long breakup of the (British) Indian Empire in mid twentieth century. Immensely well-resea...
disjointedlaptop.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:39 PM
My newsletter is up with a dash of books, history and science. This week, I review Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple. It covers the decades long breakup of the (British) Indian Empire in mid twentieth century.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
Maybe, just maybe, if a population of microorganisms were trapped in the interior of a sufficiently large meteorite, they could be protected from most of the conditions of space.
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
theconversation.com/are-we-the-m...
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
theconversation.com/are-we-the-m...
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
Mars may have been hospitable to life early in its history.
theconversation.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:49 AM
Maybe, just maybe, if a population of microorganisms were trapped in the interior of a sufficiently large meteorite, they could be protected from most of the conditions of space.
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
theconversation.com/are-we-the-m...
Are we the Martians? The intriguing idea that life on Earth began on the red planet
theconversation.com/are-we-the-m...
Ancient Egyptian valley temple excavated — and it's connected to a massive upper temple dedicated to the sun god, Ra www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
Ancient Egyptian valley temple excavated — and it's connected to a massive upper temple dedicated to the sun god, Ra
The newly excavated 4,500-year-old valley temple from ancient Egypt holds a "public calendar" and a roof for astronomical observation.
www.livescience.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Ancient Egyptian valley temple excavated — and it's connected to a massive upper temple dedicated to the sun god, Ra www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
A young minor duke with no regnal lineage for over a century, who apparently set out to conquer the world by "sitting in a chair", and almost succeeded, by weaving marital alliances across generations.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
January 4, 2026 at 2:30 AM
A young minor duke with no regnal lineage for over a century, who apparently set out to conquer the world by "sitting in a chair", and almost succeeded, by weaving marital alliances across generations.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Most of the Kulubnarti people with tattoos were children under age 11, the researchers wrote in the study, while the youngest person was 18 months old.
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why. www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why. www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why.
More than a dozen mummies of kids with facial tattoos were found at an archaeological site in Christian-era Nubia.
www.livescience.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Most of the Kulubnarti people with tattoos were children under age 11, the researchers wrote in the study, while the youngest person was 18 months old.
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why. www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
1,400 years ago, Nubians tattooed their toddlers. Archaeologists are trying to figure out why. www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
Visiting museums in the state capital. On a Christmas break with family in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala/India)
January 2, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Visiting museums in the state capital. On a Christmas break with family in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala/India)
A mysterious cloud of ultra-hot dust around Kappa Tucanae A may finally have an explanation: a hidden companion star. At its closest approach, it comes within 0.3 astronomical units of the main star
A hidden star found where dust shouldn’t exist www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A hidden star found where dust shouldn’t exist www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A hidden star found where dust shouldn’t exist
A mysterious cloud of ultra-hot dust around Kappa Tucanae A may finally have an explanation: a hidden companion star. The star’s extreme orbit carries it straight through the dust zone, strongly sugge...
www.sciencedaily.com
January 2, 2026 at 1:20 PM
A mysterious cloud of ultra-hot dust around Kappa Tucanae A may finally have an explanation: a hidden companion star. At its closest approach, it comes within 0.3 astronomical units of the main star
A hidden star found where dust shouldn’t exist www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A hidden star found where dust shouldn’t exist www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
My newsletter is up. This week, I write about India, that is Bharat - a relook at the Indian subcontinent to follow up on my post earlier in the year on the Indus Valley Civilization.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
A View From My Disjointed Laptop - Issue #136
This week, I write about India, that is Bharat - a relook at the Indian subcontinent to follow up on my post earlier in the year on the Indus Valley Civilization. Popular history tends to give the imp...
disjointedlaptop.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:55 AM
My newsletter is up. This week, I write about India, that is Bharat - a relook at the Indian subcontinent to follow up on my post earlier in the year on the Indus Valley Civilization.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
disjointedlaptop.substack.com/p/a-view-fro...
If you find my post interesting, do share and subscribe.
Thiovulum imperiosus wraps its genetic material in membranous fingers, squishing it against the periphery of the cell
This giant microbe organizes its DNA in a surprising way www.sciencenews.org/article/gian...
This giant microbe organizes its DNA in a surprising way www.sciencenews.org/article/gian...
This giant microbe organizes its DNA in a surprising way
3-D microscopy shows that the giant bacterium Thiovulum imperiosus squeezes its DNA into peripheral pouches, not a central mass like typical bacteria.
www.sciencenews.org
December 31, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Thiovulum imperiosus wraps its genetic material in membranous fingers, squishing it against the periphery of the cell
This giant microbe organizes its DNA in a surprising way www.sciencenews.org/article/gian...
This giant microbe organizes its DNA in a surprising way www.sciencenews.org/article/gian...
An illegitimate son of a statesman, consolidating a kingdom on behalf of a puppet king, and coming to helm against a foreign invasion which was disposing off nations with an ease no one had ever matched in human history.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
December 31, 2025 at 2:30 AM
An illegitimate son of a statesman, consolidating a kingdom on behalf of a puppet king, and coming to helm against a foreign invasion which was disposing off nations with an ease no one had ever matched in human history.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
A hidden climate shift may have sparked epic Pacific voyages 1,000 years ago www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
A hidden climate shift may have sparked epic Pacific voyages 1,000 years ago
Around 1,000 years ago, a major climate shift reshaped rainfall across the South Pacific, making western islands like Samoa and Tonga drier while eastern islands such as Tahiti became increasingly wet...
www.sciencedaily.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
A hidden climate shift may have sparked epic Pacific voyages 1,000 years ago www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Known for its imposing network of stone walls and sophisticated architecture, Shimao emerged around 4200 b.c to become one of China’s earliest & largest prehistoric cities
DNA Study Offers Insight into the Builders of One of Neolithic China's Most Influential Cities archaeology.org/news/2025/12...
DNA Study Offers Insight into the Builders of One of Neolithic China's Most Influential Cities archaeology.org/news/2025/12...
News - DNA Study Offers Insight into the Builders of One of Neolithic China's Most Influential Cities - Archaeology Magazine
SHIMAO, CHINA—La Brújula Verde reports that an extensive genetic study of human remains found at […]
archaeology.org
December 30, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Known for its imposing network of stone walls and sophisticated architecture, Shimao emerged around 4200 b.c to become one of China’s earliest & largest prehistoric cities
DNA Study Offers Insight into the Builders of One of Neolithic China's Most Influential Cities archaeology.org/news/2025/12...
DNA Study Offers Insight into the Builders of One of Neolithic China's Most Influential Cities archaeology.org/news/2025/12...
December buys.
(I think I will take a break from book buying after this. Hopefully, I can bring my unread count to 350 by 2026 end).
Books by @profgabriele.com , @lollardfish.bsky.social , @gevemac.bsky.social , @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social and others.
(I think I will take a break from book buying after this. Hopefully, I can bring my unread count to 350 by 2026 end).
Books by @profgabriele.com , @lollardfish.bsky.social , @gevemac.bsky.social , @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social and others.
December 30, 2025 at 10:31 AM
December buys.
(I think I will take a break from book buying after this. Hopefully, I can bring my unread count to 350 by 2026 end).
Books by @profgabriele.com , @lollardfish.bsky.social , @gevemac.bsky.social , @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social and others.
(I think I will take a break from book buying after this. Hopefully, I can bring my unread count to 350 by 2026 end).
Books by @profgabriele.com , @lollardfish.bsky.social , @gevemac.bsky.social , @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social and others.
So, I managed to read 52 books this year, and these are the ones I liked the most
December 28, 2025 at 1:42 PM
So, I managed to read 52 books this year, and these are the ones I liked the most
Using pollen data from six lake sediment cores, researchers reconstructed 4,000 years of plant diversity in the western Lake Constance region.
Medieval Farmers Created a Biodiversity Boom, Study Finds
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval Farmers Created a Biodiversity Boom, Study Finds
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval Farmers Created a Biodiversity Boom, Study Finds - Medievalists.net
A new study reveals that medieval communities around Lake Constance created a biodiversity peak through innovative farming, trade, and land management, offering insights for modern conservation.
www.medievalists.net
December 28, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Using pollen data from six lake sediment cores, researchers reconstructed 4,000 years of plant diversity in the western Lake Constance region.
Medieval Farmers Created a Biodiversity Boom, Study Finds
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval Farmers Created a Biodiversity Boom, Study Finds
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
It is rare for Illegitimate children of monarchs to acquire their parent's heritage, but this princess was legitimized after her parents wed. As her dynasty failed, she seized the throne and stabilized a nation that was teetering towards chaos.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
December 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM
It is rare for Illegitimate children of monarchs to acquire their parent's heritage, but this princess was legitimized after her parents wed. As her dynasty failed, she seized the throne and stabilized a nation that was teetering towards chaos.
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Story in the evening ...
bsky.app/profile/arby...
Reposted by RB Kollannur
20 New Open Access Books Medieval History Fans Can Read for Free www.medievalists.net/2025/12/20-n... #books #openaccess #medievalists
20 New Open Access Books Medieval History Fans Can Read for Free - Medievalists.net
Medieval studies fans can download and read all of these 20 newly published open-access books.
www.medievalists.net
December 27, 2025 at 1:09 AM
20 New Open Access Books Medieval History Fans Can Read for Free www.medievalists.net/2025/12/20-n... #books #openaccess #medievalists
Vráble and other mass graves across Europe attest to a wave of brutality around 5000 B.C.E., about the same time as hundreds of LBK settlements across the continent abruptly vanished.
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished
Wave of mass brutality accompanied the collapse of the first pan-European culture
www.science.org
December 26, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Vráble and other mass graves across Europe attest to a wave of brutality around 5000 B.C.E., about the same time as hundreds of LBK settlements across the continent abruptly vanished.
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Headless bodies hint at why Europe’s first farmers vanished | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
1.5-million-year-old fossil face is forcing a rethink of human origins www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
1.5-million-year-old fossil face is forcing a rethink of human origins
Scientists have digitally reconstructed the face of a 1.5-million-year-old Homo erectus fossil from Ethiopia, uncovering an unexpectedly primitive appearance. While its braincase fits with classic Hom...
www.sciencedaily.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
1.5-million-year-old fossil face is forcing a rethink of human origins www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
Drought, they suggest, contributes to harder, flatter grassland conditions that improve the speed and manoeuvrability of mounted forces
Medieval drought may have aided the Mongol Empire’s push west in the 1230s, study suggests
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval drought may have aided the Mongol Empire’s push west in the 1230s, study suggests
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval drought may have aided the Mongol Empire’s push west in the 1230s, study suggests - Medievalists.net
A new tree-ring study reconstructing summer drought on the East European Plain argues that severe aridity in the 1230s may have helped the Mongol Empire’s westward expansion by shaping mobility and vu...
www.medievalists.net
December 26, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Drought, they suggest, contributes to harder, flatter grassland conditions that improve the speed and manoeuvrability of mounted forces
Medieval drought may have aided the Mongol Empire’s push west in the 1230s, study suggests
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...
Medieval drought may have aided the Mongol Empire’s push west in the 1230s, study suggests
www.medievalists.net/2025/12/medi...