Knowledge and wisdom from the Captain's journeys - where science meets the sea. Inspired by the "Schlaues Buch" from Donald Duck comics, these articles explain fascinating concepts in both scientific and Captain's terms.

The Default Mode Network

The Brain at Rest

Understanding the brain's resting state - where creativity, memory, and self-reflection happen.

The Ancient Art of Distillation

From Alchemists' Dreams to Sailors' Spirits

The history, science, and laws surrounding humanity's quest to capture the essence of spirits - both literally and metaphorically

The Ghost Healers

Spirit Medicine and the Last Great Resistance

The story of Indigenous healers who sought to cure their people through spiritual means, culminating in the Ghost Dance - a peaceful movement of collective healing that ended in tragedy.

The Kiev Caves Paterikon

Tales from the Monastery of the Caves

The ancient collection of monastic tales from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - stories of saints, visions, miracles, and one monk who returned from death only to embrace eternal silence.

The Art of Memory

From Simonides to Bruno - Building Palaces in the Mind

The ancient techniques of memory masters, including Giordano Bruno's revolutionary system for expanding the mind's capacity

The Rotunda of Thessaloniki

Where Emperors, Saints, and Sultans Have Prayed

The Rotunda of Galerius - a building that has served as Roman mausoleum, Christian basilica, and Ottoman mosque across seventeen centuries of unbroken history.

Tarot - The Cards of Wisdom

Ancient Divination and Modern Psychology

Understanding the Tarot deck - its history, symbolism, and use as a tool for reflection and insight.

Thessaloniki

The Co-Reigning City - Gateway to the Holy Mountain

The ancient port of Thessaloniki, named for Thessalian Victory, stands as the spiritual gateway to Mount Athos and one of Christianity's most sacred cities in the Eastern world - birthplace of Macedonian power that conquered the known world.

Transcendence and Healing

When the Soul Finds Something Greater Than Itself

The science of faith and mental health - how believing in something greater than the self provides protection against trauma, depression, and even the fear of death.

Winds - The Breath of the World

From the Beaufort Scale to Named Winds of Legend

Understanding wind speed measurement, the Beaufort scale, and the great named winds that have shaped maritime history and human civilization.

Zorba the Greek

Life, Dance, and the Cretan Soul

Nikos Kazantzakis's masterpiece about embracing life fully - the novel that gave the world Alexis Zorbas and taught us that the greatest wisdom often comes from the simplest men.