Columbus_articles

To celebrate the quincentennial of the discovery of America, IBM sponsored Los-Angeles-based Synapse Technologies to develop a multi-media extravaganza for educational use in schools. As directed by the award-winning film-maker and interactive designer Bob Abel, the Columbus project brought together a wide range of talented writers, producers, directors, actors, and computer programmers to craft an entertaining blend of educational materials in all media, each one intricately linked by a powerful search engine that used hypertext-based articles to reveal the cross fertilization of knowledge and cultures before —and after— Columbus' epoch-making "discovery" of America. I was fortunate enough to be invited to work on this project. This page presents links to some of the articles I researched and authored.

• Pay Now, Sin Later — A short, video script for a dramatization showing how the sale of indulgences to wipe away the temporal punishment due to sins became an abusive practice that led to the Protestant Reformation.

• Mapping the World — Earth's Point of View — The Changing Map of Europe as seen from the Earth's point-of-view — i.e., letting the Earth have a voice on the audio track. Nations rise and fall as the boundaries get drawn in different places.

Links to Articles	Clues to what the article is about
Mapping the World — Earth's Point of View	The Changing Map of Europe as seen from the Earth's point-of-view — i.e., letting the Earth have a voice on the audio track. Nations rise and fall as the boundaries get drawn in different places.
The Changing Map of Europe	Nations rise and fall as the boundaries get drawn in different places.
How the Evolution of Religions mapped out Europe	A critical perspective on the evolution of Christianity in Europe from the 4th century through the 15th century. Or, why —when Luther pounded on the doors at Wittenburg— no one was surprised.
Christianity Shapes the Map of Europe	A sequence of maps illustrating the development of Christianity throughout the Middle Ages.
Silks, Spices, and the Exotic East	The development of the trade routes.
If They Only Knew: The Exotic East is in the West!	The development of the trade routes — from the Earth's POV.
Detective Columbus	Columbus puts two and two together and decides it adds up to a New World.
Pinzon: ship-owner, back-stabber	An influential ship-owner who was instrumental in assembling the crew for Columbus's first voyage.
De_La_Cosa: ship-wrecker, map-maker.	Juan de la Cosa, the man who shipwrecked the Santa Maria and later made the first map of the New World.
Columbus' Legal Problems	Columbus' difficulties getting the Crown to live up to the terms of their agreement. Lawsuits against the Crown of Spain.
The Compass	The evolution of the compass, one of the most important inventions in history.
Gunpowder	The evolution of gunpowder, one of the most important inventions in history.
Black Death	The path of the plague in Europe.
The Apocalyptic Plague	How a tiny insect devoured nearly half of Europe.
The Renaissance: Time for Arts and Ideas	The Renaissance Man as Maker. In a practical age like the Renaissance, artisans— the people who make things with their hands— came into their own.
Dressing for Success — Renaissance Style	An imaginative interpretation of how artisans dressed during the Renaissance.
Artisans of the Renaissance: Business Cards Personified	A visual tour de force illustrating the concept: "You are what you do." An imaginative interpretation of how Renaissance artisans might have looked, if they had put an image of themselves at work on their business cards.
Palazzo Vecchio, Office of the Councilors	Security during the Renaissance. Architecture that intimidates
Pay Now, Sin Later	A short, video script for a dramatization showing how the sale of indulgences to wipe away the temporal punishment due to sins became an abusive practice that led to the Protestant Reformation.
Indulgences Buy Time Off	An explanation of the Roman Catholic concepts of sin, the soul, purgatory, and indulgences —issues which led to the Protestant Reformation.
Leonardo Da Vinci: Overview	The doodlings of an obsessive-compulsive and the supreme example of the Renaissance man.
Leonardo: Geometrician	Leonardo teaches himself geometry, but he has to learn Latin to do so.
Leonardo: Latin Linguist	Conjugations, declensions, and all things Latin. But, hey, if you're Leonardo, that's no problemmus, a, um.
Leonardo: Aeronaut	Soaring through the air like a bird. Dreams of Icarus. Superman without Kryptonite.
Leonardo: Geologist	Man as a microcosm of the earth.
Leonardo: Botanist	Seeing the roses as they really are —as compared to seeing Life through rose-colored filters someone else gives you.
Leonardo: Machinist	Life before Terminators.
Leonardo: Anatomist	What a struggling Renaissance artist had to do to survive.
Leonardo: Physiologist	Leonardo as a detective trying the solve the riddle of the machine called man.
Leonardo: Music Maker	On top of the charts in the Renaissance, Leonardo had 'em rocking and rolling at court.
Leonardo: Military Adviser	Beastly madness. Weaponry and warfare before video games were invented.
Leonardo: Court Jester	Parasites on the earth.
Leonardo: Architect (almost)	Leonardo had big plans for magnificent buildings; unfortunately not many took shape in stone and concrete.
Leonardo: Structural Engineer	Why sticks and stones might break your bones, but names will never hurt you.
Leonardo: Hydraulic Engineer	Water. Canals. Irrigation projects in Italy.
Leonardo: Horse Lover	The anatomy of horses and other animals.
Leonardo: Sound Man	What really happens when baby does "Da-da" or "Ma-ma?" Leonardo was the first to figure it out!
Leonardo: No Hypocrite	Why going to Church on Sunday all by itself doesn't fool anybody into thinking you're a saint.
Leonardo: Earth-shine	Leonardo discovers earth-shine, and the Renaissance forefathers of the IRS get upset because they can't tax it.
Leonardo: Scientist	How Leonardo turned chariots into souped-up race cars. (Only fooling!)
Leonardo: Scoops Galileo and Newton	How Leonardo gets the scoop on Galileo and Newton.
Leonardo: Rhythms of Vision	How throwing a stone into a pond can reveal the essential truth of the universe— if you have clear eyes and a mind like Leonardo's.
Leonardo: Prophetic Riddler	A prophecy in a riddle.
Ancient Civilizations	Short articles on: Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, The Fertile Crescent and the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Minoan Crete, Mycenaean Greece, Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great, and the Etruscans.

Go to the chronologically formatted resume, at the place where this job is described.

Home	To View Functional Resume & Download as Word files	To View Chronological Resume & Link to Writing Samples	Computer Skills
Testimonials	Selected Writing Samples	Other Writing Samples and personal works-in-progress	Bowling Wall of Fame