M. Laser
@mlaser.bsky.social
Historian, history communicator, 'historytuber', Oxford Alumnus & Cambridge PhD student, trying to promote & write about public history & history communication. Also about medieval history sometimes.
www.youtube.com/@MLaserHistory
www.youtube.com/@MLaserHistory
Pinned
M. Laser
@mlaser.bsky.social
· Aug 13
How Rome Changed Sex : Creation of European Sexual Standards
YouTube video by M. Laser History
youtu.be
My new video is an exploration of the sexual laws and morals in Ancient Rome and their evolution from the time of the Republic all the way to the fall of Rome. I argue that it was during the late Roman Empire that our modern conservative ideas about sexuality were created. youtu.be/AY5L0Ik0WNo
Managed to again do some skating on the Fens this year.
January 8, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Managed to again do some skating on the Fens this year.
I have that with many games as well. Most recently Expedition 33.
January 6, 2026 at 1:45 PM
I have that with many games as well. Most recently Expedition 33.
Also, imperialism has never benefited you and never will. 'Uncommon Wealth, Britain and the Aftermath of Empire' is a great book showcasing how the British Empire has only benefited the powerful and the wealthy. Unless you're a rich upper class person, you will not see the benefits of imperialism.
This neo-imperialism is also deeply foolish.
There may be corruption-money in backing dysfunctional mafia states, but there isn't national enrichment money in it. Did the USSR get wealthy off its economic vassals? How's that British Empire doing?
These things cost more than they bring in.
There may be corruption-money in backing dysfunctional mafia states, but there isn't national enrichment money in it. Did the USSR get wealthy off its economic vassals? How's that British Empire doing?
These things cost more than they bring in.
Prominent MAGA figures are making it 100% explicit that MAGA is a neo-imperialist movement that's all about pillage and plunder justified by assumed racial superiority:
January 5, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Also, imperialism has never benefited you and never will. 'Uncommon Wealth, Britain and the Aftermath of Empire' is a great book showcasing how the British Empire has only benefited the powerful and the wealthy. Unless you're a rich upper class person, you will not see the benefits of imperialism.
Reposted by M. Laser
I assume what we'll actually see is that elite institutions will attempt to reduce class sizes by increasing the number of adjuncts (to keep teaching loads of the tenure-line steady, but not hire more), while non-elite institutions will embrace jumbo-slop-classes.
I think a fundamental problem in 2026 is the good solutions require smaller first year classes where we can create new assessment methods (oral presentations, digital research projects, etc). LLMs break the assignments that worked OK with big groups. But no one is investing in hiring professors.
January 5, 2026 at 4:40 PM
I assume what we'll actually see is that elite institutions will attempt to reduce class sizes by increasing the number of adjuncts (to keep teaching loads of the tenure-line steady, but not hire more), while non-elite institutions will embrace jumbo-slop-classes.
I just got a US Visa email about having to update my paperwork. What paperwork? The last time I was there was 2 years ago. Is American visa now something you just need to constantly update like bank account information? I presume nothing will happen if I just ignore it but gods is this stupid.
January 5, 2026 at 3:17 PM
I just got a US Visa email about having to update my paperwork. What paperwork? The last time I was there was 2 years ago. Is American visa now something you just need to constantly update like bank account information? I presume nothing will happen if I just ignore it but gods is this stupid.
This is not meant to be derogatory. I myself rarely think too deeply about the stuff I do. It's just an observation that a lot of work is vibe based. Although, that vibe is usually highly trained on decades of experience.
January 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
This is not meant to be derogatory. I myself rarely think too deeply about the stuff I do. It's just an observation that a lot of work is vibe based. Although, that vibe is usually highly trained on decades of experience.
One thing that interviewing experts has taught me is that most people don't think too deeply about the work they do. Like a lot of people are good at stuff without being able to properly explain why. They can tell you the strategies they employ but those are not explanations of why they employ them.
January 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
One thing that interviewing experts has taught me is that most people don't think too deeply about the work they do. Like a lot of people are good at stuff without being able to properly explain why. They can tell you the strategies they employ but those are not explanations of why they employ them.
Reposted by M. Laser
I’m already seeing faked images of Maduro’s capture mixed in with real ones, so just a reminder to be careful when looking at image and video feeds today.
January 3, 2026 at 5:39 PM
I’m already seeing faked images of Maduro’s capture mixed in with real ones, so just a reminder to be careful when looking at image and video feeds today.
Reposted by M. Laser
So like…now what? Is there a plan here exactly for what happens when you decapitate a government overnight?
Or is this just the “Jesus take the wheel” school of military planning?
Or is this just the “Jesus take the wheel” school of military planning?
January 3, 2026 at 1:23 PM
So like…now what? Is there a plan here exactly for what happens when you decapitate a government overnight?
Or is this just the “Jesus take the wheel” school of military planning?
Or is this just the “Jesus take the wheel” school of military planning?
But there's always the Venezuelan people not attached to, or actively hostile to, the current goverment, and what they will do and how much agency they will have remains to be seen.
January 3, 2026 at 12:48 PM
But there's always the Venezuelan people not attached to, or actively hostile to, the current goverment, and what they will do and how much agency they will have remains to be seen.
However, what the current US state administration wants is probably just "their own people" in charge. So this works fine for them. Doubt they would want to undergo a costly restructuring of the state. I predict this will not be a "democratising" mission even if labeled as such.
January 3, 2026 at 12:48 PM
However, what the current US state administration wants is probably just "their own people" in charge. So this works fine for them. Doubt they would want to undergo a costly restructuring of the state. I predict this will not be a "democratising" mission even if labeled as such.
Trying to remake a countrie's state apparatus by force, for it to be more like you want it to be, is a very complicated money & time consuming thing which is why most countries just put "their own people" in charge instead of fundamentally changing anything. Remember that with Venezuela.
January 3, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Trying to remake a countrie's state apparatus by force, for it to be more like you want it to be, is a very complicated money & time consuming thing which is why most countries just put "their own people" in charge instead of fundamentally changing anything. Remember that with Venezuela.
People who complain about paper straws or plastic bottlecaps being attached are the same kind of people who complain about kids today being too privileged. Surely since you walked to school up hill both ways back in the day you can suck it up and deal with the little inconvenience of a paper straw.
January 3, 2026 at 12:26 PM
People who complain about paper straws or plastic bottlecaps being attached are the same kind of people who complain about kids today being too privileged. Surely since you walked to school up hill both ways back in the day you can suck it up and deal with the little inconvenience of a paper straw.
Real Life Lore video scripts, including the ones that are like older than modern LLMs, feel like they are AI generated.
December 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Real Life Lore video scripts, including the ones that are like older than modern LLMs, feel like they are AI generated.
I posted on Patreon and YouTube Community an end of 2025 update about me and the channel.
tldr is I am not going anywhere but the video drought from me will continue for at least one more year.
www.patreon.com/posts/end-of...
tldr is I am not going anywhere but the video drought from me will continue for at least one more year.
www.patreon.com/posts/end-of...
End of 2025 Update | M. Laser
Get more from M. Laser on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I posted on Patreon and YouTube Community an end of 2025 update about me and the channel.
tldr is I am not going anywhere but the video drought from me will continue for at least one more year.
www.patreon.com/posts/end-of...
tldr is I am not going anywhere but the video drought from me will continue for at least one more year.
www.patreon.com/posts/end-of...
Reposted by M. Laser
Just saw the Odyssey trailer and it is horrible but they are all dressed like in what I imagine Roman carnival costumes of Homer would have been, and I cannot stop thinking that Vergil would have absolutely*loved* it.
December 24, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Just saw the Odyssey trailer and it is horrible but they are all dressed like in what I imagine Roman carnival costumes of Homer would have been, and I cannot stop thinking that Vergil would have absolutely*loved* it.
Reposted by M. Laser
Matt Walsh is not an expert at American history, and he is certainly not an expert at teaching American history. If you want to actually learn history, read books and listen to actual historians, not political reactionaries trying to spin narratives to promote their ideologies.
December 24, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Matt Walsh is not an expert at American history, and he is certainly not an expert at teaching American history. If you want to actually learn history, read books and listen to actual historians, not political reactionaries trying to spin narratives to promote their ideologies.
24th, definitely
a man in a blue uniform is talking about the turbo man dolls , they 're all gone
ALT: a man in a blue uniform is talking about the turbo man dolls , they 're all gone
media.tenor.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
24th, definitely
Medieval history be like:
A knight had multiple arrows in him but kept fighting. Eventually he won but not before he lost an arm & severely damaged his leg. He survived & retired to a monastery for the rest of his life.
His brother, in the same year, got a paper cut which got infected & he died.
A knight had multiple arrows in him but kept fighting. Eventually he won but not before he lost an arm & severely damaged his leg. He survived & retired to a monastery for the rest of his life.
His brother, in the same year, got a paper cut which got infected & he died.
December 22, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Medieval history be like:
A knight had multiple arrows in him but kept fighting. Eventually he won but not before he lost an arm & severely damaged his leg. He survived & retired to a monastery for the rest of his life.
His brother, in the same year, got a paper cut which got infected & he died.
A knight had multiple arrows in him but kept fighting. Eventually he won but not before he lost an arm & severely damaged his leg. He survived & retired to a monastery for the rest of his life.
His brother, in the same year, got a paper cut which got infected & he died.
Reposted by M. Laser
I'm honestly so proud of my friends and our community, thank you so much to everyone who supported the Jingle Jam. We contributed an insane £138,000 for The Trevor Project to this!
With all the fundraisers tallied up, Jingle Jam 2025 has officially raised over £3.4 million for charity - absolutely insane stuff. Thank you so, so much! We hope you enjoyed our two weeks of festive fundraising. Now, off to sleep ‘til 2026!
December 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I'm honestly so proud of my friends and our community, thank you so much to everyone who supported the Jingle Jam. We contributed an insane £138,000 for The Trevor Project to this!
Reposted by M. Laser
I put together a blogpost reflecing a bit further on this point. I think that traditional practices are very important markers for understanding both the reality & the nature of climate change: my-albion.blogspot.com/2025/12/beer....
December 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
I put together a blogpost reflecing a bit further on this point. I think that traditional practices are very important markers for understanding both the reality & the nature of climate change: my-albion.blogspot.com/2025/12/beer....
Reposted by M. Laser
A climate historical addendum to my recent posts on brewing. This year my father starting boiling the water one day early so it had time to cool down before adding the yeast. Traditionally, we would have cooled it down by placing it in the snow, but, as he said, "now we don't have snow anymore".
December 17, 2025 at 9:14 PM
A climate historical addendum to my recent posts on brewing. This year my father starting boiling the water one day early so it had time to cool down before adding the yeast. Traditionally, we would have cooled it down by placing it in the snow, but, as he said, "now we don't have snow anymore".
Reposted by M. Laser
Get ready to lock in for 36 straight hours of speedrunning: ESA Speedrunning are live now with a mega Jingle Jam marathon, making wishes come true for @makeawishintl.bsky.social!
Tune in to /ESAMarathon and donate! Can we speedrun our way to our Jingle Jam 2025 fundraising goals!?
Tune in to /ESAMarathon and donate! Can we speedrun our way to our Jingle Jam 2025 fundraising goals!?
December 13, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Get ready to lock in for 36 straight hours of speedrunning: ESA Speedrunning are live now with a mega Jingle Jam marathon, making wishes come true for @makeawishintl.bsky.social!
Tune in to /ESAMarathon and donate! Can we speedrun our way to our Jingle Jam 2025 fundraising goals!?
Tune in to /ESAMarathon and donate! Can we speedrun our way to our Jingle Jam 2025 fundraising goals!?
Reposted by M. Laser
“A prediction market for short-form content”
America really speed ran a national gambling addiction.
America really speed ran a national gambling addiction.
December 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
“A prediction market for short-form content”
America really speed ran a national gambling addiction.
America really speed ran a national gambling addiction.