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Atlantic
2 days ago
- General
- Atlantic
The Centuries-Old Quest for 'Genius'
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic 's archives to contextualize the present. Sign up here. 'When Paul Morphy plays seven games of chess at once and blindfold, when young Colburn gives impromptu solution to a mathematical problem involving fifty-six figures, we are struck with hopeless wonder,' J. Brownlee Brown wrote in 1864. His Atlantic article had a simple headline: 'Genius.' Only seven years after the founding of this magazine, its writers were already addressing one of the greatest questions of the 19th century: How should we define genius, that everyday word we use to denote the extraordinary? Brown's two geniuses are largely forgotten today. Morphy was a chess wizard from New Orleans who grew tired of the game and gave up playing seriously at just 22. He reportedly died in his bath at age 47. Zerah Colburn's story is even more tragic: As a child, he wasn't thought to be particularly gifted until his father overheard him repeating multiplication tables after only a few weeks' schooling. The little boy from Vermont was then dragged around Europe as a 'mental calculator,' ruling on whether large numbers were primes or not, and sent to an expensive school thanks to the patronage of an earl. But like many child prodigies, his adult life was a comparative disappointment. He died of tuberculosis at 34. While researching my new book, The Genius Myth, I spent a lot of time exploring how we tell stories of exceptional achievement, and what the changing definition of genius reveals about the history of Western thought. The word itself comes from Latin, where it was used to mean a person's spirit—the inner essence that gave them their unique characteristics. 'Every man, says the oracle, has his daemon, whom he is bound to obey; those who implicitly follow that guidance are the prophetic souls, the favorites of the gods,' Frederic Henry Hodge wrote in The Atlantic in 1868. 'It is this involuntary, incalculable force that constitutes what we call genius.' Well into the 20th century, The Atlantic used this older definition, writing about people who possessed a genius, rather than those who were one. Individuals whom this magazine has described as being or having a genius include Richard Strauss, Leo Tolstoy, George Gershwin, Cormac McCarthy, Alice Munro, and Edith Wharton, that last accolade having been delivered by Gore Vidal. Oh, plus the 23-year-old hockey player Bobby Orr, the children's cartoon Rugrats, and the shopping channel QVC. This proclamation makes for great copy, because it is deeply subjective. Christopher Hitchens was prepared to call the poet Ezra Pound a genius, but not the acclaimed mystery author Dorothy L. Sayers, whose work he dismissed as 'dismal pulp.' (I know whose work I would rather read.) In 1902, a female writer for this magazine airily declared that there were no great women writers to compare with Juvenal, Euripides, and Milton. 'George Eliot had a vein of excellent humor, but she never shares it with her heroes,' argued Ellen Duvall, adding that Jane Austen's male heroes were 'as solemn as Minerva's owl.' The science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Something similar is true of geniuses. An earlier age would have attributed Paul Morphy and Zerah Colburn's gifts to divine providence, but in the more secular 19th-century America, another explanation was needed. 'We seek in vain for the secret of this mastery,' wrote Brown of his subjects. 'It is private,—as deeply hidden from those who have as from those who have it not.' For the genius-hunters, one encouraging source for exceptional talent was inheritance. At the time Brown was writing about Morphy and Colburn, academics throughout the Western world were wrestling with the theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin only six years earlier. The study of what would later be called genetics promised new methods of understanding genius, that quicksilver quality that seemed so resistant to explanation. The first edition of Hereditary Genius, by Darwin's half-cousin Francis Galton, was published in America in 1870. Galton's work aimed to classify all men into lettered bands, depending on their mental faculties and lifetime achievements. The Atlantic reviewed Hereditary Genius that year, noting that the difference between the men in the upper part of Galton's highest band and those in his lowest band 'represents the difference between Shakespeare and the most degraded idiot mentioned in medical literature.' This was a coldly rational view of genius—more scientific in appearance, but also less humane. Galton went on to coin the term eugenics. His unpublished utopian novel, The Eugenic College of Kantsaywhere, imagined a world where people were allowed to marry only after extensive tests of their fitness to reproduce, and where those who failed were shipped off to labor colonies. Thanks to the popularity of eugenics at the time, what started as an attempt to identify geniuses eventually led the U.S. Supreme Court to justify the forced sterilization of the 'feeble minded' in Buck v. Bell in 1927. Thousands of Americans were subsequently denied the right to have children—an idea that also took hold in Nazi Germany, where an estimated 400,000 people were sterilized under the Hitler regime in the name of 'racial hygiene.' From the start, Galton's ideas about genius were presented in explicitly racial terms: He believed that Europeans were intellectually superior to Africans, and that ancient Athenians were superior to both. The Atlantic, a proudly abolitionist magazine, ran an article that contested this bigotry. In 1893, Havelock Ellis argued that many in the contemporary canon of geniuses had mixed ancestry, from what he called the 'negro blood' that was 'easy to trace in the face of Alexandre Dumas, in certain respects, to the Iroquois blood in Flaubert.' The popular novelist Olive Schreiner's heritage was 'German, English, and Jewish,' Ellis observed, while Thomas Hardy believed his paternal great-grandmother to have been Irish. (Neither Jews nor Irish people would have been considered white, according to popular beliefs of the time.) Today, most modern geneticists acknowledge that intelligence is partially heritable—it can be passed down by parents—but that does not account for the making of a genius. 'We can no more produce a whole race of Newtons and Shakespeares than we can produce perpetual motion,' the anonymous author of the Hereditary Genius review wrote in 1870. A 'genius' can pass on some of their genes, but not their personality—nor the social conditions in which their success happened. That matters. While talking about my book, I've found that acknowledging the role of luck in success makes some people nervous. They think that any discussion of broader historical forces is a covert attempt to debunk or downplay the importance of individual talent or hard work. But even 19th-century Atlantic writers could see the importance of good timing. 'A given genius may come either too early or too late,' William James wrote in 1880. 'Cromwell and Napoleon need their revolutions, Grant his civil war. An Ajax gets no fame in the day of telescopic-sighted rifles.' As we get closer to the present, a note of sarcasm creeps into the word's usage: In the 2000s, the writer Megan McArdle used the recurrent headline 'Sheer Genius' for columns on businesses making terrible errors. But she was far from the first Atlantic writer to use the word sardonically. One of my favorite essays on genius from the archives is a satirical squib from 1900, which masquerades as an ad for a Genius Discovery Company. 'This country needs more geniuses,' the anonymous author wrote. 'Everybody knows it. Everybody admits it. Everybody laments it.' The article urged any reader who wondered whether they might be a genius to write in, enclosing a five-dollar fee, 'and we will tell you the truth by return mail.'
Business Upturn
31-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
SERVPRO Annual Convention Raises More Than $100,000 for First Responders Children's Foundation
Gallatin, Tennessee, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The SERVPRO community raised more than $100,000 in support of the First Responder Children's Foundation (FRCF) during this year's SERVPRO Annual Convention to support the families of first responders year-round and in times of crisis. This is in addition to the Servpro Industries, LLC's partnership with the foundation, which has been in place since 2021. At Convention, SERVPRO franchisees participated in several activations to benefit FRCF, including the annual golf tournament, a silent auction, and a 'Christmas in July' initiative—designed to fund holiday care packages for children who have lost a parent in service. More than 110 members of the franchise community, board members, and executives contributed to support the Foundation's work, reflecting SERVPRO's deep-rooted commitment to first responders and their families. Maeve Colburn shared a statement to kick off the annual golf tournament, thanking the foundation and supporters like SERVPRO for their commitment to first responder families. Colburn's parents have served a combined 55 years with the Boston Police Department, and she is a rising senior at Regis College in Massachusetts. FRCF and SERVPRO surprised her with a scholarship for $7,500 to continue to pursue her nursing degree and further her dreams of becoming a forensic nurse and a nurse practitioner. 'Every dollar raised tells these families that we haven't forgotten their sacrifice,' said John Sooker, Servpro Industries, LLC President & COO. 'It's an honor to stand beside our franchisees, executives, and partners in support of the First Responder Children's Foundation and the work they do to care for our heroes' children.' The foundation engaged attendees through its booth at the trade show and an educational workshop on building meaningful partnerships with first responders. SERVPRO also hosted a mixer event to thank franchise teams engaged with FRCF and to welcome new partners to the mission. During General Sessions, FRCF President & CEO Jillian Crane recognized the Franchise Partners of the Year—SERVPRO Team Weaver (Pennsylvania) and SERVPRO Team Thole/Hulsey (Missouri and Arizona) for their support during the previous year. 'It is great to be able to thank the SERVPRO franchisees who do so much to give back to the families of first responders,' said Crane. 'SERVPRO continues to lead with purpose, compassion, and action. Whether it's a fire, natural disaster, or line-of-duty tragedy, the entire SERVPRO team is there all across America, responding to the immediate and long-term needs of first responder families. Every year, this partnership grows stronger—and so does the impact.' While the $100,000+ funds raised were incredible, the momentum behind this mission continues. Servpro Industries, LLC CEO Brett Ponton, CMO Rob Rajkowski, and Director Allison Isaacson Beahm have been instrumental champions of the FRCF partnership, encouraging continued growth and engagement across the franchise system. ABOUT FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION: First Responders Children's Foundation is a national foundation that provides programs and resources that address the specific needs of first responders and their families. The Foundation focuses on four key areas: scholarships, financial assistance grants, a mental health resilience program, and community engagement. The Foundation was founded 24 years ago in response to 9/11 when 800 children lost a first responder parent. Additional information about FRCF can be found at and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @1strcf. About SERVPRO® For nearly 60 years, SERVPRO has been a trusted leader in fire and water cleanup and restoration services, construction, mold mitigation, biohazard and pathogen remediation. SERVPRO's professional services network of more than 2,300 individually owned and operated franchises spans the United States and Canada, responding to property damage emergencies large and small – from million-square-foot commercial facilities to individual homes. When disaster strikes, homeowners, business owners and major insurance companies alike rely on SERVPRO to help make it 'Like it never even happened.' Attachments FRCF, SERVPRO present scholarship check to Maeve Colburn FRCF at SERVPRO Convention Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
BBC News
18-06-2025
- BBC News
Tributes to man fatally struck by military vehicle near Catterick Garrison
Tributes have been paid to a man who was fatally struck by a military truck while riding his mobility Mitchell, 70, from Catterick Garrison, died while being airlifted to hospital following the collision on the A6136 Catterick Road, near Colburn, at about 12:50 BST on 11 a statement issued via police, Mr Mitchell's family described him as a "much loved husband, brother, uncle and godfather" who would be "sadly missed".North Yorkshire Police said the military vehicle's male driver and passenger were assisting officers. Police continued to appeal for anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision, or the vehicles prior to the collision, to come to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Etsy appoints Depop exec as CTO
This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter. Etsy has named Rafe Colburn as its chief technology officer, the artisan marketplace announced Thursday. He will step into the role on May 5. While Colburn is currently the chief technology and product officer at Depop, he spent nearly 10 years at Etsy. During his previous decade-long tenure, he led the company's engineering teams through various growth periods, the company said. The company has also named Peter Semple, who currently serves as the chief marketing officer of Depop, as its interim CEO as the company continues to search for a permanent chief executive. Etsy has drawn from Depop's leadership team after purchasing the resale platform in 2021 for $1.63 billion. The mostly-cash deal allowed the artisan marketplace to expand into the rapidly growing apparel recommerce market and inherit Depop's Gen Z customer base. With a new CTO managing its digital operations, Etsy's leadership shuffle continues. In December, the company announced Depop's then-CEO, Kruti Patel Goya, would become president and chief growth officer at Etsy. At that time, CTO Rachanna Kumar left the company, along with Chief Operating and Marketing Officer Raina Moskowitz. Etsy named Lanny Baker as its new chief financial officer and appointed then-chief brand officer Brad Minor as Moskowitz's successor. 'During his time at both Depop and Etsy, Rafe has proven he can set a technical strategy that enables us to scale our impact and connect more buyers with our global community of sellers,' Josh Silverman, CEO of Etsy, said in a statement. 'He has a clear vision for creating shopping experiences that are highly differentiated, personalized, and relevant.' Etsy's CTO announcement may signal the company's intentions with AI. In a statement, Colburn noted that the rapid maturation of artificial intelligence presents 'an incredible opportunity for us to transform the shopping experience, engage with buyers in more meaningful ways, and create more economic opportunities for our sellers.' In January 2024, Etsy debuted a gift recommendation tool that uses AI to suggest presents based on the occasion and the gift recipient's personality. Later that year, the company launched an ad campaign addressing artisan's AI anxieties. Meanwhile, its sister company, Depop, introduced a generative AI-powered tool last year to help sellers create product descriptions. In Etsy's fourth quarter earnings report, the company reported a 6.8% decline in gross merchandise sales year over year to $3.7 billion, and its active sellers fell 10% year over year to 8.1 million in Q4. Total revenue was up 1.2% for the quarter to $852 million and net income was up 56% to nearly $130 million. Recommended Reading Walgreens slashes dividend as US retail drags in Q1 Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
27-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Etsy Appoints Rafe Colburn as Chief Technology Officer
BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world, today announced the appointment of Rafe Colburn as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective May 5, 2025. Colburn brings a wealth of technology leadership experience to the role. He currently serves as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop, where he has successfully scaled the technology team to support rapid growth and transformed the customer experience to one that is more app-based and discovery-centric. Prior to Depop, Colburn spent nearly 10 years at Etsy, where he led engineering teams during periods of significant growth and transformation across a wide range of critical areas, including ads, marketing technology, seller experience, trust & safety, localization and translation, and customer support. 'The magic of Etsy lies in our ability to leverage technology to forge meaningful human connections,' said Josh Silverman, Chief Executive Officer of Etsy. 'During his time at both Depop and Etsy, Rafe has proven he can set a technical strategy that enables us to scale our impact and connect more buyers with our global community of sellers. He has a clear vision for creating shopping experiences that are highly differentiated, personalized, and relevant. I am thrilled to officially welcome Rafe to Etsy's executive leadership team as we work to reignite growth and solidify Etsy as the starting point for special.' 'I'm honored to take on this role and work alongside Etsy's talented team,' said Rafe Colburn. 'The technology landscape is particularly dynamic right now; AI is maturing at a rapid pace, presenting an incredible opportunity for us to transform the shopping experience, engage with buyers in more meaningful ways, and create more economic opportunities for our sellers.' Colburn will be based out of Etsy's Brooklyn, NY headquarters. He will report to Etsy's CEO Josh Silverman and be part of Etsy's Executive Team. Additionally, Peter Semple has been appointed interim CEO of Depop, also effective May 5, 2025. Semple currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Depop and has been with the brand since 2019. As previously announced, Depop's current CEO, Kruti Patel Goyal, is transitioning to the role of President and Chief Growth Officer at Etsy. Semple will lead Depop on an interim basis until the company identifies its next leader. Rafe Colburn Biography Rafe Colburn currently serves as Chief Technology & Product Officer at Depop. In this role, he is responsible for Depop's product & design function, driving the vision for Depop's end-to-end user experience while building a high-performing product organization. Prior to Depop, Colburn served as Vice President of Engineering at Etsy, and was responsible for Etsy's Ads, Fulfilment, Seller Experience, Marketing Technology, and Landing Experience teams. During his tenure, he established Etsy's Data Engineering team, and was responsible for Payments and Checkout, Compliance, International, Member Services, and Trust & Safety engineering. Earlier in his career, Colburn was the Principal Engineer at IDology and worked as a consultant at a number of firms building custom applications. He has authored numerous articles, papers, and books on Web development. About Etsy Etsy, Inc. operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world. These marketplaces share a mission to 'Keep Commerce Human,' and we're committed to using the power of business and technology to strengthen communities and empower people. Our primary marketplace, is the global destination for unique and creative goods. Buyers come to Etsy to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, we offer a range of tools and services that address key business needs. Etsy, Inc.'s 'House of Brands' portfolio also includes fashion resale marketplace Depop, and Reverb, the largest online marketplace dedicated to music gear. Each Etsy, Inc. marketplace operates independently, while benefiting from shared expertise in product, marketing, technology, and customer support. Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Etsy has used, and intends to continue using, its Investor Relations website and the Etsy News Blog ( to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the Etsy News Blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts. Investor Relations Contact: Deb Wasser, Vice President, Investor Relations Sarah Marx, Senior Director, Investor Relations Media Relations Contact: Kelly Clausen, Vice President, Communications & Community Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains or references forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the timing of the Executive Team changes and Etsy's strategy for reigniting growth. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as 'could,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'plan,' 'will,' or similar expressions and derivative forms and/or the negatives of those words. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expect. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: (1) the level of demand for our services or products sold in our marketplaces and our ability to support our growth; (2) our ability to reignite growth and solidify Etsy as the starting point for special; (3) the importance to our success of the trustworthiness of our marketplaces and our ability to attract and retain active and engaged communities of buyers and sellers; (4) our failure to meet our publicly announced guidance or other expectations; (5) macroeconomic events that are outside of our control; (6) our ability to recruit and retain employees; (7) our ability to compete effectively; and (8) our ability to enhance our current offerings and develop new offerings to respond to the changing needs of sellers and buyers. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the section entitled 'Risk Factors' in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and subsequent reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. Forward-looking statements represent our beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
