Hey 👋 It’s been a while since I’ve shared a big email. There was a news story the other day about a slow-down in scientific breakthroughs since the mid 1940s. There are probably reasons for why that is, or why that seems that way (not being able to randomly conduct experiments on prisoners and the mentally ill probably factors in somewhere). Back in 1882 U.S. Army Sergeant John P. Finley was tasked with a mighty big ask: “Figure out what causes tornadoes and how to forecast them.” Armed with...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read
Today around 1pm EST, 97 years ago, the most extreme tornado ever touched down in Missouri and wouldn't stop until it reached just north of Evansville, Indiana. I've been working on a book about the event and compiled some new notes to mark the occasion today : https://justinharter.com/the-great-american-tornado-struck-97-years-ago-today/ The whole thing is just fascinating to me and the stories I keep finding are nothing short of astonishing. I learned the other day a farmer in Southern...
over 3 years ago • 1 min read
The Weather Bureau and other federal agencies routinely thought people out in the Midwest and plains weren't smart enough to accurately describe the things happening to them. As a result, during many disasters a lot of people on the east coast simply didn't believe some of the things they read in the papers were even possible. In one Senate hearing, an Interior Department representative said, "Many Americans in the area may not have the vocabulary or intelligence to accurately describe the...
over 3 years ago • 1 min read
This is my favorite time of the year. That glorious week where everyone recognizes that most professionals and white collar workers are probably not around, or if they are, they're largely disconnected. A lot of people seem to find solace in doing absolutely nothing. Netflix! Eat a pizza! Get out of bed at 9 or 10! Who cares, time has no meaning this week! I favor the "productive relaxation" method by giving my mind something to chew over and cleaning up ideas that I know I want to pursue,...
over 3 years ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, I wrote a lengthy post about this week's "Quad-State Tornado" that struck parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky. It's about an 8-minute read and worth your time if this sort of thing interests you like it does me: https://justinharter.com/1925s-tri-state-tornado-vs-2021s-quad-state-tornado/ When I started writing my book about the 1925 Tri-State Tornado, the meteorology was fascinating to me. But more fascinating was our response to it and how people encountered and...
over 3 years ago • 1 min read
Born in New York in 1820, Thomas Heally set out at age 14 to find work with the East India Trading Compay in London. Soon enough through a lot of salesmanship, he'd sail to Boston with his own ship and became a roaring success in the United States as an exemplar of success and business. Gilbert Stuart—who painted that famous unfinished portrate of George Washington—would paint Heally's portrait, too. Then the British seized his ship in the War of 1812 and imprisoned him in Antigua. He...
almost 4 years ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Ever have a dream so nonsensical it couldn't possibly be happening, but you woke up anyway because it was so vivid and real? I had a dream a few nights ago my childhood bedroom was robbed. Nothing else in the house was disturbed, just my room. Everything was taken except for a lamp and a few pieces of paper. The bandits had stealthily taken the solid wood desk, my HP Pavillion 8750 PC, my bed and pillows, and my entire Aerosmith CD collection straight out of my bedroom window. I...
almost 4 years ago • 1 min read
Growing up in the Midwest, you learn a few things about the weather: Parts of Oklahoma and the plains are "Tornado Alley", where subosedly all the worst twisters drop. Our parents and grandparents can readily recall the blizzard of 1978. Or the Palm Sunday tornadoes in 1965. For some reason, we learned how to survive a tornado or a fire in a school. Or what to do if the school catches on fire during a tornado. We watch movies like Twister! and marvel at the idea of a cow being blown across...
almost 4 years ago • 1 min read
To become a top performer, at least know what you do Ever know you read something somewhere but can't remember where? I've had that feeling lately. I was listening to something—an audiobook, I think—that had a random nugget in it that caused me to stop walking right in the middle of the sidewalk. "Are you measuring yourself against the best people on the planet?" I remember right where I was standing when I heard this, about a half mile from my house. "I don't guess I know who the best people...
about 4 years ago • 4 min read