Medieval manuscripts are full of odd little creatures in the margins. What if those doodles were secret codes or social commentary? A grounded what-if.
counterfactuals
What If Leonidas Had Not Died at Thermopylae?
A counterfactual look at Thermopylae: what if Leonidas had withdrawn the 300 Spartans instead of fighting to the death, and how might that have changed the Persian Wars?
Spot the Difference: What If WWI Never Happened?
What if World War I never happened? Explore three grounded scenarios for Europe, empires, and ideology, and which alternate timeline is most realistic.
What If Canada Had Exposed Starlight Tours Sooner?
Counterfactual history of Canada’s “starlight tours.” What if police dumping Indigenous people in the cold had been exposed in the 1970s, 1988, or never at all?
What If Your 22‑Year‑Old Grandma Ran 1967?
A counterfactual history of a 22-year-old woman in 1967. How different choices in work, war, and women’s rights could have changed one ordinary grandma’s life.
What If the US Had Never Become So Divided?
A counterfactual look at how the United States might have stayed more united: from Reconstruction choices to media, money, and national service.
What If John Ratcliffe Had Survived Jamestown?
Jamestown governor John Ratcliffe died in a brutal Powhatan execution in 1609. What if he had survived? Three grounded scenarios and why one matters most.