Loren V. Cowin's 2026 dissertation examines the medieval city of Merv using cartographic analysis and urban morphological theory. The work applies GIS and archaeological methods to study Islamic urbanism and early medieval cities along the Silk Road in Central Asia.
Jared Diamond discusses with Tyler Cowen whether any leaders in human history were truly irreplaceable, arguing that over long timescales no individual leader has made a lasting difference. They debate cases like Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Genghis Khan, with Diamond suggesting environmental and climatic factors often matter more than individual agency in determining historical outcomes.