The Lycurgus Cup

An astonishing technological artifact from the Ancient Romans whose properties couldn’t be replicated until the 20th century, the Lycurgus Cup is an excellent example of just how completely we can lose complex technology from past civilizations. Samo Burja is a sociologist and the founder of Bismarck Analysis, a firm that analyzes institutions, from governments to companies. His research work focuses on the causes of societal decay and flourishing. He writes on history, epistemology and strategy. More from Samo Burja: Original talk here: