By Sean Graham

This week, I speak with Michael North, writer of writer of Making Frequent Sense: On the Development of the Apparent from Antiquity to AI. We discuss what counts as ‘frequent’ sense, its relation to the 5 senses, and the way that understanding formed perceptions of frequent sense. We then get right into a dialogue concerning the trendy understanding of frequent sense, the distinction between that and cause, and the way algorithms and AI are shaping our understanding of what counts as ‘frequent’ sense.
Historic Headline of the Week
Jo Marchant, “The American Revolution’s Missed Affect? Physics. How ‘Frequent Sense’ Spelled Out Astronomical Expectations for a New Nation,” Smithsonian Journal, Summer season 2026.
Sean Graham is a cultural historian, an Adjunct Professor at Carleton College, and a contributing editor with Activehistory.ca
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