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12 professions that got disrupted by technology

18 - 9 Switchboard Operator

Technological progress has a long-running tendency to make entire professions unnecessary. Your history teacher in high school probably tried hard to point out one of the most well known examples: the Luddites. These English textile artisans didn’t take well to contemporary industrial automation and famously went on a rampage to smash every piece of labor-saving machinery they could lay their hands on. But the Luddites were far from the only ones who lost their jobs. We’ve collected a list of weird and fascinating professions that went out more quietly.

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Which historic badass were you in a past life? Take the quiz.

Ching Shih

From heroes to despots and everything in between, the badasses of history fought hard, stood their ground, and earned a name for themselves in history books around the world. Sure, they weren’t all paragons of goodness, but that’s what makes them so interesting. Take this quick quiz to find out which historic badass you really were in a past life — your results just might astound you.

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Twist and Shout: A short history of dance, in pics

Have you ever wondered where dancing originated, or what inspired people to start moving their bodies in time to music? Well, you aren’t alone. The origins of dance have intrigued people for ages, and yet no one is completely sure about the hows and whys of its beginning. What we can be sure of is that it’s one of humanity’s most captivating forms of expression — beautiful to watch, fun to do, and a nearly universal pastime for cultures around the world and throughout time, with evidence of dancers even dating way back to prehistoric times. Let’s take a look at a few photos that show just how amazing dance and all of its variations can be.

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