Description

How does knowledge survive when libraries burn, devices are seized, and archives come under threat? In this Flashcards Friday episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak takes a closer look at what it actually means to preserve knowledge in the present moment.

Using three short flashcards, this episode explores redundancy, cloud storage, and practical threat modeling for scholars, journalists, and anyone responsible for research or records. From ancient libraries to modern reporting, this episode shows why preservation is not passive. It is an active, deliberate practice.

What You'll Learn

1. Redundancy Beats Regret – Why preservation works best as a system, not a single location, and how multiple copies in multiple places reduce the risk of total loss.
2. The Cloud Is Helpful, Not Magical – How cloud storage improves access while still requiring planning for outages, lockouts, and long-term durability.
3. Threat Modeling for Ordinary Work – How scholars and journalists can think realistically about loss, seizure, and disruption, and reduce risk without turning research into secrecy.

Resources & Further Reading

• Freedom of the Press Foundation – Digital Security & Source Protection
  https://freedom.press/
• SecureDrop (for confidential submissions and journalism workflows)
  https://securedrop.org/
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
  https://www.rcfp.org/
• Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com
• To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

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Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved.
Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers

Until next time, carpe diem!