Maxime Marquette
MadMax is an independent bilingual news outlet based in Québec, publishing analysis on geopolitics, technology, democracy, and culture.
Our mission: rigorous, source-cited analysis carried out with full editorial independence — no sponsorship, no party line.
Our editorial standards: sources are cited inline, corrections are fixed and logged publicly, and any use of artificial intelligence is disclosed.
“Burn rather than rot. Write rather than stay silent.”
Fire first. Sentences after. No lukewarm takes.
Always answer the strongest version of the opposing point. No strawmen.
No commissioned pieces. No editorial masters. No compromise.
Columns by Maxime Marquette
4,540 columns published
This Dutch Village Has No Roads, You Get Around by Boat
Imagine a village where there is literally no paved road connecting the houses to one another. No engine noise, no traffic jams,
The Word "Robot" Comes from a Czech Play, Not Science Fiction
The word robot is now part of everyday vocabulary, used to describe everything from an automatic vacuum cleaner to a Hollywood science-fiction
The Cassette Tape Was Meant to Replace a Dictaphone, Not Conquer Music
When people think of the audio cassette, the collective imagination immediately conjures up Walkmans, mixtapes, and shelves of vinyl records pushed aside.
Wi-Fi Was Born from the Hunt for Black Holes, Not Telecoms
Every time you connect to your home network, you are unknowingly using a discovery that came out of the most cutting-edge astrophysics.
3D printing already existed back in the 1980s
Only in the past few years has 3D printing established itself in the public imagination as a resolutely modern innovation, driven by
DID YOU KNOW the zipper took twenty years to win over the public
Found today on virtually every garment, bag, and everyday accessory, the zipper seems like such an obvious invention that it is hard
Your GPS works thanks to Einstein's theory of relativity
Every day, billions of people use the GPS built into their smartphone without ever suspecting that this simple navigation tool rests on
The first patented video game wasn't Pong, but a 1947 missile
Long before Pong or Pac-Man invaded arcades, two American engineers had already imagined a device capable of simulating a missile shot on
The first mobile phone call was made to taunt a rival
On April 3, 1973, engineer Martin Cooper, employed at Motorola, prepared to make a gesture that would leave a lasting mark on