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
The World's Oldest National Anthem Dates Back to the 16th Century
When people think of national anthems, their minds spontaneously turn to relatively recent compositions, often born during the great waves of national
Sushi Was Invented to Preserve Fish, Not to Eat It Raw
When people think of sushi today, the image that immediately comes to mind is that of raw, fresh fish, precisely sliced by
The Legend of the Margherita Pizza Created for a Queen
Few dishes in the world carry an origin legend as famous as the Margherita pizza. This founding story holds a special place
In the 19th Century, Ketchup Was Sold in Pharmacies as a Remedy
It's hard today to imagine that ketchup, that everyday sauce found on every fast-food table, was once sold as a miracle remedy
The Mona Lisa Is Much Smaller Than People Imagine
Every year, millions of visitors crowd into a room at the Louvre Museum to see the most famous painting in the world.
Silbo Gomero, an Entire Language Whistled on a Spanish Island
Imagine being able to talk to your neighbor several kilometers away, on the other side of a steep valley, with no phone
The Romans Had Already Invented Central Heating 2000 Years Ago
When people think of the Roman Empire, they picture paved roads, monumental aqueducts, and disciplined legions. Central heating rarely comes to mind.
The Hiroshima Ginkgo Trees, Living Survivors of the Atomic Bomb
On August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was struck by the first atomic bomb ever used against a civilian population, an
Antarctica, the Only Continent Where War Is Banned
Among all the continents on the planet, Antarctica occupies a singular place in international law: no military activity, no nuclear testing, and