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“It is essential for human flourishing that we conduct substantial parts of our lives unobserved.”

— Tiffany Jenkins

Hallways were the first privacy tech.

In 1716, the Duchess of Marlborough questioned the architect designing Blenheim Palace because of all the long, narrow rooms he had planned. The architect had to explain that these were “no more than a passage” between rooms.

Another contemporary builder articulated the purpose of this revolutionary new design:  “All the Rooms in this House are private; that is, there is a Way into each of them without passing through…

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