The history of the rubber ‘boom’ reveals why.
Articles on Myths
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Why grown-ups still need fairy tales
The Conversation, CC BY22.8 MB (download)
We consciously and unconsciously tell fairy tales today, despite advances in logic and science. It’s as if there is something ingrained in us that compels us to see the world through this lens.
A new Bollywood movie based on the story of an Indian entrepreneur who created affordable sanitary pads is helping to counter myths and taboos around menstruation.
Does a fry up really soak up excess alcohol, or black coffee sober you up? Can you avoid that hangover?
CC BY-ND38.2 MB (download)
We're pouring cold water on old ideas in this episode: from why the population of Easter Island really declined and what makes a good urban legend.
Old stories from around the world tell of drowned islands, volcanic eruptions and upheavals to the land around them. Increasingly we are realising these tales preserve actual memory, often from thousands of years ago.
There are a number of myths surrounding Cape Town’s drought, one of them being that the city saw the crisis coming but didn’t prepare for it.
The ancient Greeks knew what made a good leader. Why does it seem we have forgotten their lessons?
Nigeria must reduce its population growth to increase the quality of life for people in the country. A better knowledge of contraceptives can help achieve this.
The French president’s orchestration of the Bastille Day military parade featuring a Daft Punk tune was a deft move that left Trump outmaneuvered, and positioned France as a force to contend with.
How the idea of a hyper-connected society could quickly go from utopia to dystopia and why neither scenario is likely to last.
Stepfathers often enter a family unit with certain expectations about what their role should be. They’re usually wrong.
It’s become fashionable to suggest that generational designations are arbitrary or a ‘myth.’ But social scientists can pinpoint generational and cultural changes with a surprising degree of accuracy.
Many diabetics experience stigma as a result of their condition. Knowing a bit more about the diabetes can dispel some of that stigma.
To what extent do hours of practice, development squads and role models really make a difference?
Does sport really improve young people’s development?
Most children are not likely to believe that fish live on the moon. What makes children accept some stories and be skeptical about others?
It’s difficult to ignore the proto-religious fervour that has accompanied Corbyn on his whirlwind tour of top-level politics.
New research suggests a mythical flood in China really happened about 4,000 years ago. It’s the latest case of scientists matching ancient tales to actual local natural disasters.
Why we’re being asked to decide whether Amber Heard is one of two archetypes: the gold-digging, manipulative siren or the innocent female victim.
Top contributors
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Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
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Visiting Researcher in Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University
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Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Emeritus professor of biology, UCL
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Visiting Scholar of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
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Professor and Department of Psychology Chair, The University of Texas at Austin
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Senior Lecturer in English and Writing (children's literature), University of New England
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Emeritus Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University
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Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, Sarah Lawrence College
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Professor of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina
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Reader in Gender Studies, Liverpool John Moores University
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Professor of Psychology, Wayne State University