History
‘David Copperfield’s History of Magic’: Come for the magic, stay for the history lesson
'David Copperfield's History of Magic' is an impressive tribute to the magician’s craft, letting us in on its wonders, without revealing any of its secrets
The Canary Islands’ Black Pyramids: history doesn’t have to be an unsolved mystery to be interesting
A new book sheds light on the origins of the black pyramids of GüÃmar, and shows how there are better explanations than ancient aliens
The paradox of progress: how some social improvements paper over unfairness and inequality
It's easy to argue that society is progressing, but when we replace overt oppression with covert oppression, is it reasonable to really count that as progress?
Rapa Nui: European myths mask the reason for societal collapse on Easter Island – colonialism
The belief that the islanders – and not Europeans – destroyed Rapa Nui minimises the devastating impacts of European colonialism.
Spontaneous Human Combustion: The truth behind the myth of Mary Carpenter
Stories of spontaneous human combustion have been retold since the 1920s, but do those retellings reflect the truth?
What William Radam’s “Microbe Killer” can teach us about modern stem cell quackery
When new medical breakthroughs occur, pseudoscientists are often quick to jump on the bandwagon in order to sell their quackery
Are you smarter than an 800 year-old? Our ancestors were more skeptical than you think
As historians continue to deconstruct the myth of the Dark Ages, we shouldn't be so fast to write off the intelligence of our ancestors.
Nesta Helen Webster: the far-right author who popularised the antisemitic Illuminati conspiracy
The Qanon movement regurgiates old antisemitic tropes that echo back to the Illuminati conspiracy theories pushed by Nesta Helen Webster
- Advertisement -