Topic

Myth, Folklore & Legends

A collection of 13 issues

The Neurological Ghost Story of the 10 Percent Brain

It’s a seductive idea: that 90% of our brain lies dormant, a superpower waiting to be unlocked. While modern neuroscience definitively proves this is false, the myth’s murky origins reveal a fascinating story about our deepest hopes for human potential.

Science & Nature Psychology & Health Myth, Folklore & Legends

The Secret Heart of Paris Is Under Your Feet

In the shadow of Notre Dame, a small brass marker serves as the cartographic heart of France, the official start of every road. Yet, this unassuming point has been co-opted by legend, becoming a talisman for luck and a promise of one's eventual return to Paris.

Geography & Places History Myth, Folklore & Legends

Your Lying Eyes: The Enduring Myth of the Sugar-Fueled Child

For decades, parents have blamed hyperactivity on sugar, but a landmark series of studies revealed the 'sugar rush' is a psychological illusion. The real culprit isn't the cake, but the power of parental expectation shaping the perception of normal childhood excitement.

Medicine, Psychology & Health Education & Child Development Myth, Folklore & Legends

Unpeeling the Banana: The Myth and Marvel of Our Shared DNA

The claim that you share 50% of your DNA with a banana is a wonderfully sticky piece of trivia, but it's not quite right. The reality hinges on the difference between genes and an entire genome, revealing a far more profound story about our shared ancestry.

Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities Myth, Folklore & Legends

The Case of the Mistaken Buddha

The jolly, pot-bellied statue in countless restaurants and homes isn't the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. He's actually a wandering 10th-century Chinese monk whose final words revealed a divine secret, transforming him into a beloved icon of happiness and good fortune.

Religion & Philosophy History Myth, Folklore & Legends

The Moth, the Myth, the Mainframe: How an Old Joke Became Tech's Most Famous Origin Story

The famous tale of a moth causing the first computer 'bug' is a cherished piece of tech lore, but the truth is more nuanced. Computer pioneer Grace Hopper's team didn't invent the term; they just made a brilliant pun on a word engineers had used for decades.

History Technology & Innovation Myth, Folklore & Legends

The Tyrant and the Tape Measure: How Bad Math and British Mockery Made Napoleon Short

The caricature of a tiny, furious Napoleon is one of history's most successful smear campaigns. The truth of his average height was lost to a translation error between French and British inches, a mistake eagerly exploited by propagandists to cut their greatest foe down to size.

History Politics & Power Myth, Folklore & Legends

Deconstructing the Myth: The Truth About NASA and 'Plasma Life'

A persistent viral claim suggests NASA confirmed extraterrestrial life based on a paper about plasma. This is false. The study, not from NASA, was a speculative hypothesis about plasma behaving like a 'pre-life' form, not a confirmed discovery of alien organisms.

Science & Nature Space & Astronomy Myth, Folklore & Legends

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