For stories with a particularly historical angle.
Legend has it Stonehenge was created by the wizard Merlin with the help of giants. Meanwhile, scientists have been studying the monument for centuries. What do we know about who built Stonehenge, and why? Giants and aliens Stonehenge, located on Salisbury Plain, is the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. It was built around 5,000 years ago by people who left no written record. As a result, it’s become one of our favourite mysteries: there are […]
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re familiar with emoji and have used them in an 📧, or text. How did this visual ‘language’ come about and how will it impact communication in the future? Tara Bautista explores the history and 🔬 of emojis. Smiley faces “How r u?” “I’m OK.” How many of you have received a reply like this and wondered what OK meant? It could mean anything from “Life’s all good” to […]
We’ve all heard about ‘clever’ animals... learning to use tools, communicate complex information and solve problems. But can animals count?
Do you doodle? Sketch? Or like many people, were you told at some point you were bad at drawing and gave it up completely? While virtually all kids draw, few adults do. But there’s good evidence we should all pull out our coloured pencils: drawing and doodling improve focus and memory and can help us learn. Is drawing a thing of the past? In days gone by, drawing was an important and valued skill in a variety […]
If you could control your dreams, what would you do? Many of us do have some control over our dreams. It’s called lucid dreaming and if you can’t already do it, you may be able to learn how.
I’m sure you know the idea: everyone on Earth is connected to every other person by six or fewer links. The idea was first proposed in 1929, but is six still the correct number of links in today’s connected world?
A 3,300 year old person? Yep, it’s true. Sure, he might have stopped breathing a long time ago, but he’s looking remarkably good for his age. And whilst he no longer has the power of speech, there’s still an awful lot he can tell us about his life all those years ago. Meet Ötzi, the 3,300-year-old iceman.
Why call a valued assistant a ‘right-hand man’? Why does an awkward dancer have ‘two left feet’? And why, in times gone by, were left-handers thought to be possessed by the devil? Throughout the ages left-handers have been stigmatised and persecuted. But it turns out ‘handedness’ is determined before you even leave the womb.
This post isn’t for the squeamish. Whether we are talking about Hannibal Lecter, Sweeney Todd, the witch in Hansel and Gretel, or the many accounts from early human history, cannibalism makes us uncomfortable. And why wouldn’t it? Who wants to think about people eating other people or worse, being on the menu yourself?
Did you ever make mix tapes of your favourite songs? It was a major hobby of mine, and the songs I included changed constantly. But what if you got to create the mix tape of all mix tapes, one that would last for one billion years?
Espresso Science 