From being thrown off a cliff to being sewn into a sack with animals, ancient Rome is notorious for its cruel and unusual punishments. But we must be careful what we take as historical fact.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Mythbusting
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We build in extra checks and balances, including blind peer review by a second academic expert, additional scrutiny and editorial oversight.
Roman decadence reached its peak with the vomitorium: a room where feasting elites threw up to make room for more food. Or so the story goes ...
There are plenty of innovators, scientists and inventors in Africa doing remarkable work today. So why does the myth of Africa being devoid of scientific innovators persist?
Eight hundred years ago, a monk named Thomas of Monmouth wrote a bogus account of the life of St. William, a Christian boy supposedly abducted by “the Jews” of Norwich. A boy – “like an innocent lamb…
Recently, the car manufacturer Mazda recalled 40,000 cars because of a “spider invasion”. This is not the first time it has happened with Mazda cars. In 2011, a similar reason was given for recalling 52,000…
Debunking myths requires an understanding of the psychological research into misinformation. But getting your refutation out in front of lots of eyeballs is a whole other matter. Here, I look at two contrasting…
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Roman History, Macquarie University
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Lecturer in Classics, University of Roehampton
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Research Assistant Professor, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University
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Associate Professor, McGill University
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Professor of Art History, California State University, Chico
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Lecturer, Catholic University of Malawi
