The Griffin, The Mermaid, And The Giant Cyclops

Throughout recorded history, man has sought explanations for the various phenomena that occur in every facet of nature, and when no obvious answer is forthcoming, still a theory is often proposed.  These explanatory theories, often taking the form of stories or chronicles, are usually linked to some sort of mysticism or divine intervention.  By ascribing that which he does not understand to the gods’ will at work, man avoids facing up to his own lack of knowledge in a given area, and also draws comfort from assuming that the universe does indeed function under the guidance of divine beings.  Thus the explanatory accounts that man crafts enhance his own security, quelling the fear of chaos that

Evidence is concrete examples of raw materials – how we interpret them is an important key when studying history. Evolution and the Kennewick Man will be discussed.

People today can look at the cave art or even the sculptures and see how they lived and interpreted things. And they can appreciate the creations that were left. As well as the evidence left helps scholars interpret what they were and then explain to today’s world about what happened and how people lived a million years ago. I relate to the account by Nisa because I am a female and some of the beliefs she had in the San society are the same beliefs we have in today’s world.

The first chapter of the book discusses the way we can use fossil records to study the biological world. Fossils are one of the major lines of evidence we use to understand ourselves. Surprisingly, we are able to discover them with a high amount of precision and predictability. In particular, field paleontologists have it easier than it has ever been before due to the current information age. The physical hunt for important fossils, however, is much like it has always been. Three factors limiting the number of useful fossil sites include rock age, type (whether or not it can preserve fossils), and number of exposed rocks. So, it takes a bit of luck to reliably find fossils. Thankfully, rock

Throughout the book, Shubin illustrates the life of a paleontologist through engaging stories. Paleontologists work long hours, days and even years just to make one meaningful discovery, however each discovery contributes to a missing puzzle piece in evolution.. Shubin compares searching for fossils in the Arctic as “worse than finding the proverbial needle in the haystack” (Shubin, 2009). While reading through Shubin’s accounts of discovering fossils the reader will feel as if they are there uncovering new insights into the history of evolution. One can expect to learn about the arm, hand, teeth, head, nose, eyes and ears of

Anything that can be explained by science is treated as a known truth. There is a bias within the scientific community based on the “assumption that the public is uninformed, and scientist are purveyors of facts” (Bartell 7). Science and folklore have typically had a tumultuous relationship as the scientific community attempts to “re-interpret phenomena previously explained by folklore and /or supernatural mysticism as logical results of scientifically understood processes” (Jordan 8). The goal of interpreting the supernatural through a scientific lens is reflected in popular culture. I believe that film and television mix science with supernatural themes because science is such a prominent aspect of modern society so it invokes feelings

The scientists, archeologists, and historians must use science to reveal all of the answers. If it weren't for science many mysteries would still remain about the findings at the historical sites visited in this book. Written in Bone was an enjoyable read hidden with science sprinkled on every

When humans first started to ponder how the first people got here they only had one theory. Then with findings in Cactus hill Virginia that theory along with the scientific community got flipped on its head.

Kevin Krajick’s article “Tracking Myth to Geological Reality” was published by American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005. This article examines how many myths can be linked to geological evidence. Geologists have been investigating how ancient geological phenomenon are able to shed light on the origins of many myths. Scientist have even uncovered evidence that may serve as the inspiration for biblical stories. Many are hoping that understanding these myths and the geological phenomenon they depict will reveal important information about natural disasters like: tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions. It is hoped that this information will save human lives in the future. With all of these new discoveries it is important to

ITHACA - We’ve all been exposed to mythical beasts and we’ve all read those stories with creatures so bizarre and exotic that we would never think of them to be true. The king, Odysseus defies what we know about those beings and opens up to me about his encounters with the Cyclops.

Most entities are known for seeding this planet in which are environment is experienced by the magic illusion of time and emotion. “A myth is symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. It is distinguished from symbolic behavior and symbolic places or objects” (“Mythology,” par. 3). “All mythology has a basis in the creational myths of each culture, representing by the duality of our reality” (“Mythology,” par. 2). The myths of every culture are reflected in different stories but all the stories have the same creational force. This meaning the interpretation of a myth may be different but they are all based on the same idea. “The Myth of Creation is the symbolic narrative of the beginning of the world as understood by a particular community” (Britannica Encyclopedia). The term myth pertains to the imaginative expression in narrative form of what is experienced as basic reality and the term creation pertains to the beginning of things. The cornerstone to the Native American Indians cultures is their creations myths. Looking closely into one specific tribe from both the earth diver and emergence myths, the earth diver creation myth is found through the Cherokee Indian tribe and the emergence creation myth is found through the Navajo Indian tribe.

Folklore is a term used to describe the traditional beliefs and customs that every community had which were passed down the generations through word of mouth. Each community had their own folklores whereby they used oral traditions such us proverbs, tales and poems to ensure that everyone in the community, especially the children, knew and was aware of the customs. This helped develop a sense of pride and respect for the people’s culture since they understood why some of the cultural practices were done and the consequences of going against these practices and customs. Folklores may lack substantial evidences but people still keep faith in their beliefs due to the respect and trust they have for their ancestors who were actually believed to

Many believe that Ariel is a bad role model for children, especially young girls who look up to Disney Princesses. Many of these people believe that she changed her body for a man, and that no young girl should be taught to do the same. Many people think that the little mermaid is one of the least feminist princesses created by the Disney company, but unfortunately, these views are incorrect, and have weak supporting evidence. Ariel was anything but an anti-feminist, and actually was an advocate for women’s and mer-people’s rights. The little mermaid is the youngest (only sixteen at the time) in her family. While she may be little, but she made a big impact in her world, and is still making an impact on the world around us today.

The mystical maidens of the sea, better known as mermaids, have been featured in everything from the folklore of the past to the fiction of the present, but what do we really know about them? Legends of these half-human, half-fish creatures exist all over the globe, and even if they are merely legend, they’re a pretty fascinating manifestation of what the human imagination can produce. Here are six things you might not know about these mythical creatures.

It is therefore undeniable that from the genesis of Western modernity in the sixteenth century there has been a near obsession with developing, enhancing and portraying devices of observation, measurement and quantification. Yet the literary examination and incorporation of scientific instruments into narrative and displays of physical heritage has been a convoluted and (at times)