Is It True That...?

Democracy is widespread today - but what do we actually mean by the word? Participative democracy existed in ancient Athens, but not everyone could ta...

The Black Death was a catastrophe for Europe killing half of the population of the continent in the Middle Ages. But was it the worst pandemic ever? A...

Do we work more today than in the distant past? Hunter-gatherers often got by with little effort, and it was only with agriculture and industrial work...

For as long as we can remember, human beings have expressed belief in higher deities in art, rituals, and rules of behaviour. But is the idea in a hig...

The Library of Alexandria was considered a treasure trove of knowledge - and its loss shows how fragile knowledge can be. What has been preserved over...

According to a widely believed story, the vibrator was the brainchild of male doctors who wanted to treat hysteria with orgasms. But behind this medic...

Advances in agriculture, hygiene and medicine have steadily increased average life expectancy throughout history. But even in the Stone Age, some peop...

Many believe that Hitler invented the Autobahn, boosting the German economy and solving unemployment in the process. But this is not actually true. So...

The steam engine marked the beginning of the fossil fuel era. But was it really this invention that triggered the Industrial Revolution? The search fo...

A world without money? It is hard to imagine - but it did exist. But was bartering really the first form of exchange, with money gradually replacing i...

What does what we wear reveal about our society? Who determines what is considered masculine or feminine? From Antiquity to the present day, this epis...

Beauty has shaped our thoughts and feelings from ancient times to the present day. Who do we find attractive? And why? Although many cultures share a...

A caesarean has become a common way to give birth, but until the 19th century, it was a highly dangerous last resort. So did Julius Caesar really come...

Did everyone think that the Earth was a flat disc until Christopher Columbus boldly attempted to prove otherwise ? How do we actually know that the Ea...

With chivalrous Knights, great castles and high adventure, the Middle Ages have always fascinated us. While fans of heroic tales may see it through ro...

Military victories, efficient administration, flourishing trade, innovative technologies: the Roman Empire is the archetype of a successful empire. B...

Education is seen today as one of the pillars of a modern, democratic society. Yet its historical roots are more often found in authoritarian structur...

They sailed under the flag of the skull and crossbones - as the self-proclaimed enemies of all mankind. Pirates are seen as lawless thugs, proud of th...

The Tragedy of the Commons theory posits that a valuable and finite resource, freely available to everyone, will be overused and be at risk of destruc...

Who doesn't love pasta? It's conquered the world, but Italians love it most. But did they really invent it? We explore its history from ancient China...

From Iceland’s women’s strike in 1975 right back to strong Viking women and the very first human settlements, was the past more equalitarian than we t...

250,000 kilometres of borders stretch across the world todaya nd even on the oldest maps they are everywhere. But have borders always been with us? Fr...

In the past, childhood did not exist: Children had to go out into the fields and work alongside adults from a very young age in a difficult like of to...

People eat meat - all over the world in the most diverse cultures. But have they always done so? And what is the truth of the theory that the human br...