In the middle ages hundreds of thousands of Europeans danced themselves to exhaustion. Some danced for weeks on end, many ended up dying of heart attacks and heat stroke. But why? What strange illness was causing this oddity? Turns out, it was all psychological. The dancing epidemic of the middle ages was one of the first noted examples of mass hysteria, a p ... Show More
Oct 19
Is the stock market just vibes?
When Greece beat France in Euro 2004, the stock market shifted. When Allbirds rebranded as an AI company, its stock rose 600%. When British radio plays happy music, the FTSE improves. So, is the stock market just vibes? Does national mood actually move the market? That’s what tod ... Show More
25m 36s
Dec 2021
Selects: What Is Collective Hysteria?
<p>Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all exhibit the same physical symptoms of non-existent conditions. Is it psychosomatic? Is it group think? Find out in this clas ... Show More
42m 37s
Jun 2023
S3 Ep8: Get Down with the Sickness, It’s Societal Mania!
Throughout history, flashes of group mania have taken hold of entire societies without warning. From dancing 'til you're dead, to laughing yourself into a stupor for days on end, the people struck down by these so-called plagues certainly weren’t having a good time, despite what ... Show More
39m 45s
Dec 2019
Ep 40 Dancing Plague: Worst Dance Party Ever
In 1518 a strange sight could be seen all over the town of Strasbourg. Crowds of people dancing unceasingly, unable to control their movements, seemingly heedless of their blistered and bloodied feet. As the contagious dance grew, so did the body count as the frenzied dancers suc ... Show More
1h 19m