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
Apr 27
Prof Wiseman: “This is how you spot a liar”
Warning, you’ll hear a lie in this episode. You won’t be told it's a lie. And 29% of those who listen probably won’t spot the lie. But if you listen till the end, you’ll learn the proven tips to spot lies like these. Today on Nudge, Professor Richard Wiseman explains: 1) How to s ... Show More
30m 57s
Apr 20
Nir Eyal “Why These £39 Placebo Pills Actually Work”
There's a pill on Amazon called Fukitol. It contains nothing. And yet people buy it, swear by it, and give it five stars. Today, Nir Eyal explains the remarkable science behind why placebos work. --- Listen to the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/40414a1b44 Nir’s book Beyond ... Show More
29m 54s
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
Aug 2025
Pourquoi des strasbourgeois du 16e siècle sont-ils morts à force de danser ?
Rediffusion Le roman d'Horace McCoy, "On achève bien les chevaux", dont Sidney Pollack tira, en 1969, un film remarqué, évoque avec force ces marathons de danse organisés pendant la Grande Dépression, qui frappa les États-Unis durant les années 1930.Ils voyaient s'affronter des c ... Show More
2m 7s
Oct 2021
Havana Syndrome: Over 200 Cases Documented Yet Cause Remains A Mystery
Since 2016, a number of U.S. diplomats and federal employees have reported symptoms of a mysterious illness, the so-called Havana Syndrome.The list of symptoms include hearing loud sounds, nausea fatigue, and dizzying migraines, among others. The cause of this mystery illness is ... Show More
12m 33s
Mar 2020
When the System Breaks Down, Leaders Stand Up
<p>It began in the East. At least, that’s what the experts think. Maybe it came from animals. Maybe it was the Chinese. Maybe it was a curse from the gods. </p><p>One thing is certain: it radiated out east, west, north, and south, crossing borders, then oceans, as it overwhelmed ... Show More
11m 53s