Author Archives: John Pullen

This is actually a more complicated question than might first be thought. The answer is not because someone tickled me or I heard a funny story. Both of these examples of course can trigger laughter depending on how ticklish we are and our sense of humour. But there is more to it than that. ToContinue reading “Why do we Laugh?”

Art is everywhere and it has been around for a long time. Some of the first examples are cave paintings made by our distant ancestors. Many appear to depict figures hunting animals for food and clothing. There are also examples of the artist making an image of his or her hand on a cave wall.Continue reading “Why is Art Good for Us?”

Kissing appears to be a natural part of our lives. There are also a number of ways to kiss. Some cultures kiss each other on each cheek as a means of greeting and this can take place between opposite and same sex. A kiss on the forehead is often used by a parent to aContinue reading “Why do we Kiss?”

There have been a variety of human species in the evolution of us as Homo Sapiens. All of them have for one reason or another, died out and are now extinct. Scientists are able to examine the skeletal remains of any of these ancestors and apportion a particular species to them. There may be aContinue reading “The “Hobbit” Species of Human”

Let’s begin by stating I hope you do start yawning as you read this. I will do my best to make it interesting. The question of why we yawn has been asked for many years and a number of theories offered up to explain it. One of the most long-lived is that it helps withContinue reading “Why do we Yawn?”

The discovery of fire which probably came about when a bolt of lightning hit a tree and set it alight has been a positive boon for the human race to move forward. Fire meant that food could be cooked and groups of Homo Sapiens could keep warm during cold winters. But, fire was also adaptedContinue reading “The Mystery of Greek Fire”

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who is credited with being one of the main founders of Western Philosophy. He was born in 470 BCE. He was a well-known figure in Athenian society and seemed to be admired and mocked in equal measure. We know much of what he preached and talked about, but this isContinue reading “Socrates”

There cannot be any of us who have not cried or shed tears many times over our lives. They can be brought on by a negative experience, such as the death of a loved one or tears of joy, as perhaps experienced at a wedding of people close to us. These are just two examples.Continue reading “Why we Cry”

For archaeologists, discovering an ancient historical site that has remained undisturbed for hundreds or thousands of years must be their greatest achievement. We only have to think of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt early in the twentieth century. It provided a wealth of new information about pharaohs and their burials. AndContinue reading “A Boat for a Grave”

The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have, it seems existed since his supposed life in the fifth or sixth century. To understand the evidence and then to make a decision on his existence, we have to trust the writings of the time or in this case, the recordings ofContinue reading “King Arthur – Fact or Fiction?”