Mythology and Folklore 2020

Article: "How Sleep Deprivation Decays the Mind and Body," Seth Maxon - The Atlantic I think something most college students can agree on is that sleep is great. Especially in times like these, which are stressful in a way pretty much none of us have had to deal with before, getting enough sleep is important for our health in a variety of ways. What this article showed me, though, is how much sleep can impact our health in tangible ways.  The author, who imposed sleep deprivation on himself as an experience, ended up experiencing psychological hallucinations after staying awake for several days on end. That is obviously an extreme case, but the truth is that sleep deprivation, even minor, can still take a toll on our bodies and our minds. What's crazy is that science still doesn't fully understand why we need to sleep. Biological processes like eating and breathing have obvious explanations, but scientists still haven't arrived at a consensus on the issue of wh...

Paolo and Francesca The story of Paolo and Francesca, two spirits that Dante meets in his travels through Hell, is an interesting one for many reasons. Dante and Virgil are in the second circle of Hell, which is where the punishments of Hell begin. It seems to be the circle devoted to the sin of lust, as everyone in it is being punished for some crime of love and passion. Virgil points out several notable figures, including Cleopatra, Helen of Troy and her lover, Paris, and Achilles. After Virgil has named the spirit, Dante points out two in particular, a couple that travels together, and says he wants to talk to them. They are the ghosts of Francesca da Rimini and the younger brother of her husband. She had had an affair with her husband's brother, and her husband killed them viciously. It is here that we see the order in the gravity of the various cardinal sins. Francesca and Paolo, who committed the sin of lust, are in the second circle. Those who commit the sin of lust are c...