February 8, 2019

Why do countries hire spies?

Governments employ spies – also known as spooks, secret agents, case officers, operatives, and intelligence assets – to gather information on foreign governments on their own […]
February 8, 2019

Why did gladiators fight to the death?

As many as 50,000 spectators gathered in Rome’s Coliseum in the second century A.D. to witness gory spectacles: reenactments of famous battles, live hunts for exotic […]
February 8, 2019

Why did the ancient Maya and Aztec play brutal ball games?

As far back as 1400 B.C., people in Mexico and Central America suited up in painted deerskins and elaborate head-dresses and sprinted across ball courts covered […]
February 8, 2019

Why did knights enter jousting tournaments?

Hosted in special arenas, called lists, within castle walls or in nearby fields, the joust was one of the most thrilling forms of entertainment in the […]