TLTP 014 - Apocalypse Then

The Last Tuesday Project

Let me take you on a journey through time, many Tuesdays ago...

This month on The Last Tuesday Project we take a closer look at the so-called Dark Ages (more accurately known as the Early Middle Ages). Alex asks Hayley and Shaun to look into something which, on the surface, seems a little ludicrous - did a comet have anything to do with those "Dark" times? In true clickbait style, what we find out may surprise you...

We also investigate the origin of the term "Dark Ages", and what exactly constitutes a Dirty Snowball?

• Arthur myth gives clue to disaster of sixth century (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/sep/09/uknews
• Astronomers Unravel A Mystery Of The Dark Ages: Undergraduates' Work Blames Comet For 6th-century 'Nuclear Winter' (Science Daily) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040204000254.htm
• Why Halley's Comet May Be Linked to Famine 1,500 Years Ago (Space.com) https://www.space.com/24005-halleys-comet-linked-to-ancient-famine.html
• Halley's Comet and the 6th century AD (Society for Interdisciplinary Studies) http://www.sis-group.org.uk/news/halleys-comet-and-6th-century-ad.htm
• 5 Ridiculous Myths You Probably Believe About the Dark Ages (Cracked.com) http://www.cracked.com/article_20615_5-ridiculous-myths-you-probably-believe-about-dark-ages.html
• Jim Al Khalili - Science And Islam (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gksx4
• Comets (Astronomy For Kids) http://www.kidsastronomy.com/comets.htm

Our next TWOsday episode, Episode 14a, will be released on 12th September.

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This month's icon uses an an image from the book Die Erde. Eine allgemeine Erd- und La?nderkunde, etc by Franz Heiderich, taken from The British Library's Flickr archive.

Hayley's Comet Theme is Aspiranto by Kai Engel, from the Free Music Archive.

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With huge thanks, as usual, to Strong4Life for the use of his music.