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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Who will believe Earth’s population was once
8 billion?
Or that ice long ago covered 10% of the globe?
And floating mountains of ice once threatened ships at the poles and deep snow blanketed mountain ranges on every continent?
Enjoy a sample from Mythopedia audiobook
www.amazon.com/Mythopedia-B...

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore [Adrienne Mayor] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore

www.amazon.com

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs
Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World is out in English, Spanish, Russian, French

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs
Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World is out in English, Spanish, Russian, French

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Read the latest, revised edition of Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs!

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Read the latest, revised edition of Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs!

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Vinny -> Furvaria @guingallant.bsky.social · 1d

Ancient greek Naval combat was something to behold: like throwing scorpions to the other ship or trying the new Archimedes Laser to burn them before they come to close. Not to mention the horrors of grappling pulleys.

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Víctor Gondra @vgondra.bsky.social · 1d

I've finished reading this.
An entertaining, educational, and fun read.
The final chapter is terrifying.

#history #litsky #booksky #Writersky #ancients #bookish

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Víctor Gondra @vgondra.bsky.social · 1d

I'm glad to see you here, @amayor.bsky.social
After 400 likes and 44 reposts, it's only fair that now it's your turn to promote our book 😄

Seriously, I didn't know she was on BS, follow her!

Víctor Gondra @vgondra.bsky.social · 1d

I've finished reading this.
An entertaining, educational, and fun read.
The final chapter is terrifying.

#history #litsky #booksky #Writersky #ancients #bookish

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21h

Who will believe Earth’s population was once
8 billion?
Or that ice long ago covered 10% of the globe?
And floating mountains of ice once threatened ships at the poles and deep snow blanketed mountain ranges on every continent?
Enjoy a sample from Mythopedia audiobook
www.amazon.com/Mythopedia-B...

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore [Adrienne Mayor] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore

www.amazon.com

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 1d

Enjoyed my conversation about natural disaster myths around the world and my new book Mythopedia on KPFA Radio!
kpfa.org/episode/lett...

Geomythology, Folklore, & the Environment | KPFA

Guest: Adrienne Mayor is a research scholar in classics and the history of science at Stanford University. She is the author of many books, including The Poison King (a finalist for the National Book ...

kpfa.org

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 2d

From acclaimed folklorist & historian @amayor.bsky.social, an enchanting collection of the ancient myths that emerged out of the wonders—& disasters—of the natural world.

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore is out now! Order yours: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

#Mythology

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore by Adrienne Mayor

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Anise K. Strong @anisekstrong.bsky.social · 4d

Also, @amayor.bsky.social points out that this may be a mythologizing of inventions from Ptolemy II's court being sent as diplomatic gifts to India: theconversation.com/robots-guard... If true, that would make this a wonderful Reverse Mechanical Clock/Abul-Abbas the Elephant to Charlemagne story.

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

The Well-read Naturalist @wellreadnaturalist.bsky.social · 2d

Natural history and mythology and @amayor.bsky.social? 😲

Count me in! 🤓😍

#Booksky

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 2d

From acclaimed folklorist & historian @amayor.bsky.social, an enchanting collection of the ancient myths that emerged out of the wonders—& disasters—of the natural world.

Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore is out now! Order yours: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

#Mythology

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 4d

for more on the historical aspect of the robots and Buddha's relics, see discussion in my book Gods and Robots

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 4d

see also Mayor, Gods and Robots, pp 203-207, and you might contact Signe Cohen, a Sanskrit/Buddhist scholar at U of Missouri, who is working on this story and other Indian robot/AI legends.

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 4d

theconversation.com/robots-guard...

Robots guarded Buddha’s relics in a legend of ancient India

Stories passed down from the ancient world tell of self-powered machines able to move on their own – robots – playing key roles in historic moments.

theconversation.com

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 4d

theconversation.com/robots-guard...

Robots guarded Buddha’s relics in a legend of ancient India

Stories passed down from the ancient world tell of self-powered machines able to move on their own – robots – playing key roles in historic moments.

theconversation.com

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 6d

I really enjoyed our conversation--thank you for the interview and for the wonderful illustrations you added!

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 6d

thank you!

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Asher Hellbein @asherelbein.bsky.social · 7d

New on Heat Death! I caught up with folklorist and historian Adrienne Mayor to talk about her new compendium of “geomythology,” the warnings encoded in folklore, and the oral tradition of the future. Super fun conversation.

Science Before Science with Adrienne Mayor

Historian of science Adrienne Mayor on how fossils become folklore and how stories can save your life.

heat-death.ghost.io

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 13d

Mythopedia has 50 fantastic illustrations by Michele Angel.
3 examples:
Sahara quicksand, Frost Giant Ymir, Zambezi river god
Pre-order now, in stores Oct 7

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

Agatha Grimke ✒️📚🏺🫏🟦🐈‍⬛️🦆🌹 @agathagrimke.bsky.social · 17d

GUYS THIS IS NOT A DRILL, NEW ADRIENNE MAYOR BOOK ABOUT TO DROP!!

Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 22d

Mythopedia coming out Oct 7, 2025, preorder now!
"Mayor draws on the new field of geomythology to explain the historical background & science behind 53 legends and myths of the earth. A fascinating catalog of ancient cultures and unique geological events"
―Kirkus Reviews

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21d

Love this review of my new book Mythopedia in @harpers.bsky.social by Dan Piepenbring
“I can’t say that Mythopedia deepened my relationship
to the land, but it has shaken and shifted it
like so many toads in a tornado.”
harpers.org/archive/2025...

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Reposted by Adrienne Mayor

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 23d

Dan Piepenbring in a review in the new Harper’s of Cory Doctorow’s “Enshittification.”

In sum, tech companies build a walled garden, lock you in, throw away the key, let the plants die, and then charge you an extortionate rent to live among the rotting remains.

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Adrienne Mayor @amayor.bsky.social · 21d

yes my new book "Mythopedia" will be an e-book and there is also an audiobook

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