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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2007; v. 273; p. 61-66;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2007.273.01.06
© 2007 Geological Society of London

From myth to Earth education and science communication

Tiziana Lanza1 & Aquiles Negrete2

1 Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, via di Vigna Murata, 605, 00143-Roma, Italy (e-mail: lanza{at}ingv.it)
2 Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK

There is a longstanding and intimate relationship between myths and the Earth. Myths represent human beings in childhood when a primitive language made of symbols transmitted the wisdom necessary to live in harmony with nature. Today science uses mainly the language of data. Nevertheless, myths and legends are still popular and part of our culture, and the Earth sciences remain confined mostly to the world of scientists. This paper is an attempt, from the perspective of science communication, to provide a theory that uses myths and legends to stimulate the curiosity of the man in the street about the planet we live on. Recent studies have demonstrated that fictional stories can be used to convey science to the general public in an accurate, memorable and enjoyable way. Following these ideas, we believe that myths can be a useful tool for Earth science studies, learning and popularization.