Separate fact from fiction; reveal facts; and explore fiction with The Torch!

The Torch: The Great Courses Podcast

The truth is out there! Explore misconceptions about how your mind works, uncover overlooked history, and define two-sides of the same literary coin. Join Ed Leon and three esteemed experts on this revealing edition of The Torch where we bust common myths about our own minds, expose the amazing contributions that came from the Islamic Middle Ages, and delve into the literary genres of utopian and dystopian fiction. Do brain games help us avoid Alzheimer’s? What percentage of our brain do we use? When it comes to our brains, there are many fallacies out there that we’ve taken as fact. Professor Indre Viskontas answers these questions and provides the truth about how our minds work. Italy wasn’t the only country to undergo a cultural and scientific renaissance that impacted the world. Professor Eamonn Gearon reveals the many contributions of the Islamic Golden Age?a period in history that lasts form roughly 750 to about 1258?which is not as well-known as it should be. In the last decade, dystopian literature has become one of the most popular fictional categories, especially among the young adult audience. But it, and its counterpart, utopian literature, have been established genres for centuries. Professor Pamela Bedore unveils the history and influence of utopian and dystopian fiction.