Ever hear about *The Great Stink*? In the summer of 1858, London was chokin' in the heat, and the city's main sewage, which flowed straight into the Thames, began to ferment. It was a sticky, hot mess that stank to high heaven. MPs in the Houses of Parliament were gagging; …

As someone who deeply delves into medical and psychological history, I think mass hysteria likely played a significant role here. Consider the sheer mental strains of living in early 16th-century Europe—plagues, wars, famines, intense religious pressures. One person starts dancing oddly because of stress, others join, and thus it becomes …