In the field of cryptozoology — the study of animals which have not yet been proven to exist — there are no bigger questions than what is Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster.
Now, a scientist has used statistics to try and explain the legends of two of the world’s most high profile urban myths.
Given that we don’t spot Bigfoot on Brtaodway, Nessie in the Thames, I think they’re rural, not urban, myths, no? Something brought on by an excess of turnips in the diet, not the pressures of city life?
Can’t access the article but someone has pointed out that the prevalence of camera phones is the nearest thing we’ve ever had to a proof of non existence of all the things that go bump in the night.
Given that prevalence, though, why do all ‘British big cat at large!’ videos that crop up in the media during Silly Season look like they’ve been shot on a potato?
Dr Who’s Terror of the Zygons had Nessie in the Thames.
You’ve got me started. Adding the superfluous “urban” is typical of the modern desire to big oneself up by using more or longer words than necessary. On second thoughts, I’ll stop there rather than wind myself up for the rest of the day.
I have a PhD in cryptozoology but I just can’t find it.
. . . the prevalence of camera phones is the nearest thing we’ve ever had to a proof of non existence of all the things that go bump in the night.
Nah, they were all abducted by the UFOs that then switched on their invisibility shields.
“Given that prevalence, though, why do all ‘British big cat at large!’ videos that crop up in the media during Silly Season look like they’ve been shot on a potato?”
Cellphones are good for daylight stuff. They have small lenses so there’s a limit to how much light they can gather. You’re never using a tripod, so gathering more light by using a longer exposure runs into movement problems. You can compensate through image processing (‘fix it in post’), but that also has its limits.
Plus most people are crap at composing the image in the first place, although cellphone (and the resulting picture-taking) has improved that somewhat.
Someone’s editor missed that it’s ‘urban legend’ that is the catchall term and urban myth is more specific.
I thought Urban meant black nowadays?
Is Brtaodway in Wales?
No. There are vowels in the name.