How Did Curse Tablets Work?

Ivan IV Vasilyevich wasn't called 'the Terrible' during his lifetime, but he lived up to the name. Learn how he became Russia's first tsar, expanded his power, and terrorized his political enemies -- real and imagined -- in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: ht ...  Show more

The thymus is a small organ in the center of your chest that's responsible for getting your immune system's T cells ready to protect you from germs. Learn what we know and don't know about how the thymus works (and about some of the autoimmune conditions that can emerge when it d ...  Show more

Curse tablets are exactly what you think - tablets with curses inscribed on them. But what were they used for, and when did people do this? Hit play and those answers shall be revealed!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

In 2500 BCE in Ancient Mesopotamia, the Sumerians would inscribe curses on clay tablets, often invoking their gods to punish their enemies. The History of Curses, The Curse of Tippecanoe, The Hope Diamond Curse, The Curse of Otzi the Iceman, and all the Theories surrounding curse ...  Show more

We learn how to insult someone in ancient Egyptian, based on the surviving texts... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices