History Dispatches

Public art is a common site in many cities. But not many pieces of public art are in such a prominent place, nor are they so weird as Blucifer - a 32-foot tall statue of a blue mustang with fiery red eyes right outside Denver International Airport. A statue that not only looks like a demon, but is rumored to be inhabited by one - and killed its creator. This is the story of Blucifer.

Sources

https://www.cpr.org/2019/11/04/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-blucifer-the-demon-horse-of-dia/

https://www.uncovercolorado.com/blucifer-blue-mustang-statue-denver-airport/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mustang

Image: Courtesy of Nick North

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In Part 2 of our look at the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the challenges involving the casting, design, production and marketing of the film.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film)

https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/george-lucas-star-wars-facts

https://everything-everywhere.com/the-history-of-star-wars/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_wars2.svg

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In the summer of 1977 the film Star Wars was released - igniting a global phenomenon that continues to this day. But the Star Wars that we know and love almost never happened. It was rejected by almost every major studio. In Part 1 of our story about the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the roots of the film, its creator - George Lucas - and the struggles with the script and financing.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film)

https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/george-lucas-star-wars-facts

https://everything-everywhere.com/the-history-of-star-wars/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_wars2.svg

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The ability to tell if someone is lying has long been something humans have attempted to perfect. From torture to psychology, it is the holy grail of criminal investigation. In 1921, a PhD student and police rookie, John Larson, may have cracked the code by inventing the polygraph. It is an invention, many said, that was sure to change the face of criminology forever. Or maybe not. Did he instead unleash a monster into the world? This is the story of the polygraph.

Sources

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/lie-detector-1000-words/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-creator-first-lie-detectors-regret-invention-polygraph-machine-inventor-180985222/

https://illumin.usc.edu/lie-detection-the-science-and-development-of-the-polygraph/

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph#/media/File:Leonarde_Keeler_1937.jpg

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On a blustery, wet day in May of 1954, British runner Roger Bannister - an Oxford medical student - accomplished a long distance running feat that many had said would never be achieved. It would make Bannister the sportsperson of the year - and his achievement is hailed as one of the greatest sports moments of 20th century. This is the story of Roger Bannister and the 4-minute mile.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb5AtK08gPM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roger_Bannister_1953.jpg

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