SITP Online: "The Myth Factory"

Event Title: "The Myth Factory: Legends, Invented Heroes and Fake Histories as Selling Points for Tourism" with András Pintér

How to Watch:
Join us at the Skeptics in the Pub channel on Twitch:
https://m.twitch.tv/sitp/

New to Skeptics in the Pub or Twitch or both?
Twitch or SitP may be new for some of you, so SITP will have early doors at 1:45 to welcome new attendees and answer any questions you may have before the presentation begins at 2:00. You can find a useful guide to Twitch here: https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-twitch-4143337

You don't need a Twitch account to watch the talk only if you want to take part in the chat. You won't need an account to ask questions in the Q&A period though.

Note: If you have questions, please refer to the SITP Online event page - but note the event time is listed for BST, i.e. British Summer Time, which is 5 hours ahead of EDT:
https://sitp.online/show/the-myth-factory-legends-invented-heroes-and-fake-histories-as-selling-points-in-tourism-andras-pinter/

Event Description:
Tourism is one of the world’s biggest industries, built on the promise of wonder. We travel to stand where legends were born, to see relics said to hold miraculous power, or to follow in the footsteps of heroes we’ve only read about. But how much of what we’re sold is real — and how much is pure fabrication?

From glossy guidebooks to “documentaries,” from local storytellers to global marketing campaigns, tales are told that blur the line between history and fantasy and as such, tend to collapse under scrutiny. Sometimes there’s a grain of truth, but more often the stories have been bent, exaggerated, or entirely fabricated. In some cases, the people or events never existed at all.

And what happens when a skeptic becomes a tour guide? When you’re tasked with educating curious travellers, it’s hard to play along with myths about monsters, miracle-working bones, or people who never walked the Earth. This talk takes you on a skeptical journey through some of the world’s tourist traps—from the obvious suspects like imaginary monsters to the stranger cases where folklore breathed life into characters that never lived, but somehow became “real.”

About the Speaker:

• András G. Pintér has been a skeptic far longer than he has been a tour guide — but in both roles, he’s been surrounded by myths. With a background in Music, Biology, and Environmental Science, he has been dedicated to promote science, evidence-based policies, and critical thinking since his late teens. For the past 17 years, András has worked as an international tour director and guide — having to cope in an industry where legends, half-truths, and outright fabrications are part of the daily routine. Instead of simply playing along, he’s made it part of his mission to expose the stories that don’t quite add up. A founding member and current chair of the Hungarian Skeptic Society, András is also the initiator and a co-host of The European Skeptics Podcast (The ESP) and serves on the board of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations. Whether on stage, on air, or on the road, he tries to bring a sharp critical eye to the tales that shape how we see the world.

About the Event Host:
"Skeptics in the Pub Online" is a FREE online event series organized by a UK-based coalition of skeptic groups. Formed when Covid-19 lockdowns stopped them meeting in pubs, they are working to deliver high-quality events based on science, reason, and critical thinking. To find out more about their online events, go to: https://www.skepticsinthepub.org/online-safety/

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