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The Why Factor: Fire

Fire

12/07/2013

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Fire

Why are we fascinated with fire and what do myths tell us about how we view its power?

Our attempts to master fire have both civilised and corrupted us. Why are we fascinated with fire and what do myths tell us about how we view its power?

Why do we have such a fascination with fire? Our attempts to master fire have shaped who we have become – in some cases civilising us, but in other cases, corrupting us. What motivates arsonists to use fire as a weapon and what do the various myths about the origins of fire tell us about how we view its power?

(Image: A boy practising fire breathing on the roof of a building. Credit: Getty Images)

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