PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Vikings & superheroes: How interconnected characters may reveal the reality behind the stories

2014-01-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Ben Norman
Sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
44-012-437-70375
Wiley
Vikings & superheroes: How interconnected characters may reveal the reality behind the stories The Icelandic sagas of the Norse people are thousand-year-old chronicles of brave deeds and timeless romances, but how true to Viking life were they? Writing in Significance, Pádraig Mac Carron and Ralph Kenna use a statistical network of associations between characters to find out.

While the stories involve a cast of thousands, recurring characters have emerged as the stories passed into historical legend. A set of recurring characters living within the same fictional world is not restricted to ancient stories, such as the Norse or Greek myths, but remains a popular device in modern comic and film franchises.

By exploring the number of 'too-good-to-be-true' interactions between protagonists, the researchers built a network of recurring characters which in turn could help reveal if the stories are invented or if they are based on a real society.

"We gathered data for 18 narratives, five of which contain over 100 characters each. These are Njáls saga, Laxdæla saga, Vatnsdæla saga, Egils saga Skallagrímssonar and Gísla saga Súrssonar," said Pádraig Mac Carron. "We examined these five individually in order to compare different sagas to each other. We also studied the sagas collectively and from a network of 1549 individual characters we were able to gain insight into the structure of the overall saga society."

"We can conclude that whether the sagas are historically accurate or not, the properties of the social worlds they record are similar to those of real social networks," said Ralph Kenna. "Although one cannot conclusively determine whether the saga societies are real, on the basis of network theory we can conclude that they are remarkably realistic."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New, simple technique may drive down biofuel production costs

2014-01-07
New, simple technique may drive down biofuel production costs Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a simple, effective and relatively inexpensive technique for removing lignin from the plant material used to make biofuels, which ...

Beating the poppy seed defense: New test can distinguish heroin use from seed ingestion

2014-01-07
Beating the poppy seed defense: New test can distinguish heroin use from seed ingestion Heroin is one of the most widely used illegal drugs in the world, but drug testing has long been challenged by the difficulty in separating results of illicit heroin users from those who ...

Neurotransmitters resarch can promote better drugs for brain disorders

2014-01-07
Neurotransmitters resarch can promote better drugs for brain disorders Hebrew University scientists decipher mechanism Jerusalem, January 7, 2014 -- Although drugs have been developed that inhibit the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain – ...

The 5 fingers of our feathered friends: New research results on the evolution of bird wings

2014-01-07
The 5 fingers of our feathered friends: New research results on the evolution of bird wings In most tetrapods (land vertebrates) the fourth (ring) finger is the first to develop in the embryo. And in birds, the finger on the outside of the hand (posterior, ...

Gemini Planet Imager first light

2014-01-07
Gemini Planet Imager first light World's most powerful exoplanet camera turns its eye to the sky This news release is available in Spanish. After nearly a decade of development, construction, and testing, the world's most advanced instrument for directly imaging ...

To keep their eye on the ball, batters mostly use their heads

2014-01-07
To keep their eye on the ball, batters mostly use their heads How do hitters track pitches in baseball? Study in optometry and vision science gives new insights Philadelphia, Pa. (January 7, 2014) - Baseball players at bat follow coaches' advice to "keep ...

New algorithm can dramatically streamline solutions to the 'max flow' problem

2014-01-07
New algorithm can dramatically streamline solutions to the 'max flow' problem Research could boost the efficiency even of huge networks like the Internet Finding the most efficient way to transport items across a network like the U.S. highway system or the ...

When germs attack: A lens into the molecular dance

2014-01-07
When germs attack: A lens into the molecular dance Researchers at Johns Hopkins have zoomed in on what is going on at the molecular level when the body recognizes and defends against an attack of pathogens, and the findings, they say, could influence how drugs are ...

Synthetic genetic clock checks the thermometer

2014-01-07
Synthetic genetic clock checks the thermometer Rice University leads study to counter effects of temperature on synthetic gene circuits HOUSTON – (Jan. 7, 2014) – Genetic systems run like clockwork, attuned to temperature, time of day and many other factors as they regulate ...

Dabrafenib in melanoma: Added benefit not proven

2014-01-07
Dabrafenib in melanoma: Added benefit not proven No differences could be shown for mortality, symptoms and quality of life / concerning side effects, data too uncertain Dabrafenib (trade name: Tafinlar) has been approved in Germany ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Being physically active, even just a couple of days a week, may be key to better health

High-fat diet promote breast cancer metastasis in animal models

A router for photons

Nurses and AI collaborate to save lives, reduce hospital stays

Multi-resistance in bacteria predicted by AI model

Tinker Tots: A citizen science project to explore ethical dilemmas in embryo selection

Sensing sickness

Cost to build multifamily housing in California more than twice as high as in Texas

Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses

Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.

Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis

KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision​

Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

[Press-News.org] Vikings & superheroes: How interconnected characters may reveal the reality behind the stories