I'm curious why is it so important to look back and understand how people use to live?

The reason we do the things that we do is because of the choices and decisions that were made in the past.

And what we can do by studying history is understand why people made the choices that they did at a particular time and when we know that it gives us a better sense of why we do the things we do and how we might do them differently. Hey Cody Gough here from Curiosity.com. Today we're going to learn about

medieval magic and more. Every week we explore what we don't know because

curiosity makes us smarter. This is the Curiosity Podcast.

Have you ever wanted to discover a long lost magic spell or incantation? Well I sure have and I've got some good news for you

because today I'm going to talk to a few guests from the Newberry Library in

Chicago who could actually use your help transcribing and translating medieval manuscripts.

And all you need is an internet connection.

Now, if you're not into fantasy worlds like Harry Potter, then don't worry, the word

magic is more than potions and curses.

We'll get into how literature and technology can teach us more about magic and medicine,

spells and superstitions, and even religion from the Middle Ages to today. And stick around to learn how you can help

discover history. From September to December 2017, the Newbury Library will present a gallery exhibition called Religious Change in Print,

1450 to 1700, which explores how the printed world changed religious interpretation

in Europe and the Americas. Now lots of libraries have exhibitions but this one has kind of an interactive element. So I will start with Jill Gage,

custodian of the John M. Weng Foundation on the History of Printing and Bibliography for British Literature

and History. Wow that's a very long title. Quite the. Giant business card. So is that about right? Did I sum it up pretty well?

Right, for that part of the project, it really is an opportunity for people to get to see up close

in their homes or on their computers, manuscripts and books from the 1450s through the 1700s, and to participate

in transcribing them to get a chance to try that and to tell us then what they've learned about the project, about what they've learned about the books.

Yeah, because a big part of the gallery exhibition that you'll be having is books that are being transcribed and translated by everyone, people around the world?

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