December 2, 1991

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SPECIAL REPORT

The Olympic Dream

In legends worldwide, mountains are the dwelling place of gods. They inspire man-kind to scale their mysterious heights even as they expose the human frailty of those who make the attempt. That paradox may have led the ancient Greeks to dedicate their quadrennial athletic contest to the mythical deities who dwelled on Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece. By CHRIS WOOD8 min

BEHAVIOR

‘So there’s this guy, see..

The story currently making the rounds could be true. Many people who pass it on believe it. Many of them attest to its accuracy by citing a personal connection—however remote—to the victim. But the story is, in fact, what some folklore experts call an “urban legend.”