March of the mundane?
Is the world less mysterious than it was in 1973? Not necessarily, says DAVID HAMBLING
The landscape of unexplained phenomena was very different in 1973. Naturalists were on the trail of the Loch Ness Monster and expeditions were mounted to track down yetis. Uri Geller’s displays of psychokinetic powers on live television suggested a breakthrough was imminent, while Erich von Däniken topped bestseller lists explaining how aliens built ancient monuments. Evidence was piling up for weird disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. Science seemed set for a golden age of incredible discoveries.
Decades on, we have complaints of ‘Middle
