April 1st seems to have been born in 1564, when King Charles IX of France ordered that the French calendar begin on January 1st. Until then, the French year began on April 1st, the date on which the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was celebrated. The change did not please the population, who continued to send gifts, congratulations, and invitations on April 1st, as if it were still the first day of the year.
Over time, however, January 1st was accepted as the first day of the year. April 1st then became the day to fool the fools. From France, the prank spread to the rest of the world, transforming into an "official" date which, in some cases, is celebrated throughout the entire month of April.
In 1983, for example, the English monthly magazine New Scientist published, in its April issue, a curious report on the genetic fusion of a bull with a tomato, "obtained" by scientists who "christened" the invention as the boimate. It was a prank on the readers, but it was so well done that the report ended up being reproduced in some of the most important publications in the world, in what became known as one of the greatest April Fools' Days in history.
Science explains:
For Psychology, lying is the falsification of truth, used as a defense mechanism. Especially in children, whenever they see themselves threatened with punishment, they resort to lying to protect themselves. This act would be a conscious way of acting. However, there are unconscious lies, caused by suggestion or by a very fertile and uncontrolled imagination.
The problem of lying, not only in children but also in adults, has concerned various specialists in human behavior - psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, criminologists, sociologists, etc. - each conducting their research in their field of work, all demonstrating how relative truth is.
Source: http://www.ilustrar.com.br/ilustrar.asp?id=662
*Editor's Comment,
ilustrar.com.br has an archive with a little over 100 pages, each with a different theme, the one cited here is one of them. The site does not display the responsible party or objective, however, a quick search on the Brazilian Internet Management Committee (CGI) through the whois mechanism shows that its responsible party is Antonio Carlos Barro under the company Pedro Gonzaga de Souza Representações. The site has Google AdSense ads aimed at earning small amounts from visits. The biggest problem with the site is that it shows no concern in demonstrating the source of the information.
In 1983, for example, the English monthly magazine New Scientist published, in its April issue, a curious report on the genetic fusion of a bull with a tomato, "obtained" by scientists who "christened" the invention as the boimate. It was a prank on the readers, but it was so well done that the report ended up being reproduced in some of the most important publications in the world, in what became known as one of the greatest April Fools' Days in history.
Science explains:
For Psychology, lying is the falsification of truth, used as a defense mechanism. Especially in children, whenever they see themselves threatened with punishment, they resort to lying to protect themselves. This act would be a conscious way of acting. However, there are unconscious lies, caused by suggestion or by a very fertile and uncontrolled imagination.
The problem of lying, not only in children but also in adults, has concerned various specialists in human behavior - psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, criminologists, sociologists, etc. - each conducting their research in their field of work, all demonstrating how relative truth is.
Source: http://www.ilustrar.com.br/ilustrar.asp?id=662
*Editor's Comment,
ilustrar.com.br has an archive with a little over 100 pages, each with a different theme, the one cited here is one of them. The site does not display the responsible party or objective, however, a quick search on the Brazilian Internet Management Committee (CGI) through the whois mechanism shows that its responsible party is Antonio Carlos Barro under the company Pedro Gonzaga de Souza Representações. The site has Google AdSense ads aimed at earning small amounts from visits. The biggest problem with the site is that it shows no concern in demonstrating the source of the information.
