A closer look
If you ever feel bad about scientific illiteracy today, remember that the most respected mind of ancient Rome believed basic biology was an Avengers-level threat. In his encyclopedic *Natural History*, Pliny the Elder wrote that a menstruating woman was so inherently powerful and toxic that if she walked through a field naked, she could cause caterpillars to fall off plants, rust iron on contact, sour nearby wine, and literally make hailstorms stop in mid-air. It's equal parts terrifying misogyny and unintentional superhero origin story.
