History

Is fiction good for us? We spend huge chunks of our lives immersed in novels, films, TV shows, and other forms of fiction. Some see this as a positive thing, arguing that made-up stories cultivate our mental and moral development. But others have argued that fiction is mentally and ethically corrosive. It's an ancient question: Does fiction build the morality of individuals and societies, or does it break it down? This controversy has been flaring up — sometimes literally, in the form of book burnings — ever since Plato tried to ban fiction from his ideal republic.

Today is Friday, May 25, the 146th day of 2012. There are 220 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum. (The Convention ended four months later with the delegates adopting the Constitution of the United States.) On this date: In 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule with the forming of the Primera Junta in Buenos Aires.

Facebook was supposed to soar. Instead, it plunged. After the social network's stock fizzled on Friday in its long-awaited debut, its stock fell 11 percent on Monday, even as the rest of the stock market rallied. The downward spiral has left some people sitting on big losses, and others scratching their heads. After all, nothing fundamental has changed at Facebook in the days since the much-hyped company came to the stock market — Facebook still has more than 900 million users, its 28-year-old founder Mark Zuckerberg controls the company, and it is still one of the few...

I read with great sadness of the passing of Thomas H. O'Connor (" Thomas O'Connor, noted historian, dies at 89, " Metro, May 22). During my time at Boston College, professor O'Connor taught a popular European history class that many students took to fulfill their core history requirement. While he was that rare professor with a gift for making his subject interesting and memorable, O'Connor was a warm and compassionate man who took the time to know his students. As just one of the more than 100 students who took that class each year, I was surprised when we met long after its...

Today is Friday, May 25, the 146th day of 2012. There are 220 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum. (The Convention ended four months later with the delegates adopting the Constitution of the United States.) On this date: In 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule with the forming of the Primera Junta in Buenos Aires.

DEAR BOSTON: Your personality test has been completed, and the results aren't pretty. Actually, they are downright embarrassing. Two psychologists conducted a national survey, asking Americans questions designed to measure 24 "character strengths. " They grouped some of these strengths, like gratitude and valuing emotional connections, as "strengths of the heart" - a fancy way of saying kindness. And then, for each of the nation's 50 largest cities, they calculated an average score.

An archeological investigation is underway at a tiny building behind the Plymouth Center for the Arts. Historians believe the 18th-century structure at 11 North St. might have originally been used to house slaves owned by George Watson, a wealthy merchant who once had an estate there. Archeologist Craig Chartier was scheduled to begin working at the site April 25 and will continue to do so as weather permits. To volunteer or learn more about the project, contact Donna Curtin at the Plymouth Antiquarian Society at 508-746-0012 or pasm@verizon.net.

From the mid-1600s to the mid-1800s, Colonists used Spectacle Island for timber harvesting, farming, pasturing, and picnicking. During World War II, the US Navy built mooring facilities for submarines along the northwest shore. Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands invite you to bring a picnic and explore the island. Aug. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m., rain or shine. The boat leaves from Rowes Wharf Water Transport behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. $22, $20 seniors, $18 ages 3-12. Remaining tickets are available at Rowes Wharf starting at 5 p.m. tomorrow (cash only)

THE SUPPOSED shortcomings of American students when it comes to history is a never-ending tale (“Students’ grasp of US history lags: From presidents to precedents, knowledge sparse,’’ Page A7, June 15). In the 1830s, Massachusetts Secretary of Public Instruction Horace Mann lamented the woeful historical preparation of his charges. In 1896, the Harvard Board of Overseers published examples of freshman writing to explain its conclusion that “there was no conceivable justification for using the revenues of Harvard College to instruct...

The private company SpaceX made history Friday with the docking of its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, the most impressive feat yet in turning routine spaceflight over to the commercial sector. It marked the first time a business enterprise delivered a supply ship to the space station. "There's so much that could have gone wrong and it went right," said an elated Elon Musk, the young, driven billionaire behind SpaceX. "This really is, I think, going to be recognized as a significantly historical step forward in space travel — and hopefully the first of...

For more than a decade, hundreds of Boston tourists and natives have asked Mark ­Verrochi the same question: Where is ­Faneuil Hall? “You’re standing in it,” he would tell them. Many influential leaders, such as Samuel Adams and Susan B. Anthony, have walked through Faneuil Hall’s doors since 1742. Yet Verrochi, who opened Red Barn Coffee there in 1998, said it is often overlooked. “We used to see a swarm of people walking toward the hall, but then they would just walk around it ­because there is no signage on the windows.

Mimi Leveque, Peabody Essex Museum conservator; Becca Melius curator at Boston's Museum of Science; and Rebecca Barber, an intern, examined a mummy Tuesday in preparation for the Boston museum's ‘‘Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science" exhibit, which opens Sunday. The exhibit will include amummy prototype in its ‘‘unwrapping" stage. View more photos here .

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent In 19th century Boston, the center of African American life and the city's growing abolitionist movement was focused on the north slope of Beacon Hill. The neighborhood was home to about 2,100 black citizens by the start of the Civil War, and those residents helped build and support Boston's first integrated schools, underground railroad stations, and the oldest standing black church in America. The neighborhood has taken great pride in this history.

Eighteen wins in a row, and eight more victories to go. That says it all about how the San Antonio Spurs are steamrolling through these playoffs at a pace that is flirting with NBA history, even if they are saying as little about it as possible. "We don't have any secret. We don't even think about it," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. There's plenty for everyone else to mull. Like whether these Spurs — some 13 years after winning their first of four championships — actually might be the best version yet. Game 1 of their...

For more than a decade, hundreds of Boston tourists and natives have asked Mark ­Verrochi the same question: Where is ­Faneuil Hall? “You’re standing in it,” he would tell them. Many influential leaders, such as Samuel Adams and Susan B. Anthony, have walked through Faneuil Hall’s doors since 1742. Yet Verrochi, who opened Red Barn Coffee there in 1998, said it is often overlooked. “We used to see a swarm of people walking toward the hall, but then they would just walk around it ­because there is no signage on the windows.

John Pike, 50, freelance writer/editor What makes him a catch: He just lost 250 pounds. And is keeping it off. What he'd need on a desert island: newspapers, ice skates, and ice Tamara Gaydos, 54, manuscript archivist What makes her a catch: She's smart, adventurous, energetic, and fun. What her exes would say: She hates conflict and does anything to avoid it. 7 p.m. at Samuel's, Andover Background material ...