1890: People in Europe and the United States know little about non-Western culture; they refer to Africa as "The Dark Continent" and Asia as "The Mysterious Orient."

Today: Inexpensive travel and the Internet have made it possible for people all over the world to be aware of distant cultures.

1890: Greek mythology is studied in almost all schools and is generally well-known.

Today: More students know about the Greek gods from Disney movies than from studying them in class.

1890: A scholar like Frazer can make an international reputation for his theories by making assumptions about the results of other anthropologists' work.

Today: Leading scientists have research assistants who can assemble data under their supervision.