Would popular culture be different if J.R.R. Tolkien had never written about Middle-earth?<\/p>\n
Are hobbits’ feet furry?<\/em><\/p>\n Of course, <\/em>it would be – and not for the better! Tolkien’s books have enriched popular literature, music, movies, and more in ways that put even the dragon Smaug’s great cache of gold to shame. So let’s count down the 9 biggest impacts the Middle-earth books have had and continue to have on popular culture.<\/p>\n (Why did we choose 9? If you have to ask, you’re probably reading the wrong blog!)<\/p>\n 9) Fun Name for an Anthropological Discovery <\/strong><\/p>\n Had Professor Tolkien never written anything concerning hobbits, anthropologists wouldn’t have had a convenient shorthand to use when describing Homo floresiensis<\/em> to the public. Discovered in 2003, these ancient competitors of Homo sapiens<\/em> lived in Indonesia until about 50,000 years ago and stood about 3 1\/2-feet (1.1 meters) tall. Naturally, they were nicknamed “hobbits,” and the name stuck.<\/p>\n