Footnotes to a Conversation, August 2, 2021
Life is amazing and full of marvels, and yet mainstream media can get hung up on a very limited range of topics. Here are some articles covering unexpected topics that delighted me this week.
Life’s Surprises
Imagine knitting a pair of socks – now imagine knitting them out of glass. [Carol Milne]
Now imagine finding a date based on the smell of their sweat or identifying the actual molecules that contribute to the smell of fear in our sweat. The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration by Sarah Everts is “a chatty, informative romp through the science and history of perspiration . . . both an ode to sweat and a call to arms to celebrate, rather than spurn, this miraculous process.” [Undark]
Delving into the Details
68 beautifully carved plates of food decorate an archway in Seville’s cathedral. It seems an odd choice, but they were designed to remind worshippers of the feast represented by the Eucharist and by the after-life. They also provide a snapshot of life in 16th century Spain. Olives are not included for fear that they might remind viewers of Jews who fried with olive oil rather than pork fat. Peppers are the only crop from the Americas as corn was considered animal feed at the time. The loaves of bread may serve as a reminder of the church’s role in providing the poor with wheat during a recent famine. [The Guardian]
Renaissance artists used watercolours to paint illustrated manuscripts, portrait miniatures, and coloured drawings. A 5-minute video prepared by the Victoria & Albert Museum explains why watercolour was the medium of choice. [Victoria & Albert Museum]
Delving Deeper
Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martínez’s graphic book, Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts, makes it clear that slaves were not passive victims. They rebelled, tried to escape, and were killed in the attempt. There were revolts on 1 in 10 slave ships, and “the more women on board a slave ship, the more likely a revolt. Women or girls were placed on the quarterdeck, near the ship’s weapons. Men were below in chains. The enslavers had no reason to believe women would fight, since their views of womanhood were more likely influenced by women in their own lives, bound by a culture of propriety. Of course, there were more sinister reasons. Keeping the women unchained and accessible meant they were more vulnerable to sexual abuse.” [The Guardian]
Farmers receive very, very little of the money we spend on food. A recent study shows that “all but about 12 cents of every food dollar goes for processing, retail, food service, and everything else that happens to a food after it is produced.” My advice? If you want to support the person who grows your food, eat less processed food and, if possible, buy directly from the farmer. [Food Politics]
Another report points out that at least half of the lowest paying jobs are in the food sector and just 4 companies (Walmart, Costco, Kroger and Ahold Delhaize) control 65% of the retail market. [Food Politics]
Photos are from 2008 and 2011, but I am in Vancouver this week.
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
If you share my love of nature, I suggest you also read EcoFriendly Sask that I publish in collaboration with my brother, Andrew. Check out EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces (downloadable directly from the website).