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September 2, 2025
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
This tour had a purpose, and the songs had a message. On this day in 1988, the The Human Rights Now! tour began at London’s Wembley Stadium. Organized by Amnesty International, the tour highlighted various human rights abuses around the globe and included speeches from oppressed groups, including prisoners. Many of the 20-show tour’s music was political, too, perhaps none more so than Peter Gabriel’s Biko. Named for South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who was murdered in jail by police in 1977, the rock ballad’s echoey vocals convey a deep sense of isolation. At one point, Gabriel sings in Xhosa, saying “yihla moja” or “come spirit”, as a way of calling out to Biko’s spirit. While Gabriel has described in interviews the profound effect that writing Biko had on him, the song was never a commercial success. Still, it was considered a highlight of the Human Rights Now! tour, and appeared on the tour’s official album, ¡Released! The Human Rights Concerts. Biko was taken too soon, but he’ll live forever in song.
This tour had a purpose, and the songs had a message. On this day in 1988, the The Human Rights Now! tour began at London’s Wembley Stadium. Organized by Amnesty International, the tour highlighted various human rights abuses around the globe and included speeches from oppressed groups, including prisoners. Many of the 20-show tour’s music was political, too, perhaps none more so than Peter Gabriel’s Biko. Named for South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who was murdered in jail by police in 1977, the rock ballad’s echoey vocals convey a deep sense of isolation. At one point, Gabriel sings in Xhosa, saying “yihla moja” or “come spirit”, as a way of calling out to Biko’s spirit. While Gabriel has described in interviews the profound effect that writing Biko had on him, the song was never a commercial success. Still, it was considered a highlight of the Human Rights Now! tour, and appeared on the tour’s official album, ¡Released! The Human Rights Concerts. Biko was taken too soon, but he’ll live forever in song.
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #3144Free1 CQ
Do you think you could brave the depths of the Grand Canyon with 19th-century equipment and dwindling provisions? How about with one arm? Starting on May 24, 1869, John Wesley Powell led a group of 12 men on an expedition through the treacherous terrain of the Grand Canyon in the name of science. On August 30, the surviving crew reached the end of their grueling journey.
An explorer and geologist, Powell set out to document the geology of the Grand Canyon and locate sources of water for future settlers in the region. Things went smoothly at first, starting off on the Green River with four rowboats filled to the brim with supplies that could last for around ten months. Then, on June 8, the first of many disasters struck. A boat was lost with around a third of the group’s supplies. By late June, much of their remaining supplies were wet, though they were able to replenish some of what they had lost by trading with nearby settlements.
On July 11, the expedition nearly came to a premature end when Powell himself was thrown out of a boat. Having lost one of his arms during the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, he couldn’t hold on to his boat. While he made it safely to shore, more supplies were lost. By the end of August, the crew had endured hunger, deadly rapids, and stifling heat. Faced with the prospect of a seemingly impassable rapid, three of the crew abandoned the expedition, choosing to hike out of the canyon toward a nearby town. Powell named the spot Separation Rapid, and despite their fears, the remaining crew managed to pass through and reached the mouth of the Virgin River on August 30, marking the end of their journey. The three who hiked out just days before were found dead, killed by members of the Shivwits band. Powell accomplished much of what he had set out to do, and many of the landmarks and locations within the Grand Canyon were named by him. Incredibly, he set out on a second expedition of the Grand Canyon just a few years later to document even more of the area. Let no one say that geologists aren’t dedicated people.
[Image description: A portion of the Colorado River flowing through the Grand Canyon under a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: NPS photo, Asset ID: f8f35e4c-505c-47fc-8f74-79b4b0f9ea16. Public domain: Full Granting Rights.Do you think you could brave the depths of the Grand Canyon with 19th-century equipment and dwindling provisions? How about with one arm? Starting on May 24, 1869, John Wesley Powell led a group of 12 men on an expedition through the treacherous terrain of the Grand Canyon in the name of science. On August 30, the surviving crew reached the end of their grueling journey.
An explorer and geologist, Powell set out to document the geology of the Grand Canyon and locate sources of water for future settlers in the region. Things went smoothly at first, starting off on the Green River with four rowboats filled to the brim with supplies that could last for around ten months. Then, on June 8, the first of many disasters struck. A boat was lost with around a third of the group’s supplies. By late June, much of their remaining supplies were wet, though they were able to replenish some of what they had lost by trading with nearby settlements.
On July 11, the expedition nearly came to a premature end when Powell himself was thrown out of a boat. Having lost one of his arms during the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, he couldn’t hold on to his boat. While he made it safely to shore, more supplies were lost. By the end of August, the crew had endured hunger, deadly rapids, and stifling heat. Faced with the prospect of a seemingly impassable rapid, three of the crew abandoned the expedition, choosing to hike out of the canyon toward a nearby town. Powell named the spot Separation Rapid, and despite their fears, the remaining crew managed to pass through and reached the mouth of the Virgin River on August 30, marking the end of their journey. The three who hiked out just days before were found dead, killed by members of the Shivwits band. Powell accomplished much of what he had set out to do, and many of the landmarks and locations within the Grand Canyon were named by him. Incredibly, he set out on a second expedition of the Grand Canyon just a few years later to document even more of the area. Let no one say that geologists aren’t dedicated people.
[Image description: A portion of the Colorado River flowing through the Grand Canyon under a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: NPS photo, Asset ID: f8f35e4c-505c-47fc-8f74-79b4b0f9ea16. Public domain: Full Granting Rights.
September 1, 2025
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It’s a view so nice, he painted it thrice. The piece above, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, depicts two men on a path looking toward the horizon, where an orange moon is framed by tree branches. It was painted by Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most important figures in the German Romantic movement. His works explore the connection between nature and the inner self, and are famous for their ability to convey emotion, even without showing subjects’ faces. Many of his paintings are visual allegories where human figures stand in contemplation of an expressive landscape, and the moon appears as a focal point in several of them. In the piece above, Friedrich painted two figures, one of which is likely himself while the other is his disciple, August Heinrich. Friedrich created three iterations of the painting, with the second two coming after Heinrich’s death. It’s not hard to imagine the sadness that Friedrich was likely contemplating as he painted the same scene again and again.
Two Men Contemplating the Moon, Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), ca. 1825–30, Oil on canvas, 13.75 x 17.25 in. (34.9 x 43.8 cm.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
[Image credit & copyright: Caspar David Friedrich, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wrightsman Fund, 2000. Public Domain.It’s a view so nice, he painted it thrice. The piece above, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, depicts two men on a path looking toward the horizon, where an orange moon is framed by tree branches. It was painted by Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most important figures in the German Romantic movement. His works explore the connection between nature and the inner self, and are famous for their ability to convey emotion, even without showing subjects’ faces. Many of his paintings are visual allegories where human figures stand in contemplation of an expressive landscape, and the moon appears as a focal point in several of them. In the piece above, Friedrich painted two figures, one of which is likely himself while the other is his disciple, August Heinrich. Friedrich created three iterations of the painting, with the second two coming after Heinrich’s death. It’s not hard to imagine the sadness that Friedrich was likely contemplating as he painted the same scene again and again.
Two Men Contemplating the Moon, Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), ca. 1825–30, Oil on canvas, 13.75 x 17.25 in. (34.9 x 43.8 cm.), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
[Image credit & copyright: Caspar David Friedrich, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wrightsman Fund, 2000. Public Domain. -
FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #3143Free1 CQ
It’s an eradication throughout the nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that Kenya is finally free from human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. Among diseases that disproportionately affect impoverished regions, HAT is one of the most deadly. It’s caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which is usually transmitted to human hosts by tsetse flies. Early symptoms of HAT are easy to confuse for flu symptoms, with fevers, headaches and joint pain. However, in the later stages, it begins to affect the nervous system, leading to confusion, changes in personality, and sensory disturbances. Its most prominent symptom, which comes in the very last stages, is sleep cycle disturbance. At this point, the patient experiences drowsiness during the day and sleeplessness at night. Untreated, the disease is usually fatal, and even if caught, the treatment can be lengthy.
The disease was difficult to contain for a few reasons. One is that, aside from tsetse flies, the parasite can be transmitted from mother to fetus during gestation and through sharing needles. There is even one case of sexual contact resulting in transmission. Another reason is that HAT can take months or even up to a year to show any symptoms, and once it does, the patient’s health rapidly declines. Since the first case of the disease was discovered in Kenya in the early 20th century, the government has been fighting and monitoring its spread. In more recent years, they’ve been distributing diagnostic tools, training more clinical personnel, and monitoring the presence of the T. b. rhodesiense in animal populations. Thanks to these efforts, only a few cases of HAT have been recorded in the past decade, and the WHO has finally declared that the disease has been eliminated in Kenya, making it the 10th country to do so. Time for this disease to wake up, smell the coffee, and get gone.
[Image description: An illustration of a fly from above.] Credit & copyright: Insect life, its why and wherefore, Stanley, Hubert George.
Brooke, Winifred M. A., London. Sir I. Pitman & Sons, 1913. Biodiversity Heritage Library. Public Domain.It’s an eradication throughout the nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that Kenya is finally free from human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. Among diseases that disproportionately affect impoverished regions, HAT is one of the most deadly. It’s caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which is usually transmitted to human hosts by tsetse flies. Early symptoms of HAT are easy to confuse for flu symptoms, with fevers, headaches and joint pain. However, in the later stages, it begins to affect the nervous system, leading to confusion, changes in personality, and sensory disturbances. Its most prominent symptom, which comes in the very last stages, is sleep cycle disturbance. At this point, the patient experiences drowsiness during the day and sleeplessness at night. Untreated, the disease is usually fatal, and even if caught, the treatment can be lengthy.
The disease was difficult to contain for a few reasons. One is that, aside from tsetse flies, the parasite can be transmitted from mother to fetus during gestation and through sharing needles. There is even one case of sexual contact resulting in transmission. Another reason is that HAT can take months or even up to a year to show any symptoms, and once it does, the patient’s health rapidly declines. Since the first case of the disease was discovered in Kenya in the early 20th century, the government has been fighting and monitoring its spread. In more recent years, they’ve been distributing diagnostic tools, training more clinical personnel, and monitoring the presence of the T. b. rhodesiense in animal populations. Thanks to these efforts, only a few cases of HAT have been recorded in the past decade, and the WHO has finally declared that the disease has been eliminated in Kenya, making it the 10th country to do so. Time for this disease to wake up, smell the coffee, and get gone.
[Image description: An illustration of a fly from above.] Credit & copyright: Insect life, its why and wherefore, Stanley, Hubert George.
Brooke, Winifred M. A., London. Sir I. Pitman & Sons, 1913. Biodiversity Heritage Library. Public Domain.
August 31, 2025
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FREEPlay PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Huzzah! This summer saw another season of art, feasting, and merriment in the form of Renaissance fair(e)s and festivals around the U.S. Full of costumes and performances, these fairs evoke a past and recreate a history that never was, all in the name of fun. Modern revelers might be surprised to learn that Renaissance faires got their start as a haven for displaced artists under political persecution.
The first Renaissance faire might never have existed if not for the Red Scare of the 1950s and 60s. With the rise of the Soviet Union and the growing fear of the spread of communism, the U.S. House of Representatives formed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which served as a watchdog group against perceived threats against American interests. Then, during the era of McCarthyism, named for virulently anti-communist Senator Joseph McCarthy, professionals in both the private and public sectors came under political scrutiny. Those suspected of being communists were blacklisted in their respective careers, whether there was evidence or not. Many people in the entertainment industry, some of them targeted for speaking out in favor of the LGBT community, found their careers derailed overnight. Then there were people like Phyllis Patterson, an educator with a background in theater and television who was unable to stomach signing a political loyalty oath mandated by the HUAC. In 1960, Patterson quit her job as a public school teacher in protest. Like many of her friends in Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood in Hollywood Hills, she was in search of another outlet for her artistic ambitions. As an educator, she was also driven by a desire to engage the community with her particular blend of education and theater.
One of Patterson’s outlets was Into the Woods, a theater program for 9 to 10-year-olds held in her and her husband’s home. The program involved improvisational theater inspired by, among other things, commedia dell'arte, a form of Italian theater originating in the 16th century. Inspired by the success of the program, the Pattersons organized the very first Renaissance faire after renting out Haskell’s Raskells Ranch, a nearby park with a local radio station as a sponsor. Called The Renaissance Pleasure Faire & Ha’Penny Market, the event took place between May 11 and 12 of 1963, and featured craft vendors, performers, and costumed attendees, all dressed in medieval attire, or at least a modern imagining of it. For the “Pleasure Faire,” the Pattersons enlisted the help of actors, writers, and other entertainment industry professionals, many of whom had been blacklisted. Like its creators, the faire itself was targeted by conservatives. Especially after they relocated to a more conservative area of Ventura County. The faire and its organizers were accused of promoting debauchery and drug use. The local government often attempted to squash the organizers by denying permits, and there were even newspaper campaigns to discredit the faire. Nevertheless, the faire continued year after year, eventually inspiring others to hold Renaissance faires and festivals of their own.
Today, there are around 200 Renaissance faires around the U.S. alone. What started as a countercultural movement is now a cultural summer staple, but it still remains a haven for the unconventional and the creative. While the Pattersons had a vision of more historically accurate costumes and sets (though theirs were also based on a Hollywood imagining of medieval Europe) Renaissance faires nowadays are more about creative expression than historical accuracy. In fact, most faires blend history and fantasy, with an aesthetic that borrows from popular understandings of European history and mythology. Trying to implement strict historical costume rules for people willing to dress in tights and sing medieval ballads in the modern era was always going to be a lost cause.
[Image description: An illustration of a smiling jester in a red-and-gold hat and collar against a beige background.] Credit & copyright: Jester's wand, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros., Issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick. Public Domain.Huzzah! This summer saw another season of art, feasting, and merriment in the form of Renaissance fair(e)s and festivals around the U.S. Full of costumes and performances, these fairs evoke a past and recreate a history that never was, all in the name of fun. Modern revelers might be surprised to learn that Renaissance faires got their start as a haven for displaced artists under political persecution.
The first Renaissance faire might never have existed if not for the Red Scare of the 1950s and 60s. With the rise of the Soviet Union and the growing fear of the spread of communism, the U.S. House of Representatives formed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which served as a watchdog group against perceived threats against American interests. Then, during the era of McCarthyism, named for virulently anti-communist Senator Joseph McCarthy, professionals in both the private and public sectors came under political scrutiny. Those suspected of being communists were blacklisted in their respective careers, whether there was evidence or not. Many people in the entertainment industry, some of them targeted for speaking out in favor of the LGBT community, found their careers derailed overnight. Then there were people like Phyllis Patterson, an educator with a background in theater and television who was unable to stomach signing a political loyalty oath mandated by the HUAC. In 1960, Patterson quit her job as a public school teacher in protest. Like many of her friends in Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood in Hollywood Hills, she was in search of another outlet for her artistic ambitions. As an educator, she was also driven by a desire to engage the community with her particular blend of education and theater.
One of Patterson’s outlets was Into the Woods, a theater program for 9 to 10-year-olds held in her and her husband’s home. The program involved improvisational theater inspired by, among other things, commedia dell'arte, a form of Italian theater originating in the 16th century. Inspired by the success of the program, the Pattersons organized the very first Renaissance faire after renting out Haskell’s Raskells Ranch, a nearby park with a local radio station as a sponsor. Called The Renaissance Pleasure Faire & Ha’Penny Market, the event took place between May 11 and 12 of 1963, and featured craft vendors, performers, and costumed attendees, all dressed in medieval attire, or at least a modern imagining of it. For the “Pleasure Faire,” the Pattersons enlisted the help of actors, writers, and other entertainment industry professionals, many of whom had been blacklisted. Like its creators, the faire itself was targeted by conservatives. Especially after they relocated to a more conservative area of Ventura County. The faire and its organizers were accused of promoting debauchery and drug use. The local government often attempted to squash the organizers by denying permits, and there were even newspaper campaigns to discredit the faire. Nevertheless, the faire continued year after year, eventually inspiring others to hold Renaissance faires and festivals of their own.
Today, there are around 200 Renaissance faires around the U.S. alone. What started as a countercultural movement is now a cultural summer staple, but it still remains a haven for the unconventional and the creative. While the Pattersons had a vision of more historically accurate costumes and sets (though theirs were also based on a Hollywood imagining of medieval Europe) Renaissance faires nowadays are more about creative expression than historical accuracy. In fact, most faires blend history and fantasy, with an aesthetic that borrows from popular understandings of European history and mythology. Trying to implement strict historical costume rules for people willing to dress in tights and sing medieval ballads in the modern era was always going to be a lost cause.
[Image description: An illustration of a smiling jester in a red-and-gold hat and collar against a beige background.] Credit & copyright: Jester's wand, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros., Issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick. Public Domain.
August 30, 2025
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FREESports Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
There was a time when the net wasn’t the only barrier in tennis. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking racial barriers in the sport. At this year’s U.S. Open, attendees and competitors alike were greeted by signs reading, “Celebrating 75 years of breaking barriers.” It was all in honor of Althea Gibson, who became the first Black player to compete in a major tennis event on August 25, 1950. Then called the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), the organization had previously barred Black players from competing at the highest levels and had initially barred Gibson from competing at the U.S. Nationals, the predecessor to the U.S. Open. Gibson was already a dominant figure within the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was composed of Black athletes, but she aspired to compete against the best, regardless of race. Eventually, thanks to her own persistence and the help of Alice Marble, one of the most prominent white players at the time, Gibson was begrudgingly allowed to compete by the USLTA. Though Gibson went on to have a successful career both in the U.S. and internationally, she remained mostly forgotten until recent years. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 76, and since then, the USTA has made strides to right the wrongs of the past. She also broke racial barriers in golf, but that’s a story for another day!
There was a time when the net wasn’t the only barrier in tennis. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking racial barriers in the sport. At this year’s U.S. Open, attendees and competitors alike were greeted by signs reading, “Celebrating 75 years of breaking barriers.” It was all in honor of Althea Gibson, who became the first Black player to compete in a major tennis event on August 25, 1950. Then called the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), the organization had previously barred Black players from competing at the highest levels and had initially barred Gibson from competing at the U.S. Nationals, the predecessor to the U.S. Open. Gibson was already a dominant figure within the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was composed of Black athletes, but she aspired to compete against the best, regardless of race. Eventually, thanks to her own persistence and the help of Alice Marble, one of the most prominent white players at the time, Gibson was begrudgingly allowed to compete by the USLTA. Though Gibson went on to have a successful career both in the U.S. and internationally, she remained mostly forgotten until recent years. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 76, and since then, the USTA has made strides to right the wrongs of the past. She also broke racial barriers in golf, but that’s a story for another day!
August 29, 2025
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FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
Crunchy, yet gooey. Savory, yet tangy. This dish is a whole lot of flavor wrapped in golden batter. Tempura is strongly associated with Japanese cuisine today, but its deepest roots aren't actually in Japan, nor even on the same continent.
Tempura is a simple dish of vegetables or seafood (most commonly shrimp) coated in batter and deep fried. What makes tempura unique is the consistency of the batter, which is extremely light and crisp. It’s made from eggs, soft wheat flour, baking soda or baking powder, and ice water, since keeping the batter cold is key to keeping it crisp. Mixing it for just a few minutes at a time also helps keep it light without whipping it into a fluffy texture, and the process leaves lumps behind, adding to tempura’s extra-crunchy texture. Tempura is usually served with tentsuya, a tangy sauce made from soy sauce, wine, and soup stock.
In the 15th century, Portugal was at the forefront of navigation and exploration. This allowed the country to create a far-reaching empire in the following three centuries, colonizing parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. Portuguese traders also had relationships with a myriad of nations. After the Portuguese became the first Europeans to visit Japan in 1543, they established a major trade port in the country and became Europe’s main supplier of Japanese goods. Soon, Portuguese missionaries arrived in an attempt to convert the Japanese to Catholicism. These missionaries adhered to a special diet, since avoiding meat during certain times of the year was part of their faith. During these times, Portuguese Catholics would eat lightly-battered vegetables called “peixinhos da horta”, or “little fish of the garden”, so named because they resembled battered fish. It’s likely that deep frying didn’t exist in Japan until these missionaries introduced the technique.
The missionaries never managed to turn Japan into a Catholic country, but they did succeed in ushering in a new, deep-fried golden age in Japanese cuisine. Japanese cooks quickly developed their own deep frying techniques, using it to cook seafood and native vegetables like lotus root. Tempura has been a Japanese staple ever since. Talk about a heavenly dish.
[Image description: A small, white bowl of rice with tempura on top.] Credit & copyright: 毒島みるく, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Crunchy, yet gooey. Savory, yet tangy. This dish is a whole lot of flavor wrapped in golden batter. Tempura is strongly associated with Japanese cuisine today, but its deepest roots aren't actually in Japan, nor even on the same continent.
Tempura is a simple dish of vegetables or seafood (most commonly shrimp) coated in batter and deep fried. What makes tempura unique is the consistency of the batter, which is extremely light and crisp. It’s made from eggs, soft wheat flour, baking soda or baking powder, and ice water, since keeping the batter cold is key to keeping it crisp. Mixing it for just a few minutes at a time also helps keep it light without whipping it into a fluffy texture, and the process leaves lumps behind, adding to tempura’s extra-crunchy texture. Tempura is usually served with tentsuya, a tangy sauce made from soy sauce, wine, and soup stock.
In the 15th century, Portugal was at the forefront of navigation and exploration. This allowed the country to create a far-reaching empire in the following three centuries, colonizing parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. Portuguese traders also had relationships with a myriad of nations. After the Portuguese became the first Europeans to visit Japan in 1543, they established a major trade port in the country and became Europe’s main supplier of Japanese goods. Soon, Portuguese missionaries arrived in an attempt to convert the Japanese to Catholicism. These missionaries adhered to a special diet, since avoiding meat during certain times of the year was part of their faith. During these times, Portuguese Catholics would eat lightly-battered vegetables called “peixinhos da horta”, or “little fish of the garden”, so named because they resembled battered fish. It’s likely that deep frying didn’t exist in Japan until these missionaries introduced the technique.
The missionaries never managed to turn Japan into a Catholic country, but they did succeed in ushering in a new, deep-fried golden age in Japanese cuisine. Japanese cooks quickly developed their own deep frying techniques, using it to cook seafood and native vegetables like lotus root. Tempura has been a Japanese staple ever since. Talk about a heavenly dish.
[Image description: A small, white bowl of rice with tempura on top.] Credit & copyright: 毒島みるく, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
August 28, 2025
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FREEUS History Daily Curio #3142Free1 CQ
9/11 was a terrible day in American history, and most of the damage was immediately obvious. For tens of thousands of people who were present in the direct aftermath, however, the terrorist attacks were just the beginning of the nightmare. Around 10 years ago today, 9/11 survivor Marcy Borders passed away from cancer—a fate similar to that of many others who lived through that day.
Borders became famous after 9/11 as the “Dust Lady” when a photo of her covered head to toe in a thick layer of dust was widely published in the media. At the time, few people could have guessed that the dust would claim her life. Soon after her passing, her brother posted on social media that Borders had been suffering from various ailments caused by the toxic dust she was exposed to on 9/11. It’s not an isolated case, either. There were 91,000 first responders and volunteers present on 9/11 and the following months in the rubble of the WTC. Among them, cancer rates are significantly higher than in the general population, particularly when it comes to cancers of the lung, thyroid, prostate, and esophagus, as well as higher rates of leukemia.
The attack on the World Trade Center directly killed around 3,000 people, but at least 6,300 people have died as a result of cancer associated with the toxic dust and debris present around Ground Zero. The main environmental culprits include cement dust and asbestos, but other, more unusual causes include heavy metals, soot, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins. Most of the heavy metals came from thousands of shattered fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury. While it's normal to find some toxic substances at the site of collapsed structures, some of the more unusual ones found on 9/11 were present due to the jet fuel that burned through the buildings. For many, Ground Zero was Day One of a lifelong health battle.
[Image description: A portion of a memorial plaque honoring firefighters killed on September 11, 2001.] Credit & copyright: David R. Tribble (Loadmaster), Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.9/11 was a terrible day in American history, and most of the damage was immediately obvious. For tens of thousands of people who were present in the direct aftermath, however, the terrorist attacks were just the beginning of the nightmare. Around 10 years ago today, 9/11 survivor Marcy Borders passed away from cancer—a fate similar to that of many others who lived through that day.
Borders became famous after 9/11 as the “Dust Lady” when a photo of her covered head to toe in a thick layer of dust was widely published in the media. At the time, few people could have guessed that the dust would claim her life. Soon after her passing, her brother posted on social media that Borders had been suffering from various ailments caused by the toxic dust she was exposed to on 9/11. It’s not an isolated case, either. There were 91,000 first responders and volunteers present on 9/11 and the following months in the rubble of the WTC. Among them, cancer rates are significantly higher than in the general population, particularly when it comes to cancers of the lung, thyroid, prostate, and esophagus, as well as higher rates of leukemia.
The attack on the World Trade Center directly killed around 3,000 people, but at least 6,300 people have died as a result of cancer associated with the toxic dust and debris present around Ground Zero. The main environmental culprits include cement dust and asbestos, but other, more unusual causes include heavy metals, soot, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins. Most of the heavy metals came from thousands of shattered fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury. While it's normal to find some toxic substances at the site of collapsed structures, some of the more unusual ones found on 9/11 were present due to the jet fuel that burned through the buildings. For many, Ground Zero was Day One of a lifelong health battle.
[Image description: A portion of a memorial plaque honoring firefighters killed on September 11, 2001.] Credit & copyright: David R. Tribble (Loadmaster), Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide. -
FREEScience Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Would you believe that hypertension is all in your head? According to a new study published in Neuron by researchers at McGill University, the mechanism behind high blood pressure resulting from a high-salt diet might lie in the brain. High-salt or high-sodium diets have long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease as a consequence of high blood pressure. The longstanding theory was that high sodium acted directly on the kidneys and blood vessels, constricting them and leading to hypertension. Most treatments have been based on that assumption. Yet, around one-third of patients with salt-induced hypertension don’t respond to medication, and the reason was unclear—until now. Researchers conducted an experiment in which rats were given water with two percent salt, creating a diet containing comparable rates of sodium to a typical human diet. The diet triggered an immune response in the rats’ brains, leading to inflammation that in turn led to the brain releasing increased quantities of vasopressin, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus responsible for osmolality (the balance of salt and glucose). According to lead researcher Masha Prager-Khoutorsky, the brain is a particularly difficult organ to analyze, and this new study was only possible due to recently developed brain imaging and lab techniques. If the same mechanism can be confirmed in human subjects, future treatments of hypertension might focus on medications that act on the brain to reduce the inflammation or counteract the effects of vasopressin itself. Who knew that treating hypertension would be so-dium confusing?
[Image description: A glass salt shaker tipped on its side with salt spilling out.] Credit & copyright: Garitzko, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
Would you believe that hypertension is all in your head? According to a new study published in Neuron by researchers at McGill University, the mechanism behind high blood pressure resulting from a high-salt diet might lie in the brain. High-salt or high-sodium diets have long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease as a consequence of high blood pressure. The longstanding theory was that high sodium acted directly on the kidneys and blood vessels, constricting them and leading to hypertension. Most treatments have been based on that assumption. Yet, around one-third of patients with salt-induced hypertension don’t respond to medication, and the reason was unclear—until now. Researchers conducted an experiment in which rats were given water with two percent salt, creating a diet containing comparable rates of sodium to a typical human diet. The diet triggered an immune response in the rats’ brains, leading to inflammation that in turn led to the brain releasing increased quantities of vasopressin, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus responsible for osmolality (the balance of salt and glucose). According to lead researcher Masha Prager-Khoutorsky, the brain is a particularly difficult organ to analyze, and this new study was only possible due to recently developed brain imaging and lab techniques. If the same mechanism can be confirmed in human subjects, future treatments of hypertension might focus on medications that act on the brain to reduce the inflammation or counteract the effects of vasopressin itself. Who knew that treating hypertension would be so-dium confusing?
[Image description: A glass salt shaker tipped on its side with salt spilling out.] Credit & copyright: Garitzko, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
August 27, 2025
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
They might howl in the night, but there’s no need for fright! Coyotes are often compared to wolves, yet while gray wolves (the most common North American species) remain endangered, coyotes are listed as a “species of least concern” with an increasing population. This difference is largely due to the fact that, despite looking like small, lean wolves, coyotes live very differently than their wolf brethren.
Native to central and North America, coyotes thrive in a variety of habitats, from deserts to forests to, surprisingly, suburban areas. They are larger than foxes but smaller than wolves, measuring up to 52 inches long and 26 inches tall. Live wolves, they live in packs consisting of a dominant, mated pair, and their children, including a mix of younger and older pups. Usually, there are only three to seven coyotes per pack, compared to gray wolf packs that often range between 10 to 20 individuals.
Smaller pack sizes seem to suit coyotes just fine, since they don’t prey on animals nearly as large as the caribou and bison that gray wolves do. Instead, coyotes hunt small mammals like rabbits and rodents…when they hunt at all. A key to coyotes’ survival, even in the face of climate change and habitat loss, is their highly adaptable diet. Coyotes can live off of a mix of freshly-hunted meat, carrion, wild fruit, and even garbage left behind by humans. In fact, coyotes that live near suburban areas are routinely caught raiding trash cans. They also employ other tricks to survive, like their unique howling style full of yips and changing notes. When these howls echo over long distances, they can easily make it sound like a coyote pack is much bigger than it actually is, thus scaring away potential threats. As scary as coyotes seem to some people, they actually have to worry about falling prey to larger animals like bears, mountain lions, and even wolves. Family resemblance won’t save you in the wild.
[Image description: A coyote walking in a desert landscape, looking back over one shoulder.] Credit & copyright: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NPS, Asset ID:347d7710-ba38-4735-809b-9f82bc9c8437. Public domain: Full Granting Rights.They might howl in the night, but there’s no need for fright! Coyotes are often compared to wolves, yet while gray wolves (the most common North American species) remain endangered, coyotes are listed as a “species of least concern” with an increasing population. This difference is largely due to the fact that, despite looking like small, lean wolves, coyotes live very differently than their wolf brethren.
Native to central and North America, coyotes thrive in a variety of habitats, from deserts to forests to, surprisingly, suburban areas. They are larger than foxes but smaller than wolves, measuring up to 52 inches long and 26 inches tall. Live wolves, they live in packs consisting of a dominant, mated pair, and their children, including a mix of younger and older pups. Usually, there are only three to seven coyotes per pack, compared to gray wolf packs that often range between 10 to 20 individuals.
Smaller pack sizes seem to suit coyotes just fine, since they don’t prey on animals nearly as large as the caribou and bison that gray wolves do. Instead, coyotes hunt small mammals like rabbits and rodents…when they hunt at all. A key to coyotes’ survival, even in the face of climate change and habitat loss, is their highly adaptable diet. Coyotes can live off of a mix of freshly-hunted meat, carrion, wild fruit, and even garbage left behind by humans. In fact, coyotes that live near suburban areas are routinely caught raiding trash cans. They also employ other tricks to survive, like their unique howling style full of yips and changing notes. When these howls echo over long distances, they can easily make it sound like a coyote pack is much bigger than it actually is, thus scaring away potential threats. As scary as coyotes seem to some people, they actually have to worry about falling prey to larger animals like bears, mountain lions, and even wolves. Family resemblance won’t save you in the wild.
[Image description: A coyote walking in a desert landscape, looking back over one shoulder.] Credit & copyright: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NPS, Asset ID:347d7710-ba38-4735-809b-9f82bc9c8437. Public domain: Full Granting Rights. -
FREEHumanities Daily Curio #3141Free1 CQ
Ah, an archaeological dig examining the bygone era of… 1978? Archaeologists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have invited the public and aging skaters to help in the excavation of a buried skatepark, shedding light on a bit of old European skater lore. The 1970s were a time of change, not just in terms of music and (questionable) fashion, but also in the world of sports. In Scotland, skateboarding exploded in popularity as it did in the U.S., and in 1978, the city of Glasgow invested £100,000 to build the country’s first skatepark, the Kelvin Wheelies. The skatepark featured a freestyle area, a slalom run, and a halfpipe, among other ambitious features that would have made any skater at the time drool with delight. The very year it opened, the facility hosted the first Scottish Skateboard Championships. Skaters from all around the U.K. gathered to compete and for a few years, Glasgow skaters were some of the best of the best in the U.K. Unfortunately, there was a sharp decline in the sport just a few years after the skatepark opened, and the skatepark began to see fewer visitors. Over time, it fell into disrepair, and the city made the decision to bulldoze the park due to safety concerns. It was then buried underground, with a few features remaining visible on the surface. Even without the concrete remnants jutting through the ground, Glasgow skaters from those days never forgot the park. Now, however, they may get to help resurrect the glories of yesteryear with archaeologists who are seeking their help in identifying the skatepark’s features and layout as they excavate the site. In addition to getting down and dirty themselves, the skaters hope that the site will be marked in such a way that its historic significance can be remembered properly. While skateboarding may have dipped in popularity for a time in Scotland, it’s now more popular than ever around the world and has even made it into the Olympics, so it’s understandable that skating enthusiasts hold the site in such high regard. Also, by all accounts, those bowls were absolutely sick!
[Image description: A green sign on a chainlink fence. White letters read: “No Skateboarding Allowed: Police Take Notice.”] Credit & copyright: Khrystinasnell, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Ah, an archaeological dig examining the bygone era of… 1978? Archaeologists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have invited the public and aging skaters to help in the excavation of a buried skatepark, shedding light on a bit of old European skater lore. The 1970s were a time of change, not just in terms of music and (questionable) fashion, but also in the world of sports. In Scotland, skateboarding exploded in popularity as it did in the U.S., and in 1978, the city of Glasgow invested £100,000 to build the country’s first skatepark, the Kelvin Wheelies. The skatepark featured a freestyle area, a slalom run, and a halfpipe, among other ambitious features that would have made any skater at the time drool with delight. The very year it opened, the facility hosted the first Scottish Skateboard Championships. Skaters from all around the U.K. gathered to compete and for a few years, Glasgow skaters were some of the best of the best in the U.K. Unfortunately, there was a sharp decline in the sport just a few years after the skatepark opened, and the skatepark began to see fewer visitors. Over time, it fell into disrepair, and the city made the decision to bulldoze the park due to safety concerns. It was then buried underground, with a few features remaining visible on the surface. Even without the concrete remnants jutting through the ground, Glasgow skaters from those days never forgot the park. Now, however, they may get to help resurrect the glories of yesteryear with archaeologists who are seeking their help in identifying the skatepark’s features and layout as they excavate the site. In addition to getting down and dirty themselves, the skaters hope that the site will be marked in such a way that its historic significance can be remembered properly. While skateboarding may have dipped in popularity for a time in Scotland, it’s now more popular than ever around the world and has even made it into the Olympics, so it’s understandable that skating enthusiasts hold the site in such high regard. Also, by all accounts, those bowls were absolutely sick!
[Image description: A green sign on a chainlink fence. White letters read: “No Skateboarding Allowed: Police Take Notice.”] Credit & copyright: Khrystinasnell, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
