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September 4, 2025
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FREEScience Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It seems you can never breathe easy these days. According to a new study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published in ASTM International, air purifiers can sometimes release harmful byproducts into the air, and researchers have figured out a way to measure just how much. It seems paradoxical, but air purifiers aren’t always good for the air. They can use a variety of processes that create toxic byproducts. The most common of these is the ozone produced by UV lights meant to kill pathogens. Normally harmless in low concentrations, the ozone can sometimes accumulate enough to pose a threat to the user’s health. Other byproducts include formaldehyde and ultrafine particles, which are produced by an unintended interaction between the components of the air purifier. To test which air purifier models harm more than they help, the NIST developed a test to measure the pollutants. During the test, the air purifier is left running in a sealed room for four hours. Samples of the air are then taken. Then, a UV light is shone so that researchers can measure the amount of ozone and formaldehyde present in the samples, since both substances absorb UV radiation. To measure ultrafine particles, researchers use a method called scanning mobility particle sizing (SMPS), which passes the samples through an x-ray field. The x-ray imparts an electric charge on any particles that might be present, making it easier to sort ultrafine particles from larger ones, since they hold different amounts of charge. Once the ultrafine particles are isolated, they’re placed in a cool steam bath, which makes them swell in size. Then, lasers can be used to determine how much is present by measuring how much the particles scatter the light. It’s a lot of work to figure out how many impurities these purifiers are leaving behind, but there’s no doubt that it needs doing.
It seems you can never breathe easy these days. According to a new study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published in ASTM International, air purifiers can sometimes release harmful byproducts into the air, and researchers have figured out a way to measure just how much. It seems paradoxical, but air purifiers aren’t always good for the air. They can use a variety of processes that create toxic byproducts. The most common of these is the ozone produced by UV lights meant to kill pathogens. Normally harmless in low concentrations, the ozone can sometimes accumulate enough to pose a threat to the user’s health. Other byproducts include formaldehyde and ultrafine particles, which are produced by an unintended interaction between the components of the air purifier. To test which air purifier models harm more than they help, the NIST developed a test to measure the pollutants. During the test, the air purifier is left running in a sealed room for four hours. Samples of the air are then taken. Then, a UV light is shone so that researchers can measure the amount of ozone and formaldehyde present in the samples, since both substances absorb UV radiation. To measure ultrafine particles, researchers use a method called scanning mobility particle sizing (SMPS), which passes the samples through an x-ray field. The x-ray imparts an electric charge on any particles that might be present, making it easier to sort ultrafine particles from larger ones, since they hold different amounts of charge. Once the ultrafine particles are isolated, they’re placed in a cool steam bath, which makes them swell in size. Then, lasers can be used to determine how much is present by measuring how much the particles scatter the light. It’s a lot of work to figure out how many impurities these purifiers are leaving behind, but there’s no doubt that it needs doing.
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FREEUS History Daily Curio #3146Free1 CQ
Get ready to clutch your pearls—there are people shopping for clothes on Sundays. The city of Paramus, New Jersey, recently filed a lawsuit against a local mall for allowing shoppers to buy garments on Sundays, and while supporters of the suit say it’s to reduce noise and traffic, detractors say it’s an example of blue laws gone wrong.
Blue laws refer to any law that restricts secular activities on Sundays, though what’s covered varies considerably. Some are more well known, like the restriction on the sales of alcohol, while more extreme cases restrict entertainment, various types of commerce, sports and working in general. In the recent controversy, the American Dream mall has been accused of allowing shoppers to purchase “nonessential” goods. These include not just clothes, but furniture and appliances, as opposed to essential goods like groceries or medicine. Like many blue laws in other jurisdictions, Paramus’s has been on the books since the colonial period and has remained largely unchanged. As for how such laws got on the books in the first place, they were developed in England, then promoted by Puritans early in American history.
Due to their religious roots, blue laws have often been challenged in court as a violation of the First Amendment, which states that the government may not favor one particular religion. However, many blue laws still remain in effect partly from lack of the political will to change them and partly because of a Supreme Court ruling in their favor. In 1961, during a case called McGowan v. Maryland, the court ruled that Maryland’s blue laws forbidding certain types of commerce weren’t in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The justification was that, even if the laws were originally created to encourage church attendance on Sundays, they also served a secular function by making Sundays a universal day of rest. Whether you’re the pious or partying type, it’s hard to argue with a day off the clock.
[Image description: A porcelain sculpture of a man and woman in historical clothing in a clothing shop with goods on the wall behind them.] Credit & copyright: "Venetian Fair" shop with two figures, Ludwigsburg Porcelain Manufactory (German, 1758–1824). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1950. Public Domain.Get ready to clutch your pearls—there are people shopping for clothes on Sundays. The city of Paramus, New Jersey, recently filed a lawsuit against a local mall for allowing shoppers to buy garments on Sundays, and while supporters of the suit say it’s to reduce noise and traffic, detractors say it’s an example of blue laws gone wrong.
Blue laws refer to any law that restricts secular activities on Sundays, though what’s covered varies considerably. Some are more well known, like the restriction on the sales of alcohol, while more extreme cases restrict entertainment, various types of commerce, sports and working in general. In the recent controversy, the American Dream mall has been accused of allowing shoppers to purchase “nonessential” goods. These include not just clothes, but furniture and appliances, as opposed to essential goods like groceries or medicine. Like many blue laws in other jurisdictions, Paramus’s has been on the books since the colonial period and has remained largely unchanged. As for how such laws got on the books in the first place, they were developed in England, then promoted by Puritans early in American history.
Due to their religious roots, blue laws have often been challenged in court as a violation of the First Amendment, which states that the government may not favor one particular religion. However, many blue laws still remain in effect partly from lack of the political will to change them and partly because of a Supreme Court ruling in their favor. In 1961, during a case called McGowan v. Maryland, the court ruled that Maryland’s blue laws forbidding certain types of commerce weren’t in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The justification was that, even if the laws were originally created to encourage church attendance on Sundays, they also served a secular function by making Sundays a universal day of rest. Whether you’re the pious or partying type, it’s hard to argue with a day off the clock.
[Image description: A porcelain sculpture of a man and woman in historical clothing in a clothing shop with goods on the wall behind them.] Credit & copyright: "Venetian Fair" shop with two figures, Ludwigsburg Porcelain Manufactory (German, 1758–1824). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1950. Public Domain.
September 3, 2025
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FREEEngineering Daily Curio #3145Free1 CQ
Smell ya later—but not too much later! Millions of people suffer from loss of smell (anosmia) due to a variety of medical causes, but researchers at Hanyang University and Kwangwoon University in South Korea have now discovered a way to restore the lost sense using radio waves.
The sense of smell is more important to daily life than most people think. Just ask anyone who took the sense for granted before they lost it due to a sinus infection, brain injury, or COVID-19. The recent pandemic brought the issue to the spotlight, since it caused so many people to either temporarily or permanently lose their sense of smell, along with their sense of taste. With no sense of smell, it’s difficult to enjoy food at the very least, and at the worst, it can lead to danger. Imagine, for instance, not being able to detect spoiled food at a sniff before any visual indications are obvious or not being able to smell a gas leak. Currently, there is no surefire treatment for anosmia. If the cause is something like polyps or a deviated septum, surgery might help. In other cases, olfactory treatment can be used, which involves the use of strong, often unpleasant scents to “retrain” the patient’s nose.
Now, researchers claim they have come up with a completely noninvasive, chemical-free method to restore a sense of smell. The treatment makes use of a small radio antenna placed near the patient’s head that send out targeted radio waves at the nerves inside the brain responsible for smell. It sounds almost too good to be true, but the researchers claim that just a week of treatments produced significant improvements. If it really works as they say, then even those who aren’t suffering from anosmia could benefit, as it can potentially enhance a normal sense of smell to be even sharper. It could be the mildest superpower ever!
[Image description: A black-and-white illustration of a person in historical clothing smelling a flower next to two flowering plants.] Credit & copyright: Smell, Abraham Bosse, c.1635–38. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930. Public Domain.Smell ya later—but not too much later! Millions of people suffer from loss of smell (anosmia) due to a variety of medical causes, but researchers at Hanyang University and Kwangwoon University in South Korea have now discovered a way to restore the lost sense using radio waves.
The sense of smell is more important to daily life than most people think. Just ask anyone who took the sense for granted before they lost it due to a sinus infection, brain injury, or COVID-19. The recent pandemic brought the issue to the spotlight, since it caused so many people to either temporarily or permanently lose their sense of smell, along with their sense of taste. With no sense of smell, it’s difficult to enjoy food at the very least, and at the worst, it can lead to danger. Imagine, for instance, not being able to detect spoiled food at a sniff before any visual indications are obvious or not being able to smell a gas leak. Currently, there is no surefire treatment for anosmia. If the cause is something like polyps or a deviated septum, surgery might help. In other cases, olfactory treatment can be used, which involves the use of strong, often unpleasant scents to “retrain” the patient’s nose.
Now, researchers claim they have come up with a completely noninvasive, chemical-free method to restore a sense of smell. The treatment makes use of a small radio antenna placed near the patient’s head that send out targeted radio waves at the nerves inside the brain responsible for smell. It sounds almost too good to be true, but the researchers claim that just a week of treatments produced significant improvements. If it really works as they say, then even those who aren’t suffering from anosmia could benefit, as it can potentially enhance a normal sense of smell to be even sharper. It could be the mildest superpower ever!
[Image description: A black-and-white illustration of a person in historical clothing smelling a flower next to two flowering plants.] Credit & copyright: Smell, Abraham Bosse, c.1635–38. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930. Public Domain.
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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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.
