Daily Curio
An amusing daily fact from the Curious team.
Curio Cabinet
- By Date
- By Type
June 4, 2023
-
FREEMusic Appreciation PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
What’s love got to do with it? Everything! Many are mourning the recent death of music icon Tina Turner, a prolific recording artist, scene-stealing actress and all-around one of the most memorable live performers to ever grace the stage. Although she largely stayed out of the spotlight in her later years, The Queen of Rock n’ Roll’s popularity rightfully endures.
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 to sharecroppers in rural Tennessee. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri, at a young age where she began performing with her church choir, and later in the local, R&B-dominated music scene. In 1956, she met her first husband, Ike Turner, and all at once her professional career began in earnest. Taking on the stage name Tina Turner, she first performed with the Kings of Rhythm, Ike Turner’s band at the time. Although they were well-regarded as a live act, they didn’t find much success in the studio until the 1960 release of A Fool in Love. When the song’s original singer failed to show up for the recording session, Tina stepped in to sing lead. The song was a hit, and the band soon changed its name to the Ike and Tina Turner Revue to more prominently feature Tina.
Ike and Tina Turner married in 1962, and their joint career flourished with hits like their cover of Proud Mary. But their relationship was largely defined by Ike Turner’s abusive behavior behind the scenes. In 1976, after a particularly violent incident, their personal and professional relationship came to an end. Tina filed for divorce, but made an unusual legal request: she wanted to retain her stage name, Tina Turner, which Ike had given her. In return, she gave up her rights to any future revenue she was owed from performing in their shared band, and she didn’t request any other money or property. Eventually, it was agreed that Ike would not try to claim creative ownership of the name.
At first, Turner struggled to relaunch her career. She signed a deal with Capitol Records, but it wasn’t until 1984, with the release of her fifth studio album, Private Dancer, that things really turned around. The album contained several songs that are now some of her most iconic hits, such as Better Be Good to Me and What’s Love Got to Do With It. The album was a huge critical and commercial success, earning her Record of the Year at the 1985 Grammy Awards. What’s Love Got to Do With It won Song of the Year. Turner would go on to receive eight more Grammys throughout her career, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She also has the rare distinction of being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice; once in 1991 as part of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, and again in 2021 as a solo act.
Turner’s talent for performance extended to film and beyond, although she only took on a handful of screen roles. In 1985, she starred in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as Aunt Entity, and also recorded We Don't Need Another Hero, another of her most recognizable hits. She also re-recorded several of her older hits for the soundtrack of the 1993 biopic movie based on her life, What’s Love Got to Do with It, which was based on her first memoir, I, Tina and follows her life up to the release of Private Dancer. Turner published several other books too, including Tina Turner: My Love Story in 2018, and the self-help book Happiness Becomes You in 2020. 2018 also saw the debut of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical in London and on Broadway the following year.
In a 2005 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Turner said, of her life and career, “I came into this lifetime with a job to finish. I finished it well. I’ve been told many reasons for why I lived through what I did. But I have never felt that I deserved it.” Though Turner passed away on May 24, this year, her countless fans have no doubt of how deserving she was of her fame. And there’s little doubt that her songs will continue to inspire for years to come.
[Image description: A concert crowd raises their hands as confetti rains down.] Credit & copyright: StockSnap, PixabayWhat’s love got to do with it? Everything! Many are mourning the recent death of music icon Tina Turner, a prolific recording artist, scene-stealing actress and all-around one of the most memorable live performers to ever grace the stage. Although she largely stayed out of the spotlight in her later years, The Queen of Rock n’ Roll’s popularity rightfully endures.
Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock in 1939 to sharecroppers in rural Tennessee. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri, at a young age where she began performing with her church choir, and later in the local, R&B-dominated music scene. In 1956, she met her first husband, Ike Turner, and all at once her professional career began in earnest. Taking on the stage name Tina Turner, she first performed with the Kings of Rhythm, Ike Turner’s band at the time. Although they were well-regarded as a live act, they didn’t find much success in the studio until the 1960 release of A Fool in Love. When the song’s original singer failed to show up for the recording session, Tina stepped in to sing lead. The song was a hit, and the band soon changed its name to the Ike and Tina Turner Revue to more prominently feature Tina.
Ike and Tina Turner married in 1962, and their joint career flourished with hits like their cover of Proud Mary. But their relationship was largely defined by Ike Turner’s abusive behavior behind the scenes. In 1976, after a particularly violent incident, their personal and professional relationship came to an end. Tina filed for divorce, but made an unusual legal request: she wanted to retain her stage name, Tina Turner, which Ike had given her. In return, she gave up her rights to any future revenue she was owed from performing in their shared band, and she didn’t request any other money or property. Eventually, it was agreed that Ike would not try to claim creative ownership of the name.
At first, Turner struggled to relaunch her career. She signed a deal with Capitol Records, but it wasn’t until 1984, with the release of her fifth studio album, Private Dancer, that things really turned around. The album contained several songs that are now some of her most iconic hits, such as Better Be Good to Me and What’s Love Got to Do With It. The album was a huge critical and commercial success, earning her Record of the Year at the 1985 Grammy Awards. What’s Love Got to Do With It won Song of the Year. Turner would go on to receive eight more Grammys throughout her career, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. She also has the rare distinction of being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice; once in 1991 as part of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, and again in 2021 as a solo act.
Turner’s talent for performance extended to film and beyond, although she only took on a handful of screen roles. In 1985, she starred in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as Aunt Entity, and also recorded We Don't Need Another Hero, another of her most recognizable hits. She also re-recorded several of her older hits for the soundtrack of the 1993 biopic movie based on her life, What’s Love Got to Do with It, which was based on her first memoir, I, Tina and follows her life up to the release of Private Dancer. Turner published several other books too, including Tina Turner: My Love Story in 2018, and the self-help book Happiness Becomes You in 2020. 2018 also saw the debut of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical in London and on Broadway the following year.
In a 2005 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Turner said, of her life and career, “I came into this lifetime with a job to finish. I finished it well. I’ve been told many reasons for why I lived through what I did. But I have never felt that I deserved it.” Though Turner passed away on May 24, this year, her countless fans have no doubt of how deserving she was of her fame. And there’s little doubt that her songs will continue to inspire for years to come.
[Image description: A concert crowd raises their hands as confetti rains down.] Credit & copyright: StockSnap, Pixabay -
9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
There are moves afoot in numerous states and cities to criminalize elements of homelessness, including living in encampments. As part of our ongoing “Finding...
There are moves afoot in numerous states and cities to criminalize elements of homelessness, including living in encampments. As part of our ongoing “Finding...
June 3, 2023
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
It’s not just Hollywood writers two have been lobbying for better working conditions — TV and film choreographers are also working toward establishing a full...
It’s not just Hollywood writers two have been lobbying for better working conditions — TV and film choreographers are also working toward establishing a full...
-
FREESports Daily CurioFree1 CQ
They didn’t think they needed another hero, but they got one anyway. Turns out, late American music star Tina Turner was a rugby icon in Australia, of all places. In 1989, Turner, the singer of hits like What’s Love Got to Do With It and Proud Mary, was at the peak of her career and fresh on the minds of Australians after starring in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, which was filmed in the country just a few years prior. That year, she starred in a promo for the Winfield Cup, now the NSWRL, where she sang What You Get Is What You See while accompanied by swimwear-clad rugby players. The promo was part of an effort to sanitize the image of the sport and make it more appealing to a family audience, not just young men. It was such a hit that the league followed up with another promo starring Turner, where she sang The Best. While the team-up was unusual, it wasn’t entirely random. Turner’s manager at the time was from Australia, and a big rugby fan. This connection turned out to be serendipitous, because the promos worked, and as the sport grew in popularity, Australian rugby fans fell in love with Turner. This adoration was on clear display when Turner posed with the Brisbane Broncos on the field after they won the Grand Finals in 1993, and the crowd broke into song in celebration. She may be gone, but rugby fans down under will always know that Tina Turner was simply the best.
[Image description: A white rugby ball in the grass.] Credit & copyright: W RUGBY, Pexels
They didn’t think they needed another hero, but they got one anyway. Turns out, late American music star Tina Turner was a rugby icon in Australia, of all places. In 1989, Turner, the singer of hits like What’s Love Got to Do With It and Proud Mary, was at the peak of her career and fresh on the minds of Australians after starring in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, which was filmed in the country just a few years prior. That year, she starred in a promo for the Winfield Cup, now the NSWRL, where she sang What You Get Is What You See while accompanied by swimwear-clad rugby players. The promo was part of an effort to sanitize the image of the sport and make it more appealing to a family audience, not just young men. It was such a hit that the league followed up with another promo starring Turner, where she sang The Best. While the team-up was unusual, it wasn’t entirely random. Turner’s manager at the time was from Australia, and a big rugby fan. This connection turned out to be serendipitous, because the promos worked, and as the sport grew in popularity, Australian rugby fans fell in love with Turner. This adoration was on clear display when Turner posed with the Brisbane Broncos on the field after they won the Grand Finals in 1993, and the crowd broke into song in celebration. She may be gone, but rugby fans down under will always know that Tina Turner was simply the best.
[Image description: A white rugby ball in the grass.] Credit & copyright: W RUGBY, Pexels
June 2, 2023
-
FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
We all scream for ice cream…and we’ve been doing so for a long time! Even though freezers and refrigerators didn’t become common in homes until the 1930s, people have been eating sweet, frozen treats for thousands of years. The exact inventor of modern ice cream is still a bit of a mystery, though.
As early as 4000 B.C.E., people in Mesopotamia were building icehouses and using them to keep food fresh. Icehouses were rooms with heavily-insulated walls where blocks of ice from frozen lakes and rivers were stored throughout the summer. Usually, the ice was coated with its own insulation, such as straw or sawdust. It may not sound appetizing, but it allowed for the world’s first sweet, frozen drinks, like one from China’s Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.) made with sweetened buffalo milk, crushed ice, and camphor, a waxy substance from an evergreen tree. An even more ice-cream-life dessert became popular in 16th-century India: kulfi. This frozen dish is made with full fat milk, sugar, and flavoring agents (traditional flavors include rose and saffron) and it remains popular to this day.
Modern ice cream is made with cream, condensed milk, butterfat, sugar, flavoring agents, and sometimes eggs. It’s far creamier than frozen treats of the past due to the churning process, which creates smaller ice crystals and adds in air. It’s a process that dates back to Italy, in the 1600s. Churned ice desserts containing no dairy were called sorbets, while those with dairy were referred to as “ice creams” and were reserved for the rich, since churning the desserts in a pan was a long, laborious process. Early American colonists, including George Washington, ate homemade ice cream. But it wasn’t until 1843, when inventor Nancy Johnson created the hand-cranked ice cream freezer, that the dessert really took off, stateside. Her invention allowed for much faster, easier churning, and ensured that the dessert remained cold throughout the entire process. By 1851, American businessman Jacob Fussell had opened the world’s first ice cream factory in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. In 1926, another American inventor, Charles Taylor, created the first soft serve ice cream machine. When fast food chains began popping up across the country, so too did soft serve machines—in fact, Taylor’s company still manufactures McDonald’s ice cream machines to this day. We may not know ice cream’s exact inventor, but there’s no doubt that soft serve is as American as apple pie!
[Image description: A cup of ice cream and an ice cream cone surrounded by candy against a pink background.] Credit & copyright: Teejay, PexelsWe all scream for ice cream…and we’ve been doing so for a long time! Even though freezers and refrigerators didn’t become common in homes until the 1930s, people have been eating sweet, frozen treats for thousands of years. The exact inventor of modern ice cream is still a bit of a mystery, though.
As early as 4000 B.C.E., people in Mesopotamia were building icehouses and using them to keep food fresh. Icehouses were rooms with heavily-insulated walls where blocks of ice from frozen lakes and rivers were stored throughout the summer. Usually, the ice was coated with its own insulation, such as straw or sawdust. It may not sound appetizing, but it allowed for the world’s first sweet, frozen drinks, like one from China’s Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.) made with sweetened buffalo milk, crushed ice, and camphor, a waxy substance from an evergreen tree. An even more ice-cream-life dessert became popular in 16th-century India: kulfi. This frozen dish is made with full fat milk, sugar, and flavoring agents (traditional flavors include rose and saffron) and it remains popular to this day.
Modern ice cream is made with cream, condensed milk, butterfat, sugar, flavoring agents, and sometimes eggs. It’s far creamier than frozen treats of the past due to the churning process, which creates smaller ice crystals and adds in air. It’s a process that dates back to Italy, in the 1600s. Churned ice desserts containing no dairy were called sorbets, while those with dairy were referred to as “ice creams” and were reserved for the rich, since churning the desserts in a pan was a long, laborious process. Early American colonists, including George Washington, ate homemade ice cream. But it wasn’t until 1843, when inventor Nancy Johnson created the hand-cranked ice cream freezer, that the dessert really took off, stateside. Her invention allowed for much faster, easier churning, and ensured that the dessert remained cold throughout the entire process. By 1851, American businessman Jacob Fussell had opened the world’s first ice cream factory in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. In 1926, another American inventor, Charles Taylor, created the first soft serve ice cream machine. When fast food chains began popping up across the country, so too did soft serve machines—in fact, Taylor’s company still manufactures McDonald’s ice cream machines to this day. We may not know ice cream’s exact inventor, but there’s no doubt that soft serve is as American as apple pie!
[Image description: A cup of ice cream and an ice cream cone surrounded by candy against a pink background.] Credit & copyright: Teejay, Pexels
June 1, 2023
-
FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Sound the clarion call for conservation. A paper published in the journal Current Biology by researchers at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in the UK has shined a light on thousands of new species at the bottom of the Pacific. Of the 5,578 species found in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), up to 92 percent could be new to science, and researchers are racing to document them in order to secure their future. Located in the Pacific Ocean, the Clarion Clipperton Zone has been largely untouched and unaffected by humans. The 1.7 million square mile area is home to thousands of strange and unique species, and a lot of precious minerals. So far, 17 deep-sea mining companies have been given the right to extract cobalt, nickel, and other minerals from 745,000 square miles of the CCZ. That may be a boon to the mining companies, but it could be an ecological disaster for the creatures that call the CCZ their home. That’s why researchers are trying to catalog every newly-discovered species, but they’ve only managed a handful. It’s no wonder, considering that the seabed is almost 20,000 feet below the surface in some places, and the only way to reach it is to use remote-controlled vehicles. So far, there have been strange and alien looking creatures like Psychropotes longicauda, nicknamed “gummy squirrel” for its resemblance to the rodent, and Bolosominae stet, which looks like a ball of white fluff at the end of a stem. Ultimately, conservationists hope to prevent or at least regulate mining to preserve what is likely a fragile ecosystem. It’s a race to the bottom!
[Image description: A pink jellyfish in dark water.] Credit & copyright: Vova Kras, Pexels
Sound the clarion call for conservation. A paper published in the journal Current Biology by researchers at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in the UK has shined a light on thousands of new species at the bottom of the Pacific. Of the 5,578 species found in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), up to 92 percent could be new to science, and researchers are racing to document them in order to secure their future. Located in the Pacific Ocean, the Clarion Clipperton Zone has been largely untouched and unaffected by humans. The 1.7 million square mile area is home to thousands of strange and unique species, and a lot of precious minerals. So far, 17 deep-sea mining companies have been given the right to extract cobalt, nickel, and other minerals from 745,000 square miles of the CCZ. That may be a boon to the mining companies, but it could be an ecological disaster for the creatures that call the CCZ their home. That’s why researchers are trying to catalog every newly-discovered species, but they’ve only managed a handful. It’s no wonder, considering that the seabed is almost 20,000 feet below the surface in some places, and the only way to reach it is to use remote-controlled vehicles. So far, there have been strange and alien looking creatures like Psychropotes longicauda, nicknamed “gummy squirrel” for its resemblance to the rodent, and Bolosominae stet, which looks like a ball of white fluff at the end of a stem. Ultimately, conservationists hope to prevent or at least regulate mining to preserve what is likely a fragile ecosystem. It’s a race to the bottom!
[Image description: A pink jellyfish in dark water.] Credit & copyright: Vova Kras, Pexels
-
FREETravel Daily Curio #2664Free1 CQ
Yesterday we talked about poisonous green books, and today we’re talking about mysteriously green water. Venice, Italy’s famous floating city, has found its canals turning green recently. The green water was spotted in the city’s Grand Canal, the largest of the artificial waterways that crisscross Venice. As far as anyone can tell, the color change is due to a fluorescent dye of some kind, although speculators on the internet have proposed the possibility of algae. Others blamed conservation groups who might have dumped dye into the water as some form of protest. It wouldn’t be entirely out of the question since similar acts have been committed before, but no one has come forward to take credit for it. Ultima Generazione, a group that previously put charcoal into fountains in Rome to turn the water black, disavowed any knowledge of the situation when people started pointing fingers at them. Regardless, the dye is likely nothing to be concerned about and is unlikely to have any permanent effects.
In fact, the city of Chicago dyes a river in a similar fashion on a much larger scale every year for St. Patrick’s Day. The city originally used 100 pounds of fluorescent dye, which turned the Chicago River green for a week. The next year, 50 pounds turned it green for three days. Today, they use just 40 pounds to turn it green for a few hours. Due to its harmless nature, the dye is also used in hydrology to track the movement of water. Still, the green water in Venice has residents and tourists fairly cranky. It’s not the first time the water there has been dyed, though. Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu once dyed the canal green in 1968 as a way to raise awareness of ecological issues during the 34th Venice Biennale. So, would doing your laundry in the canal to save on water usage be considered greenwashing?
[Image description: A small, empty boat floats in the water in Venice, Italy.] Credit & copyright: Helena Jankovičová Kováčová, PexelsYesterday we talked about poisonous green books, and today we’re talking about mysteriously green water. Venice, Italy’s famous floating city, has found its canals turning green recently. The green water was spotted in the city’s Grand Canal, the largest of the artificial waterways that crisscross Venice. As far as anyone can tell, the color change is due to a fluorescent dye of some kind, although speculators on the internet have proposed the possibility of algae. Others blamed conservation groups who might have dumped dye into the water as some form of protest. It wouldn’t be entirely out of the question since similar acts have been committed before, but no one has come forward to take credit for it. Ultima Generazione, a group that previously put charcoal into fountains in Rome to turn the water black, disavowed any knowledge of the situation when people started pointing fingers at them. Regardless, the dye is likely nothing to be concerned about and is unlikely to have any permanent effects.
In fact, the city of Chicago dyes a river in a similar fashion on a much larger scale every year for St. Patrick’s Day. The city originally used 100 pounds of fluorescent dye, which turned the Chicago River green for a week. The next year, 50 pounds turned it green for three days. Today, they use just 40 pounds to turn it green for a few hours. Due to its harmless nature, the dye is also used in hydrology to track the movement of water. Still, the green water in Venice has residents and tourists fairly cranky. It’s not the first time the water there has been dyed, though. Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu once dyed the canal green in 1968 as a way to raise awareness of ecological issues during the 34th Venice Biennale. So, would doing your laundry in the canal to save on water usage be considered greenwashing?
[Image description: A small, empty boat floats in the water in Venice, Italy.] Credit & copyright: Helena Jankovičová Kováčová, Pexels
May 31, 2023
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Tech industry leaders have repeated calls for controls on artificial intelligence to protect humanity. But Greg Jackson, CEO of O...
From the BBC World Service: Tech industry leaders have repeated calls for controls on artificial intelligence to protect humanity. But Greg Jackson, CEO of O...
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 31, 2023\in-THRAWL\ verb
What It Means
Enthrall means “to hold the attention of someone by being very exciting, interes...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 31, 2023\in-THRAWL\ verb
What It Means
Enthrall means “to hold the attention of someone by being very exciting, interes...
-
FREEEntrepreneurship Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
If there were a contest for strangest side-hustle, Black Crow Taxidermy & Art might just win. The Singapore-based business, run by veterinarian Vivian Tham and her husband, Jivan Jothi, specializes in helping people preserve their pets after they pass away. The couple also conducts workshops on a variety of taxidermy topics, including how to preserve insects. While taxidermy may seem like an unorthodox hobby, especially for a veterinarian, Tham feels that taking care of animals even after death is a natural supplement to her day job. “Serving animals, whether alive or the dead, is very meaningful to me. Through taxidermy, I help [pet owners] with their grieving,” Tham said, in an interview with CNBC. Because taxidermy services for recently departed pets can be difficult to find in Singapore, Tham’s business also fills an important niche. As a result, Black Crow Taxidermy & Art has become quite lucrative, growing from a service Tham performed only for close friends and family into a full-blown business. Now, Tham and Jothi have moved into their own studio and bring in between $7,000 to $22,000 per month, depending on how many clients they have and how many students attend their workshops. Unfortunately, the business has faced some unorthodox challenges due to cultural clashes. In Singapore, taxidermy is considered somewhat taboo and is generally frowned upon, which led to some resistance from the public. Some even went so far as to accuse Tham and Jothi of witchcraft, and they’ve even been reported to authorities. Thankfully, they’ve been able to continue operating in relative peace, thus far. Taxidermy may make for an unusual business, but it’s also clearly important to plenty of consumers.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a taxidermied deer head hanging on a wall.] Credit & copyright: Joel Zar, Pexels. This photo is not associated with Black Crow Taxidermy & Art in any way.If there were a contest for strangest side-hustle, Black Crow Taxidermy & Art might just win. The Singapore-based business, run by veterinarian Vivian Tham and her husband, Jivan Jothi, specializes in helping people preserve their pets after they pass away. The couple also conducts workshops on a variety of taxidermy topics, including how to preserve insects. While taxidermy may seem like an unorthodox hobby, especially for a veterinarian, Tham feels that taking care of animals even after death is a natural supplement to her day job. “Serving animals, whether alive or the dead, is very meaningful to me. Through taxidermy, I help [pet owners] with their grieving,” Tham said, in an interview with CNBC. Because taxidermy services for recently departed pets can be difficult to find in Singapore, Tham’s business also fills an important niche. As a result, Black Crow Taxidermy & Art has become quite lucrative, growing from a service Tham performed only for close friends and family into a full-blown business. Now, Tham and Jothi have moved into their own studio and bring in between $7,000 to $22,000 per month, depending on how many clients they have and how many students attend their workshops. Unfortunately, the business has faced some unorthodox challenges due to cultural clashes. In Singapore, taxidermy is considered somewhat taboo and is generally frowned upon, which led to some resistance from the public. Some even went so far as to accuse Tham and Jothi of witchcraft, and they’ve even been reported to authorities. Thankfully, they’ve been able to continue operating in relative peace, thus far. Taxidermy may make for an unusual business, but it’s also clearly important to plenty of consumers.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a taxidermied deer head hanging on a wall.] Credit & copyright: Joel Zar, Pexels. This photo is not associated with Black Crow Taxidermy & Art in any way. -
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2663Free1 CQ
These books may contain harmful material—literally. In the 1800s, it was apparently all the rage to use a toxic pigment to color book covers, and some of these poisonous publications might be hiding in plain sight. The color to look out for is emerald green, a vibrant hue that evokes the lighter specimens of its namesake gemstone. It was a popular pigment in the Victorian era not just for books, but also clothes, paintings, and wallpapers. First developed in 1814 by the Wilhelm Dye and White Lead Company in Schweinfurt, Germany, it was also known as “Schweinfurt Green” for the city where it was created. Often paired with gilded detailing, the book bindings created with the pigment look stunning, but they also pose a health risk because of its main ingredient: arsenic. The veritably verdant green pigment was created by mixing together copper acetate with arsenic trioxide.
People knew arsenic was dangerous even back then, but they also weren’t shy about using arsenic and other toxic substances in the pursuit of aesthetics. While it is a legitimate concern for collectors of antique books, there is a way to tell if a given book is dangerous or not. After all, not all green books from the Victorian era contain emerald green or other toxic pigments. One way to tell if a book contains arsenic is to use X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, which can identify the chemical composition of a bookcloth cover. For those who don’t have high-end laboratory equipment sitting around at home, The Poison Book Project at the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library offers handy-dandy bookmarks with a color swatch that can be used to compare colors, and pictures abound on the internet of the notorious emerald green pigment. Even if a book is green and from the right time period, if the colors don’t match, it’s probably safe. Even if there’s no test available, there’s no reason to panic. The arsenic didn’t always cause noticeable problems, though an excess amount of arsenic in the pigments have caused skin lesions, burns, and blisters in people who’ve handled them in some cases. So, there’s no reason to burn these books…but they may burn you.
[Image description: Old books lined up on a shelf.] Credit & copyright: Suzy Hazelwood, Pexels. This photo is not associated with the Poison Book Project in any way.These books may contain harmful material—literally. In the 1800s, it was apparently all the rage to use a toxic pigment to color book covers, and some of these poisonous publications might be hiding in plain sight. The color to look out for is emerald green, a vibrant hue that evokes the lighter specimens of its namesake gemstone. It was a popular pigment in the Victorian era not just for books, but also clothes, paintings, and wallpapers. First developed in 1814 by the Wilhelm Dye and White Lead Company in Schweinfurt, Germany, it was also known as “Schweinfurt Green” for the city where it was created. Often paired with gilded detailing, the book bindings created with the pigment look stunning, but they also pose a health risk because of its main ingredient: arsenic. The veritably verdant green pigment was created by mixing together copper acetate with arsenic trioxide.
People knew arsenic was dangerous even back then, but they also weren’t shy about using arsenic and other toxic substances in the pursuit of aesthetics. While it is a legitimate concern for collectors of antique books, there is a way to tell if a given book is dangerous or not. After all, not all green books from the Victorian era contain emerald green or other toxic pigments. One way to tell if a book contains arsenic is to use X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, which can identify the chemical composition of a bookcloth cover. For those who don’t have high-end laboratory equipment sitting around at home, The Poison Book Project at the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library offers handy-dandy bookmarks with a color swatch that can be used to compare colors, and pictures abound on the internet of the notorious emerald green pigment. Even if a book is green and from the right time period, if the colors don’t match, it’s probably safe. Even if there’s no test available, there’s no reason to panic. The arsenic didn’t always cause noticeable problems, though an excess amount of arsenic in the pigments have caused skin lesions, burns, and blisters in people who’ve handled them in some cases. So, there’s no reason to burn these books…but they may burn you.
[Image description: Old books lined up on a shelf.] Credit & copyright: Suzy Hazelwood, Pexels. This photo is not associated with the Poison Book Project in any way.
May 30, 2023
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Ahead of the launch of a new iPhone model, Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up efforts to recruit more workers for the world’s l...
From the BBC World Service: Ahead of the launch of a new iPhone model, Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up efforts to recruit more workers for the world’s l...
-
1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 30, 2023\NEM-uh-siss\ noun
What It Means
A nemesis is a formidable foe—an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to de...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 30, 2023\NEM-uh-siss\ noun
What It Means
A nemesis is a formidable foe—an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to de...
-
FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Glory, glory, hallelujah. Just about every American has heard at least the chorus of Battle Hymn of the Republic, even if they don’t know the verses. The song, while highly religious, isn’t exactly a traditional hymn, as it wasn’t written for religious purposes alone. Rather, it was meant to inspire and honor Union troops in the Civil War—particularly their fight against slavery. The song’s tune was taken from the folk song John Brown’s Body, which was written to honor the titular abolitionist. The Battle Hymn…’s lyrics were also penned by an ardent abolitionist, Julia Ward Howe. They refer to the cause of Union Troops as a holy errand, even referring to their nightly campfires as “altars.” They also lay bare Howe’s hatred of slavery, particularly in the last verse, where she wrote, “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” You can’t be much more direct than that.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Julia Ward Howe, wearing a lace collar and head-covering.] Credit & copyright: Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
Glory, glory, hallelujah. Just about every American has heard at least the chorus of Battle Hymn of the Republic, even if they don’t know the verses. The song, while highly religious, isn’t exactly a traditional hymn, as it wasn’t written for religious purposes alone. Rather, it was meant to inspire and honor Union troops in the Civil War—particularly their fight against slavery. The song’s tune was taken from the folk song John Brown’s Body, which was written to honor the titular abolitionist. The Battle Hymn…’s lyrics were also penned by an ardent abolitionist, Julia Ward Howe. They refer to the cause of Union Troops as a holy errand, even referring to their nightly campfires as “altars.” They also lay bare Howe’s hatred of slavery, particularly in the last verse, where she wrote, “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” You can’t be much more direct than that.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Julia Ward Howe, wearing a lace collar and head-covering.] Credit & copyright: Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
-
FREESports Daily Curio #2662Free1 CQ
For those living in Indiana, Memorial Day weekend brings another time-honored tradition besides remembrance and barbecues: The Indianapolis 500. Although this year’s race took place on May 28, the very first Indy 500 took place on this day in 1911, and the event looked a bit different, back then. One thing that hasn’t ever changed, though, is the location. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or the Brickyard, was the brainchild of local auto dealer Carl Fisher, who wanted to test the capabilities of new vehicles by racing them against each other on the track. As its nickname might suggest, the track was originally laid with bricks. It’s hard to imagine today’s state-of-the-art IndyCars roaring past cheering spectators on bumpy bricks, but the racers of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 were driving something that would hardly be considered a contender today. Back then, cars were smaller and casket-shaped with thin wheels, but they were still the speed demons of their day.
The winner of that inaugural 500-mile race, Ray Harroun, finished with a time of 6 hours and 42 minutes, averaging 74.59 miles per hour. Notably, Harroun had been the only driver to race on a single-seater, with all the other racers accompanied by a mechanic in the passenger side to pump the oil. That’s definitely something that wouldn’t be seen today. Progress came swiftly, though, and just a decade later, Harroun’s time in that first race wouldn’t have been competitive at all. The cars by then were becoming more rounded for greater aerodynamic performance and much lighter. These new pill-shaped cars would dominate the race during the early era of the event’s history, and they remain an iconic design. Today, the Indianapolis 500 is part of the IndyCar Series, which holds races from Salinas, California, to Toronto, Canada, with varying track layouts. Like the cars of their peers in Formula One, IndyCars look more like wingless planes with fat wheels than conventional road vehicles. Both IndyCars and Formula One cars are capable of going well over 200 miles-per-hour, though one big difference is that IndyCars don’t have power steering. Hey, if it’s worked for over a century, why change it now?
[Image description: An IndyCar races down a track. The background is blurred.] Credit & copyright: Collin Hanson, PexelsFor those living in Indiana, Memorial Day weekend brings another time-honored tradition besides remembrance and barbecues: The Indianapolis 500. Although this year’s race took place on May 28, the very first Indy 500 took place on this day in 1911, and the event looked a bit different, back then. One thing that hasn’t ever changed, though, is the location. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or the Brickyard, was the brainchild of local auto dealer Carl Fisher, who wanted to test the capabilities of new vehicles by racing them against each other on the track. As its nickname might suggest, the track was originally laid with bricks. It’s hard to imagine today’s state-of-the-art IndyCars roaring past cheering spectators on bumpy bricks, but the racers of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 were driving something that would hardly be considered a contender today. Back then, cars were smaller and casket-shaped with thin wheels, but they were still the speed demons of their day.
The winner of that inaugural 500-mile race, Ray Harroun, finished with a time of 6 hours and 42 minutes, averaging 74.59 miles per hour. Notably, Harroun had been the only driver to race on a single-seater, with all the other racers accompanied by a mechanic in the passenger side to pump the oil. That’s definitely something that wouldn’t be seen today. Progress came swiftly, though, and just a decade later, Harroun’s time in that first race wouldn’t have been competitive at all. The cars by then were becoming more rounded for greater aerodynamic performance and much lighter. These new pill-shaped cars would dominate the race during the early era of the event’s history, and they remain an iconic design. Today, the Indianapolis 500 is part of the IndyCar Series, which holds races from Salinas, California, to Toronto, Canada, with varying track layouts. Like the cars of their peers in Formula One, IndyCars look more like wingless planes with fat wheels than conventional road vehicles. Both IndyCars and Formula One cars are capable of going well over 200 miles-per-hour, though one big difference is that IndyCars don’t have power steering. Hey, if it’s worked for over a century, why change it now?
[Image description: An IndyCar races down a track. The background is blurred.] Credit & copyright: Collin Hanson, Pexels
May 29, 2023
-
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
This really takes the expression “stony gaze” to a whole new level—the highest level of the house, in fact. Many surviving artifacts from ancient Greece bear the Gorgoneion, with origins dating even further back. The piece above is an ornamental roof tile made of terracotta clay that would have sat in a location visible to guests, possibly near the entrance. A smiling face with a tongue sticking out, its head is encircled by snakes. Several of the snakes on the left of the face have been broken off, and the terracotta is a brownish color. The Gorgoneion depicts a Gorgon, one of the three snake-haired sisters of ancient Greek mythology, whose mere gaze could turn people into stone. Most famous of the sisters, of course, is Medusa, but not every Gorgoneion portrays her. Aside from ornamental roof tiles, the Gorgoneion was often displayed on the shields of soldiers to frighten enemies. Generally, the Gorgoneion was an apotropaic symbol, meaning it was used to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. So, the fearful visage of the Gorgon roof tile wasn’t meant to scare visitors or inhabitants, but the ancient Greek equivalent of the boogeyman. If looks could kill!
Gorgoneion Antefix, c. 500 BC, Terracotta, Height: 9.625 in. (24.5 cm), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication.]This really takes the expression “stony gaze” to a whole new level—the highest level of the house, in fact. Many surviving artifacts from ancient Greece bear the Gorgoneion, with origins dating even further back. The piece above is an ornamental roof tile made of terracotta clay that would have sat in a location visible to guests, possibly near the entrance. A smiling face with a tongue sticking out, its head is encircled by snakes. Several of the snakes on the left of the face have been broken off, and the terracotta is a brownish color. The Gorgoneion depicts a Gorgon, one of the three snake-haired sisters of ancient Greek mythology, whose mere gaze could turn people into stone. Most famous of the sisters, of course, is Medusa, but not every Gorgoneion portrays her. Aside from ornamental roof tiles, the Gorgoneion was often displayed on the shields of soldiers to frighten enemies. Generally, the Gorgoneion was an apotropaic symbol, meaning it was used to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. So, the fearful visage of the Gorgon roof tile wasn’t meant to scare visitors or inhabitants, but the ancient Greek equivalent of the boogeyman. If looks could kill!
Gorgoneion Antefix, c. 500 BC, Terracotta, Height: 9.625 in. (24.5 cm), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication.] -
FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #2661Free1 CQ
Hey mosquitoes, bite this! As summer brings a fresh round of biting bugs, a new type of fabric, recently developed at Auburn University in Alabama, may help stop the troublesome insects. That’s good news, since most mosquito-fighting options rely on chemicals that can sometimes be harmful (and don’t smell that great.) DEET or picaridin sprays, for example, can repel mosquitoes and other bugs, but often impart an unpleasant odor or a slimy feeling on the skin. DEET can also damage synthetic fabrics at higher concentrations, which is bad news since synthetics are common in apparel made for hiking and other outdoor activities. Then there’s permethrin, which can be sprayed onto tents and apparel, but the treatment can wear off and can be toxic to cats. For cookouts and other outdoor gatherings, many people rely on citronella candles and torches, but they tend not to be as effective as spray-on repellents. Wearing loose clothing can help one escape from bites, but that’s far from foolproof and mosquitoes can bite through most conventional fabrics.
That’s why researchers at Auburn University set out to develop an unconventional fabric. John Beckmann, an assistant professor of entomology and plant pathology at the university, developed a special mosquito-proof fabric. According to Beckmann, “We’ve discovered a unique knit: By its geometric structure, it blocks mosquito bites.” Even most tightly-knit fabrics create openings big enough for the proboscis of a mosquito to squeeze through, but Beckmann’s unique knit prevents any gaps from forming, even when the fabric is stretched. Beckmann and his team are working on making the fabric more comfortable to wear, but once it’s perfected, it could be licensed to clothing manufacturers. That would be good news for many people, since preventing mosquito bites can be a matter of life or death. Mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people every year by spreading diseases like West Nile virus, Zika virus and, of course, Malaria. While medical treatments exist for these diseases, they are often expensive and therefore out of reach for people living in remote places. A bite-proof fabric could prove to be an easy-to-use preventative measure. Seems like a suit-able solution.
[Image description: Mosquito biting through blue fabric.] Credit & copyright: Egor Kamelev, PexelsHey mosquitoes, bite this! As summer brings a fresh round of biting bugs, a new type of fabric, recently developed at Auburn University in Alabama, may help stop the troublesome insects. That’s good news, since most mosquito-fighting options rely on chemicals that can sometimes be harmful (and don’t smell that great.) DEET or picaridin sprays, for example, can repel mosquitoes and other bugs, but often impart an unpleasant odor or a slimy feeling on the skin. DEET can also damage synthetic fabrics at higher concentrations, which is bad news since synthetics are common in apparel made for hiking and other outdoor activities. Then there’s permethrin, which can be sprayed onto tents and apparel, but the treatment can wear off and can be toxic to cats. For cookouts and other outdoor gatherings, many people rely on citronella candles and torches, but they tend not to be as effective as spray-on repellents. Wearing loose clothing can help one escape from bites, but that’s far from foolproof and mosquitoes can bite through most conventional fabrics.
That’s why researchers at Auburn University set out to develop an unconventional fabric. John Beckmann, an assistant professor of entomology and plant pathology at the university, developed a special mosquito-proof fabric. According to Beckmann, “We’ve discovered a unique knit: By its geometric structure, it blocks mosquito bites.” Even most tightly-knit fabrics create openings big enough for the proboscis of a mosquito to squeeze through, but Beckmann’s unique knit prevents any gaps from forming, even when the fabric is stretched. Beckmann and his team are working on making the fabric more comfortable to wear, but once it’s perfected, it could be licensed to clothing manufacturers. That would be good news for many people, since preventing mosquito bites can be a matter of life or death. Mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people every year by spreading diseases like West Nile virus, Zika virus and, of course, Malaria. While medical treatments exist for these diseases, they are often expensive and therefore out of reach for people living in remote places. A bite-proof fabric could prove to be an easy-to-use preventative measure. Seems like a suit-able solution.
[Image description: Mosquito biting through blue fabric.] Credit & copyright: Egor Kamelev, Pexels -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Microsoft and intelligence agencies are warning that a hacking group sponsored by the Chinese government has infiltrated critical infrastructure in the U.S. ...
Microsoft and intelligence agencies are warning that a hacking group sponsored by the Chinese government has infiltrated critical infrastructure in the U.S. ...
