Just finished reading the
Seven Daughters of Eve by
Brian Sykes, professor of human genetics at Oxford University. It weaves a fantastic account of human history as revealed by the mitochondrial DNA inherited from mothers to daughters. Sykes finds that "almost everyone of European origin is descended from one of seven ancient women" who lived 45,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Every person on earth is, in turn, the descendent of one of only 33 women, who are themselves the matrilineal ancestors of "
Mitochondrial Eve", a common ancestor of all living humans.
So it turns out that as factions in the world continue to tear each other apart along perceived racial, geographical, economic, and religious grounds, we're actually all brothers and sisters from the same mother. And while we are reaching back in time to learn from modern science, why not grab some language from the epic poet Homer: "A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother". Be sympathetic and compassionate with your fellow human beings. We're all in this together.Labels: history, literature, science
King
Midas was the richest man in the world but when even
food and his daughter solidified he begged
Dionysos (Bacchus) to take his golden touch away. The god relenting he was allowed to eat.
Inspirations behind the myth comes from the real King Mita's 8th century BC funeral featuring a banquet of honeyed stew, BBQ meats, and lentils. The food bowls in his tomb contain dusty mould but modern science feasts on the preserved conditions. Dr Rodney Young and his archaeological team found the tomb in the burial mounds of western Turkey in 1957 but the mass spectometry and infared spectroscopy of the 21st century can reveal the 'chemical footprints' of the food residue within. Here's the menu and recipes.Labels: culture, food, history
