Recently finished The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel and How to Invent Everything by Ryan North. Both great books, filled with awesome facts.
Here's a few:
Fabric of Civilization.
- Cotton's ancestors independently evolved in Mexico and Africa and modern cotton comes from a hybrid between the two. 5-10 million years ago (well before humans and well after the Atlantic Ocean formed), African cotton seeds crossed the pond and, in another crazy coincidence, were able breed with locals, creating a plant that produced fibers AND had the genetic potential to be domesticated into the fiber-rich plant we benefit from now. No one knows how these seeds got across the ocean.
- Thread was once hard to come by and weavers were often idle, that is until thread could be massed produced starting in the 1770s. Then handweavers benefited from lots of work at high pay until power looms came along about 30 years later and the Luddite movement was born. In other words the Luddites were some of the earliest beneficiaries of Industrial Revolution technology.
- The first artificial dye was a purple (specifically: lilac) created by William Henry Perkin who was trying to synthesize an anti-malaria drug.
- Creating weave patterns remained a trade secret until master weaver Marx Ziegler became fed up that local weavers couldn't keep up with demand. He published a book of the secrets of weaving patterns in 1677 and implored experts in other fields to do as he did. A century later, they did exactly that and helped kick off the Industrial Revolution.
- Cloth was used as a currency and it's value was relatively consistent compared to precious metals: it was easier to make (for when the value increased) and easier to use up (for when the value fell).
How to Invent Everything.
- The idea that eating citrus prevents scurvy was known to Europeans in 1400 CE to the extent that some sailors planted orange trees on key islands. But, due to poor communication, sailors kept forgetting how to prevent scurvy--the crucial role of vitamin C was rediscovered multiple times including in 1593, 1614, 1707, 1734, 1747, and 1794. Of course, they didn't know it was vitamin C and since the vitamin can easily destroyed by air, the lime juice 19th century British sailors used didn't do much. What really took out scurvy was steam engines because it caused sailors to spend less time at sea.
- Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was the first person to propose that washing hands with soap could prevent infection after noticing women who gave birth often died when med students--fresh from dissecting dead bodies--delivered the babies while these new mothers tended to live if midwives delivered them. Washing hands was considered an extreme idea and he was kicked out of the hospital but he didn't stop talking about the importance of basic hygiene. In 1865 he was thrown into an insane asylum where he was beaten by guards and--of course--died of infected wounds two weeks later.
- The Chinese invented paper in 300 BCE; they kept the process secret and Europeans didn't start making paper until the 11th century. You can also get 15,000 sheets of paper from a single large tree.
- Steel is, at most, 2% carbon. That's right: that tiny bit of carbon transforms pretty strong iron into REALLY strong steel.
- Birthing forceps were invented in the 1500s by the Chamberlen family who kept the invention secret. When there was a troubling birth, they'd clear the room and blindfold the woman--while she was in labor mind you--before removing the forceps from a sealed box. They did this for 150 years!
One of the big themes that came out of both is how often people kept knowledge secret and the damage that was done, especially since such secrecy facilitated how often knowledge was lost.
Another thing mentioned in both: pre-industrial dying was really, really stinky.