LINKS - June 1st, 2022
Welcome to LINKS — my attempt to provide Rhapsody readers with five interesting stories that tell us something about what it means to be human. LINKS is published every Wednesday. Have a link you want to share? Drop it in the comments.
Five Turning Points in the Evolution of Wine
By Christopher Howard, Sapiens
“This most human and ancient of beverages is ripe for anthropological investigation. Archaeologists have excavated an Armenian cave that’s home to the world’s oldest-known winery, analyzed residue from 9,000-year-old Chinese pots in search of the chemical signature of grapes, and dove into the ocean to examine Greek wine amphorae in a shipwreck. Meanwhile, sociocultural anthropologists have explored wine and cultural identity in France, wine and the politics of place and labor, and wine as a perfect synthesis of nature, culture, and technology.”
From the Ancient Ashes of Vesuvius, Human DNA
By Franz Lidz, New York Times
“Dr. Macciardi is part of a team of geneticists and archaeologists who reported Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports that they had successfully sequenced the genome of this hypothetically lazy Latin lover. It was the first time that a complete stretch of mitochondrial DNA from Pompeian human or animal remains had been genetically decoded.”
When does summer start? Here’s why each season begins twice.
By Amy McKeever, National Geographic
“Every year, weather forecasters welcome the arrival of summer on the first of June—while others contend that the summer really begins a few weeks later with the solstice, which falls on June 20, 21, or 22. So who is right about when the seasons begin and end?”
Dramatic Visualization Reveals Shocking Extent of New Mexico's Biggest Wildfire on Record
By Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine
“So these two blazes — which are being battled by nearly 4,000 personnel and together are approaching three times the size of the City of Los Angeles — could be a preview of a horrible burning season to come.”
Record Methane Spike Boosts Heat Trapped by Greenhouse Gases
By John Fialka, E&E News via Scientific American
“Greenhouse gases trapped 49 percent more heat in 2021 than in 1990, as emissions continued to rise rapidly, according to NOAA.
“NOAA released its “Annual Greenhouse Gas Index” last week. The index is based on thousands of air samples collected globally over each of the last 63 years; this observational method means it “contains little uncertainty,” according to the agency.”