Scientists in the mid-20th century created "atomic gardens" where they bombarded plants with gamma radiation to induce beneficial mutations like disease resistance and higher yields. Microwaves have been accused of causing cancer, destroying nutrients,and functioning as listening devices.
"Phubbing" - phone snubbing - describes ignoring someone in front of you to look at your phone, and it's become the modern signature of distraction. We've created connections across continents through technology yet find it increasingly difficult to maintain eye contact with people sitting across from us. The accidental side glance at notifications has become so normalized that we barely register the social damage it causes, making it a choice we make every time we prioritize the buzzing rectangle over the human in front of us.
From gamma-ray gardens to microwave paranoia and phone addiction ruining dinners, this week showed that human curiosity and technological advancement create both excellent outcomes and noteworthy disasters. We've learnt to mutate plants with radiation and overcome irrational appliance fears, yet somehow can't put our phones down long enough to have a proper conversation - proving that some technological problems are harder to solve than others.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
01:32 The Birth of Atomic Gardening
04:09 Muriel Howorth and the Atomic Gardening Society
12:25 The Legacy and Impact of Atomic Gardening
12:59 CJ Spies and the Atomic Golf Balls
13:39 Radiated Golf Balls: The New Sensation
14:04 Introducing the Food Babe
14:48 Microwaves and Nutrient Destruction
17:17 Microwaves and Radiation Exposure
19:57 Microwaved Water and Negative Energy
22:45 Phubbing: The Modern Social Dilemma
26:18 Wrapping Up: Listener Interaction and Feedback
SOURCES:
Atomic Gardening
https://proto.life/2021/05/a-short-history-of-atomic-gardening/
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/03/atomic-gardening-breeding-plants-with.html
http://www.atomicgardening.com/1966/03/01/whatever-happened-to-the-atomic-garden/
https://minnstate.pressbooks.pub/peppermintkings/chapter/global-peppermint/
Microwave Conspiracies
https://www.vox.com/2015/4/7/8360935/food-babe
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf970670x
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200714-is-it-safe-to-microwave-food
Phubbing
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563218302978
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.