This Week in Curious Minds: From Ketchup Cures to Mount Everest Markers

History is rarely a straight line of progress; it is more often a series of bizarre pivots, accidental discoveries, and sudden linguistic shifts. From the way we measure a single minute to the strange contents of a Victorian medicine cabinet, the world we inhabit today was built on the foundations of these specific, often peculiar, moments.

• Ancient Babylonian mathematics still dictates how we perceive and divide time every single day.
• A casual 1917 letter from a British Admiral created one of the most pervasive acronyms in modern digital communication.
• The Eiffel Tower literally grows heavier with every decade of preservation, adding hundreds of tons of paint.
• Medical history is filled with surprising pivots, such as common condiments being marketed as cure-alls for digestive issues.
• Scientific breakthroughs often come from unlikely sources, including individuals with heightened sensory perceptions that outpace modern lab equipment.

Why It Matters

Understanding these historical threads allows us to see the modern world not as a finished product, but as a living museum of past decisions and accidental genius.

The Babylonian Legacy: Why an Hour Has 60 Minutes

When you look at your watch, you are participating in a tradition that predates the Roman Empire by millennia. Unlike our modern base-10 decimal system, the ancient Babylonians used a sexagesimal (base-60) system. This choice was not arbitrary; 60 is a highly composite number, meaning it has more divisors than any smaller positive integer. It can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30.

This mathematical utility made it the ideal framework for astronomy and navigation. Our 60-minute hour comes from ancient Babylonian maths, and the practicality of this system was so profound that it survived the fall of empires. While we have moved to base-10 for our currency and general counting, we remain Babylonian when it comes to the geometry of a circle and the passage of a day.

The Linguistic Birth of 'OMG'

We often assume that internet slang is a product of the late 20th century, but the origins of our digital vocabulary go much deeper. The first recorded use of OMG as an acronym for Oh My God appears in a 1917 letter written by Admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher.

Fisher, a high-ranking naval officer, sent the letter to Winston Churchill during the First World War. It proves that even in the most formal eras of British history, the desire for linguistic brevity and expressive flair was present. This is a classic example of how language evolves; what starts as a playful shorthand in a private letter can, decades later, become a global standard for communication.

When Ketchup Was a Pharmacy Staple

In the 1830s, if you were suffering from a bout of indigestion, you wouldn't head to the condiment aisle; you would head to the doctor. Ketchup was once sold as medicine in the 1830s, specifically by Dr John Cook Bennett. He claimed the tomato-based sauce could treat everything from diarrhoea to jaundice.

Bennett even had the sauce concentrated into pill form. This era of patent medicine was largely unregulated, allowing for wild claims about the curative powers of everyday ingredients. It was only later, when the medicinal claims were debunked and the recipe was sweetened, that ketchup transitioned into the culinary staple we recognise today.

The Eiffel Tower’s Increasing Weight

The Eiffel Tower is an icon of lightness and grace, yet it is physically expanding. The Eiffel Tower is 700 tons heavier today than when it was built. This massive increase in mass is not due to structural additions, but to the sheer volume of paint required to keep the iron from rusting.

Every seven years, the tower is repainted by hand. Over 130 years, these layers have accumulated into a significant physical weight. It is a reminder that preservation is an active, additive process that physically alters the objects we try to keep the same.

Human Sensors and Medical Breakthroughs

Sometimes, human biology outpaces the sensitivity of medical instruments. A remarkable case is that of Joy Milne, a woman with a heightened sense of smell. Joy Milne said she could smell Parkinson's on her husband long before he was diagnosed.

In a controlled study, she correctly identified the scent on T-shirts worn by patients. Crucially, she flagged one healthy participant as having the disease; that person was diagnosed months later. This has led researchers to investigate the sebum produced by the skin as a potential early diagnostic tool, proving that the future of medicine often relies on observing the extraordinary abilities of the few.

The Evolution of Health Science

Our understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle is constantly being refined by large-scale data. While the Victorian era might have prescribed ketchup for stomach aches, modern science looks at longitudinal mortality rates. A recent UK study found that alcohol health risks may vary by drink type, noting that wine consumers often show lower mortality rates compared to those who prefer beer or spirits.

This research, often published in journals like BMC Medicine, suggests that lifestyle factors or specific compounds like polyphenols in wine may play a role. It highlights the shift from anecdotal medicine to data-driven health insights.

12 Pivotal Historical Shifts

Practical Applications

• Time Management: Knowing our time system is based on divisors of 60 can help you segment your day into more natural blocks (15, 20, or 30 minutes) rather than fighting for a decimal-style structure.
• Linguistic Awareness: Understanding that acronyms like OMG have been around for a century helps bridge the gap between generational communication styles.
• Critical Consumption: The history of ketchup reminds us to be wary of health claims that lack rigorous, independent scientific backing.

Interesting Connections

The 700 tons of paint on the Eiffel Tower is roughly equivalent to the weight of 100 adult elephants. This constant battle against oxidation is a perfect metaphor for the Stoic belief in daily self-maintenance. As we discussed in the context of what Marcus Aurelius meant by 'waste no more time arguing', the effort to maintain one's character must be as consistent as the effort to maintain a monument.

Why did the Babylonians use base-60?

The number 60 was chosen because it is easily divisible by many smaller numbers, making it highly practical for trade, astronomy, and splitting resources without dealing with complex fractions.

Who really sent the first OMG letter?

It was Admiral John Fisher in a 1917 letter to Winston Churchill. He used it as a way to express excitement and urgency regarding news during World War I.

Is the Eiffel Tower actually in danger from the weight of the paint?

No, the tower was designed with a significant safety margin. The weight of the paint is accounted for in the ongoing structural maintenance and engineering assessments.

Can everyone smell diseases like Parkinson's?

No. Joy Milne is a super-smeller with a rare genetic ability to detect volatile organic compounds that most people cannot perceive. Her case is being used to help train mechanical sensors.

Key Takeaways

• Historical systems like the Babylonian base-60 timekeeping remain in use because they are mathematically superior for specific tasks.
• Language is more cyclical than we think; Admiral Fisher’s 1917 letter is proof that modern slang has deep roots.
• Scientific understanding moves from the anecdotal (ketchup pills) to the data-driven (longitudinal studies on alcohol).
• Human perception remains a powerful tool for scientific discovery, often acting as the catalyst for new technologies.

Related Reading

• Why Did Roman Emperors Sometimes Adopt Their Successors?
• Why People Sometimes Prefer a Known Problem to an Unknown Solution
• Our 60-minute hour comes from ancient Babylonian maths
• The Eiffel Tower is 700 tons heavier today than when it was built