1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, the production of 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hey you welcome to Stuff to Blow 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: your Mind. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Joe McCormick. 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: And today we're gonna be addressing a maybe a surprisingly 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: cozy topic. We're gonna be doing a bit of an invention. 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: Look at the bed, that's right. Uh. We we love 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: to go to bed, especially this time of year. You know, 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: It's just it just seems like the place to be, uh, 9 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,959 Speaker 1: under multiple layers of blanket, um totally over your body. 10 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, my my head just between two pillows, just 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: in the utter darkness there. Uh yeah, I mean we 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of a cliche, especially when it comes 13 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: to mattress commercials, but we do spend an enormous amount 14 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: of time in bed, you know. It's we spend a 15 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: large portion of our life the sleeping. Uh, and this 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: is where we do it. One of the sources that 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to refer to in this episode as a 18 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: book that I just started reading called What We Did 19 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: in Bed, a Horizontal History by Yale University Press or 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: Not by Yale University Press. From Yale University Press by 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: uh Brian and Fagan and Nadia Durrani, And in one 22 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: of their early chapters, they begin with a quote from 23 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: a writer named Lawrence Wright, who I think wrote on architecture, 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 1: but who said, from nearly all social history and biography, 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: one third of the story is missing. And that's kind 26 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: of true. I mean, we've talked before about how a 27 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: lot of times it's interesting to try to get a 28 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: flavor of everyday life from the histories written in a 29 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: certain place and time, and that can be difficult because 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: the histories that people write about are usually devoted to 31 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: unusual events, are very like like high stakes events. Uh, 32 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: the things we think of as making history, not what 33 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: everybody happens to go home and do at night, right, Yeah, 34 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: And and the big part of that is sleeping. Not 35 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: not as many maybe, I guess you do have paintings 36 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: of people sleeping, but uh, for the most part, it's 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: not the stuff of Soka's but it really does define 38 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: the very texture of our lives. I mean, we you know, 39 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: you spend maybe roughly a third of your life or 40 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: so in bed, and so uh, what's happening there and 41 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: what form that bed takes probably matters a lot for 42 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: your experience of the world. That's right. If it's not 43 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: the center of your house, it's kind of kind of 44 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: a center of your house, you know, it's like one 45 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: of the places that you you spend a lot of time. 46 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: Uh it, I mean, it's it's it's one of those 47 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: things that is you start talking about it, and it's 48 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: kind of a an outrageous overstatement of the obvious. But 49 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: but yeah, we we live in our beds, like, our 50 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: beds are a place we live. So I was wondering, 51 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: how did our ancestors sleep before the creation of beds. 52 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: You know, whenever we look at an invention, we like 53 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: to ask what came before? And uh, of course, obviously 54 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: we've been sleep being much longer than we've been sleeping 55 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: in beds, So what was that transition period like? And 56 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: there's a lot we don't know, but what we do 57 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: know is kind of interesting. So, for one thing, it 58 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: seems like, if you go back far enough, much of 59 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: the life of our hominid ancestors took place in trees. 60 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: We were you know, we were descended from largely arboreal 61 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: species and this probably included sleep. And for some evidence 62 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: of this we can look to the sleeping habits of 63 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: our nearest relatives in the animal world, which would be chimpanzees, 64 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: whose relationship to their environment is we don't know for sure, 65 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: but we think it is probably pretty similar to that 66 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: of human ants of human ancestors from several million years ago. 67 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: And in their book, Fagan and Durrani point out that 68 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: chimpanzees in the Toro sim Leaky Reserve of western Uganda 69 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: prefer to make their tree top nests out of branches 70 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: of a particular tree. Actually like their picky about what 71 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: kind of tree would they want to sleep on. They 72 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: really like something called Ugandan iron wood. And I went 73 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: actually to dig up the citation on this because I 74 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: was wondering about the study, and it looks like this 75 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: comes from a study by Samson and Hunt published in 76 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: p Os one that looked at different types of nesting 77 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: behaviors in chimpanzees and Uganda, and they sampled eighteen hundred 78 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: and forty four nests and found that chimpanzees selected Ugandan 79 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: ironwood for seventy three point six percent of all those nests, 80 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 1: even though it was only a little bit less than 81 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: ten percent of all the trees within the area that 82 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: they surveyed. And they found that this was probably related 83 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: to certain material properties of the ironwood, as would They 84 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: said it was the stiffest of all the woods around, 85 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: and they said it quote had the greatest bending strength 86 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: of all the trees tested, had the smallest distance between 87 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: leaves on the branches, and had the smallest leaf surface area. 88 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: And so I'm wondering if all that just kind of 89 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: add up to, well, this kind of tree makes the 90 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: best natural mattress material. It's like that it's got the 91 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: best sort of the best support structure for you, but 92 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: it also bends is sort of nicely cushioned. Yeah. And 93 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,119 Speaker 1: the idea too that it there's the smallest distance between 94 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,239 Speaker 1: leaves on the branches. Um, you know that that brings 95 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: that makes you think of something that's almost uh, it's 96 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: almost like it's woven together, you know. But of course, 97 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: eventually our ancestors did come out of the trees for 98 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: the majority of their lives, and the date of this 99 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: transition is debatable, but uh, Fagan and Durrani right that 100 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: probably roughly two million years ago or so, our ancestors 101 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: first began to control fire, and it seems that this 102 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: probably coincided with a transition to sleeping out on the 103 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: ground in open camps or under the shelter of rock, 104 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 1: overhangs or caves around fires instead of sleeping in trees. 105 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: And I think that's an interesting possibility that that fire 106 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: control of fire would be correlated with changes in where 107 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: and how we slept. Yeah, we can easily imagine the 108 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: Gary Larson far Side cartoon showing what happened to our 109 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: ancestors that decided to have the fires in the tree 110 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: with them. Yeah, that's not a good plan. Yeah, And 111 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: then uh, Fagan and Doroni go on to mention something 112 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: that's interesting. Now, this is speculation, but it is interesting 113 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: to consider the possibility that the introduction of camp fires 114 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: could very well have shaped the development of what we 115 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: see as major features of human social life. And they 116 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: give the example of huddling around fires for warmth and 117 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,679 Speaker 1: for protection against predators during and adjacent to sleep time 118 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: that could have given rise to increasing habituation to prolonged 119 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: close physical contact. That this could somehow be related towards 120 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: repeated sex with the same partner in places otherwise used 121 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: for sleep, as opposed to opportunistic sexual pairing. The possibility 122 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: that if this is true, the author's right quote pair 123 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: bonding maybe a recent feature of human evolution, and it's 124 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: intriguing to imagine that technology fire and the bed played 125 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: a role in its emergence. Now, unfortunately, it's impossible to 126 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: know for sure at this point given the evidence we have, 127 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: but that is an interesting possibility, I mean even today, Uh, Like, 128 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: what do you think when you see um like this, 129 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: this this setting, a roaring fireplace and some in the 130 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: fur of some sort of animal placed in front of 131 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: it like it is? It is? It is on some level. 132 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: And this is of course probably a lot of this 133 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: is probably just cultural uh coding as well, but it's 134 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: it's an erotic situation. It's like they're a bed, they're 135 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: a fire, right, you're you are in James Bond and 136 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: the Russian Spies Shelley. But there is a certain point 137 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: at which we we don't have to speculate as much 138 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: what was going on, because we eventually do get some 139 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,559 Speaker 1: physical evidence from archaeology that can tell us something about 140 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: the sleeping arrangements of our ancient human ancestors. Uh. And 141 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: this would be especially during the Middle Stone Age of 142 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: South Africa. Now, this next part refers to a study 143 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: by Lynn Wadley Christine Seevers, Marian Bamford, Paul Goldberg, Francesco Berner, 144 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: and Christopher Miller called Middle Stone Age bedding, construction and 145 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: settlement patterns at Subadu, South Africa. This was published in 146 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven and Science and according to Widely at All, 147 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: there are a number of interesting adaptations that all appear 148 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: or emerge in the Middle Stone Age of South Africa. 149 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: We noticed the use of shell beads and engraving, uh 150 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: innovations in stone technology, the creation and use of compound adhesives, 151 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: so types of glue, heat treatment of rocks, and circumstantial 152 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: evidence for snares and for bows and arrows. But along 153 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: with this all all this stuff in the same period, 154 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: there's also early evidence of domestic innovations in betting. And 155 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: this evidence of betting comes from a place known as 156 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: the Seeboodoo Rock shelter. To read from Fagan and Durrani 157 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: quote in a cliff above the youth Ungathi River in 158 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: South Africa, forty kilometers north of Durban and fifteen kilometers 159 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: from the Indian Ocean. Modern people Homo sapiens, who were 160 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: physically and mentally like ourselves, visited the shelter at least 161 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: fifteen times between seventy seven thousand and thirty eight thousand 162 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: years ago, and slept there. Thick swaths of grasses, sedges, 163 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: and rushes that still grow by the river tell a 164 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: story of regular but careful slumber. Now about the archaeological 165 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: find the archaeologist Lynn Wadley, the lead author and the 166 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: study I mentioned, she said in a separate interview that 167 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: was quoted in an article I was reading. Quote, the 168 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: fossilized leaves were uncovered as a sheet of white plant 169 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: matter overlying layers of sedge leaves and stems. I suspected 170 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,559 Speaker 1: whilst excavating them that the leaves were deliberately elected as 171 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: part of betting, because all of the leaves were clearly 172 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: the same taxon meaning of the same plant. If leaves 173 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: had simply blown into the site from the forest, there 174 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 1: would have been several different tree species represented. So that's 175 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: about the method of determining what this layer of vegetation 176 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: that was repeatedly found buried in the ground meant. But 177 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: Fagan and Durrani also mentioned that there was something careful 178 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: going on about the construction of this ancient betting. Here 179 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: where does the careful part come in. Well, when you're 180 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: sleeping in a cave or a rock shelter, it can 181 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: be extremely difficult to keep your sleeping area clean and 182 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: free of insects. I mean, obviously, you know you're laying 183 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: out there, and you are you and all the stuff 184 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: you're doing is probably pretty attractive to insects for multiple reasons. 185 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: There are mosquitoes that want to bite you and suck 186 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: your blood. There are probably other opportunistic insects that are 187 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: attracted to whatever foods you're eating around your dwelling space. 188 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: You know, you're like a magnet for insect life. But 189 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 1: the Stone Age inhabitants of this cave discovered away to 190 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: to improve their their odds with insects. Essentially, they invented 191 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: an insect repellent mattress. Now, this mattress was made out 192 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 1: of not just any leaves and grasses, but very importantly, 193 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: it contained the aromatic leaves of the Cape laurel tree 194 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: or Cryptocaria woody eye, which smells very nice to humans, 195 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: I'm told, I'm not sure if I know what that 196 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: would smell like. But it also bears insecticidal compounds that 197 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: can drive away mosquitoes and other pests. And this would 198 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: have been not only to make the beds more pleasant, 199 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 1: but to some extent this was a question of life 200 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: and death, because insect borne illnesses were and are a 201 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: real threat to survival, especially to young children. But beyond that, 202 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: there's also evidence that the people who lived here frequently 203 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: burned their bedding and then replaced it with fresh layers 204 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: of foliage. And this would be to kill any insects 205 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: that had taken up residence despite the repell leaves, and 206 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: to get rid of trash and garbage. Because one thing 207 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: is quite clear from the archaeological remains, these people liked 208 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: to eat in bed. The remains showed that they would 209 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: consume food on these grass mats that served as their beds, 210 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: but they would also do other stuff. Tools, debris, and 211 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: charred bone indicate that they probably worked and did other 212 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: activities in bed, because hey, beds are nice, you know, 213 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: it's it's a soft layer, Like, why leave if you 214 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: don't have to. They also clearly liked large beds. Fagan 215 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: and Dorani described these as king sized quote. Most of 216 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: the bedding covers at least three well trodden square meters 217 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: uh and the fact that they were burning their bedding 218 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,719 Speaker 1: and replacing it at regular intervals shows early human use 219 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,599 Speaker 1: not just to fire for warmth, cooking protection, and tool manufacture, 220 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: but also for sanitation, which is an important milestone in 221 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: the history of human hygiene. But I thought this was 222 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: interesting for a number of reasons. I mean, one is 223 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: the ancient insight into the insect repellent properties of these 224 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: particular leaves that would be woven into the bedding material 225 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: to keep the insects out. But another thing is what 226 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: kind of role this bed location would have played in 227 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: ancient culture, Because, at least in American culture today, we 228 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: usually think of beds as well several things private right 229 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,719 Speaker 1: hidden from view, Like if you're showing somebody around your 230 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: house that you know, you don't usually start with the bed. 231 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: You might not even show them the bed at all. 232 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: We think of beds as solitary or at least secluded 233 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,559 Speaker 1: with a single partner. We think of beds as primarily 234 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: for sleep, with secondary uses maybe including sex and low 235 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: energy activities like reading. But historically and around the world, 236 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 1: none of this is a given. Like for much of 237 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: human history and for many people even today, beds have 238 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: been more public or in plane view, often shared by 239 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: many people sometimes even by strangers, and used for lots 240 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: of activities other than sleep in sex like beds have 241 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: many times in place has been used for socializing, eating, 242 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: preparing food, working on projects, etcetera. And I wonder what 243 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: kind of difference does this make in our lives. Well, 244 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: I was thinking about this, and I think of thinking 245 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: about like my current living situation and past living situations, 246 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: and I think one thing we have to to to 247 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: recognize is that in the sort of you know, stereotypical 248 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: American home, you have the bed, but you also have 249 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: the couch. And the couch is a place where we 250 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: do a lot of the same things that we do 251 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: in the bed. It's certainly where we I don't know 252 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: about you, but I certainly get in the occasional nap 253 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: on my couch. Uh that there have been you know, 254 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: there have been times. It was particularly recently I lived 255 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: near some train tracks. There's a lot of bright lights 256 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: that were visible through the bedroom window. So if it 257 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: was too bright for me out there, I would come 258 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: and I would sleep on the couch as well, because 259 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: it was dark here in the living room. So you know, 260 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: you can you can sleep on the couch. You can. 261 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: But also I find that generally some of us that 262 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: are maybe not okay with, say, eating dinner in their bed, 263 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: you you're probably perfectly okay eating dinner at your couch, 264 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: like in front of the television. Right, So the couch 265 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: is basically a bad I mean, it's doing all the 266 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: same things that a bed does, but it I think 267 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: in many cases ends up absorbing some of the activities 268 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: that then we we don't do in bed proper, you know, 269 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: like eating a meal. That's a really interesting point. I mean, 270 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: I mean, one very obvious thing is the way that 271 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: a couch plays a role for like visiting and socialization. 272 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: Socialization that maybe means something different socializing that would you 273 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: know it's normal to like have friends over and I'll 274 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: sit on the couch. It would be kind of weird 275 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: for a lot of people in America today to have 276 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: friends over and have everybody get in your bed. Right. 277 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: But but I think the cases where like you and 278 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: I I have been on the road doing podcast stuff 279 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: and then what do you what do you do? You're 280 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: in a hotel room and you gotta go over notes 281 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: you end up in a hotel room is generally a 282 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: space in which there is a bed, you know, you. Granted, 283 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: you can go to a business center if they have one, 284 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: and sometimes you have more of a little study in 285 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: the room, but a lot of times it ends up 286 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: like sitting around on the bed laying out notes. I 287 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: mean that's what I think back to, say college, I 288 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: think a lot of us and probably have this experience, 289 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: like you don't have a lot of space. Your bed 290 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: ends up being a place where you can print, take 291 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: printed sheets and organize them. Uh it becomes a sort 292 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: of a table half the time. Well no, I but 293 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: I gotta say, as an adult, I have felt awkwardness 294 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: before when you're like trying to hang out, say like 295 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: when we've been on the road for the show and 296 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: had to hang out in a hotel room and you 297 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: just have to sit on the bed, Like it feels 298 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: weird because yeah, you know this, it feels like you're 299 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: doing something wrong. But uh no, I think I think 300 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: it's just like you know, we're we're enculturated to think, no, 301 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: you don't do that with this kind of furniture. The 302 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: furniture should be shaped a little bit differently in order 303 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: to do what you're doing right. But then again, we 304 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: also have like thinking of meals and bad breakfast and 305 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:11,439 Speaker 1: bad still has a certain attractiveness to it. I don't know. 306 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: It's not something I want for myself, but I I 307 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: am at least led to believe it is something that 308 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: other people want. It's a good way to make a mess, 309 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: a good way to find find crumbs later the following night, 310 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: you know. Way, Yeah, but I don't know. But also 311 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: like a good reminder to to clean your betting right 312 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: if you're if you're actively eating dinner in there, maybe 313 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: the betting gets clean more often, I don't know, possibly, 314 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: or you could just burn it and start over, yeah, 315 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: just to be sure. Well, so something though, I was 316 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: just thinking about that. Maybe this is a psychologically insignificant. 317 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 1: But I wonder if there are a lot of times 318 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: in history when it's been more normal to gather around 319 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: to bed and and socialize, even for like adults with 320 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: their own living space or something. Um. But I wonder if, 321 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: even in a culture where that's not very normal, does 322 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: the effect somewhat reverse with how much we bring social 323 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: media into our beds through mobile devices, like you know, 324 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: you tweet from bed, you graham from bed and so forth. Uh, 325 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: I don't know, I mean, it's I mean, from one level. 326 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: On one level, we have always been bringing media into 327 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: our beds. Uh, social media being a like a way 328 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: of communicating. I mean, given that you're generally I mean, 329 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 1: unless you're talking about like a video conferencing type thing. 330 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,199 Speaker 1: If you're like actively doing like an Instagram story or 331 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: something from your bed, I could see where that might 332 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: be a little weird. Otherwise, it's like you have are 333 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: people tagging themselves as being like this, here's my missive 334 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: from the bed. Um. You know. Otherwise you could be 335 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: in your bed, you could be on the toilet. Uh, 336 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: nobody's gonna know. Isn't it weird how people just read 337 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: tweets all day without even acknowledging that a good number 338 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: of these are sent from the toilet. Yeah, I think 339 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: they should be required to tag them. You know. It's like, 340 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: did you where where are you tweeting from? And the 341 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: immediate drop down menu is toilet? Um, you're in all 342 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: or I don't know. I guess the bed would be 343 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: on the list driving train, doctor's waiting room supposed to 344 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,360 Speaker 1: be paying attention in a meeting. All right, on that note, 345 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: we're going to take a quick break, but we'll be 346 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: right back. Thank you, Thank you, Okay, we're back alright, 347 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: So we talked a little bit about the prehistory of betting, 348 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: what some some innovations in Middle Stone Age South Africa 349 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: can can tell us about Stone Age life betting in 350 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: under rock shelters and things like that. But later on 351 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: in history we do get more kind of constructed beds, 352 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: beds that become sort of permanent furniture within dwellings. Uh. 353 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: So maybe we should explore something about that. Yeah. So 354 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: I immediately turned, of course to Brian and Fagan, same 355 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: Fagan that we mentioned earlier. His his book The Seventy 356 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: Great Inventions of the Ancient World, and there is indeed 357 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,360 Speaker 1: a section in there not about betting, but about furniture. Uh. 358 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: And this was written with Jeffrey P. Killing, a specialist 359 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,959 Speaker 1: in ancient furniture and woodworking, particularly ancient Egyptian furniture. So 360 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: they point out that to have furniture of any kind, 361 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: you of course need specialized tools and the ability to 362 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: work natural materials into new forms. Now, at first you 363 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,160 Speaker 1: would have been limited to materials in your immediate surroundings, 364 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: um within your range at least, right, but eventually trade 365 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: opens humans up to more materials and this would expand 366 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: what they were able to create. So they point to 367 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: a particular example, uh that stands as one of the 368 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: earliest examples of furniture within a domestic environment. That's supposed 369 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: to say, within a tomb, as will explore in a 370 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: bet And this example certainly includes a bed. It's from 371 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland circa thirty 372 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: one hundred to b c. E. Now, Uh, wood is 373 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: scarce on the Orkney Islands, so stone was the primary 374 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: building material. So there were stone dressers, stone cupboards, and yes, 375 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: stone beds are more particularly stone bed boxes. Okay, so 376 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: this might be imagining something that looks a little bit 377 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 1: more like a stone bath tub that you could fill 378 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 1: with betting material exactly. Yeah. And and if you you 379 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: travel to the Orkney Islands you can you can actually 380 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: see an example that The site here in question is 381 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: called Scara Bray. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uh. 382 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: The domicile here features two beds, one smaller one a 383 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,239 Speaker 1: bit larger, often interpreted as belonging to the husband and 384 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: wife of the people who would have lived here. Now 385 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: we don't know for sure, but there there might have 386 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: been based on the evidence. There might have been a 387 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 1: curtain of some sorts separating the beds from the rest 388 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: of the domicile. Uh though there would have had little 389 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: privacy either way. And these stone beds would have been 390 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: filled with a mattress of bracken or heather, and for 391 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: covers they would have used animal skins. I feel like 392 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: I should know what bracken and heather are. What are they? Well, 393 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: by bracken, it's a you know, it's a type of fern. 394 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: Oh okay, that's nice. And head there is an evergreen 395 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: flowering plant. Okay, okay, Oh well, the brackens I just 396 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: looked up they have their their immature fronds or fiddle heads, 397 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: like fiddle head ferns. Yeah, so you know that it 398 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 1: doesn't doesn't sound horrible at all. I mean, I encourage 399 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: you to look up examples of this out there as 400 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: you're listening to this episode, if you have a chance 401 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: after you listen to it, because it it looks fairly comfortable. 402 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: I mean, like you said, it looks kind of like 403 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,239 Speaker 1: a stone bathtub, but you can imagine it filled with 404 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: some some cushy mattress material and it being you know, 405 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: not bad. Get me in there. I'll sleep in it, 406 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: I'll sleep there, I'll do it now. I mentioned earlier 407 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: that Killing's main area of focus is ancient Egypt, So 408 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: that raises the question what about ancient Egypt? Well, Fagin 409 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: and Killing right, that ancient Egyptian homes were sparse, and 410 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: most people could not afford wooden or certainly ivory objects 411 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: or any kind of you know of fancy metalwork, so 412 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 1: they would have had simple stools, tables, and screens made 413 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: from bound read stems and rush that were employed for 414 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: most things. And that the bed consisted of, quote, a 415 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,640 Speaker 1: small platform built from mud brick. This is something I've 416 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: noticed in looking at a bunch of ancient beds and 417 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: ancient bedding materials. They don't always really seem to emphasize softness. 418 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: A lot of them are just sort of like hard 419 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: platforms of various kinds. Yeah, and I guess part of 420 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 1: that is there is the idea that there would be 421 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: something else there as well, you know, that they would 422 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: have furs or you know, or or vegetation that would 423 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: be added into the mix. Um. But but then, but 424 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: then also I guess it's kind of like raising something up, right, 425 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: creating a platform on which to sleep that is a 426 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: little separate, that's not quite the floor, which if you're 427 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: thinking about you know, I'm just imagining like all the 428 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: kind of things that could happen in a space like this. 429 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: You have water, say running in, or you have um, 430 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 1: you know, any kind of you know, insect or or 431 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: a crab or whatnot that wanders into I'm mainly thinking 432 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: back to um, yeah, my my honeymoon when I was 433 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: in this like little beach side place and there with 434 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: the crabs would come in at night and it would 435 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: just be all over the floor. They just came right 436 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: in under the door, and so you had to watch 437 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: where you step. But of course they're not gonna get 438 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: up in the bed, but they are going to like 439 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 1: crawl the walls a bit. You've mentioned that before. That 440 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: sounds awesome. Yeah, I'm sure that would make midnight trips 441 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: to the bathroom a little bit scary. Yeah, well, you know, 442 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 1: more like a video game. Yeah, but but I mean 443 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: just as a yeah, reminder, it's like it it makes 444 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: sense to maybe lift your sleeping area up a little 445 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,640 Speaker 1: bit from the surrounding floor or or ground. Well i'd 446 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: imagine also uh heat, heat plays a role there because 447 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: sleeping on the floor is usually going to be cold. Right. Well, 448 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: we'll come back to that because there's a there's a 449 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: wonderful example from from from Chinese history. But as for 450 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: the ancient Egyptians, Fagin and Killing mentioned that there were 451 00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: crude batted frame attempts during the pre Dynastic period third 452 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: one BC, which they described as boundary branches and twigs, 453 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: But it wasn't until the following Dynastic period the copper 454 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: woodworking tools began to make a real difference in what 455 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: was possible, and this resulted in wooden stools, frames and 456 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,360 Speaker 1: carcasses or cabinet frameworks. UH. Simple joint cuts and woodworking 457 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: were key here, but materials played a big role as well. 458 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: At first, they were limited by the wood UH that 459 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: was available to them, which was sparse and poor in quality. 460 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: But by the mid third millennium BC, Syrian and Lebanese 461 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: timber provided far improved raw materials, and Egyptian furniture surged 462 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: in quality. And we have some surviving examples of this 463 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: sort of thing. And again this is coming via what 464 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: was put into the tombs of royal individuals. And does 465 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: it seem like that that would mainly be because a 466 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: tomb provided an opportunity for furniture to be preserved across 467 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: the ages, as opposed to just sort of like chucked 468 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: when it fell into disrepair. Right, I mean, even though 469 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,880 Speaker 1: the the wooden furniture in question, um, you know, basically 470 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: turned to dust. Uh, at least the dust and the 471 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 1: pieces are still all in the same place. It's far 472 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: easier to put things back together again. Yeah. So the 473 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 1: key bed from this period is the bed of Hteferies 474 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: from around twenty b C, which was buried with the 475 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: queen in her Giza tomb as So this would have 476 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 1: been a fine wooden bed frame with a portable bed canopy. 477 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: The wood just decayed to powder, but egypt Egyptologist George 478 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: Reisner was able to reconstruct it from the remaining metallic parts. 479 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 1: And you can look up images of this. It's I mean, 480 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: it looks nice. It's it's just of a wooden flat 481 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: bed with a like a head. You look at it 482 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,160 Speaker 1: and you you instantly recognize, like that's a bed. That's 483 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: the invention. That is the thing now, one thing that 484 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: we should come back to in just a minute. But 485 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: it's an interesting visual feature of this bed is it 486 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: has this little spike at one end. It's almost like 487 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,199 Speaker 1: a like an eagle at up a pedestal or a 488 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 1: little y shaped stud of some kind. I wonder what 489 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: that's for. Yeah, the the Egyptian headrest, which is very 490 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: y shaped or kind of slingshot frames shaped. Uh. You know, 491 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,120 Speaker 1: we'll come back to that in a minute, because that's 492 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: certainly one of the more interesting artifacts you tend to 493 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: see when you see, um, you know, ancient Egyptian beds 494 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: uh or reconstructions of them in museums, and you think, what, 495 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 1: what was that? How did that? How did that work? 496 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: Can I imagine myself using such a thing at night? 497 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: But we'll come back to that in a minute. Um. 498 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: Some of the other beds that they mentioned, there's a 499 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: really nice folding Z type bed frame with metal hinges 500 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: found in the tomb of twot in Common from the 501 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: fourteenth century BC. You can you can look up images 502 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: this as well. But kind of think of the way 503 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: that some beach recliners fold up, and that's basically what 504 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: you have here. Now. Some of these ancient Egyptian beds, 505 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 1: they were made to be not flat, but at an 506 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: angle right, Uh. Is the two in common example, like 507 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 1: that it would be kind of like slightly inclined towards 508 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: the headrest. I think so. Now, the Hataferies example from 509 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: earlier is is pretty um or as a least reconstructed 510 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: as being pretty flat across the top. But yeah, I 511 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 1: think some of them had kind of a slant to them. 512 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: It looks like it might have a slight incline you've 513 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: read some of them had a slight incline, and then 514 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: often had like a little wall down at the bottom 515 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: that you would put your feet on that would prevent you, 516 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: I guess, from sliding out of the bed. Well, it's 517 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: interesting to remind ourselves of the role the gravity plays 518 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: in sleep. Come back to that in a bit. But 519 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: but you know, sleeping in a bed is very much 520 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: a gravity dependent, um mode of human behavior. Now, let's 521 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: get back to the headrest though, because there, Yeah, there's 522 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: a lot that's interesting here. Um. It's one of the 523 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: most notable aspects of Royal Egyptian sleeping arrangements. Often you'll 524 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: find gilded ornate examples because yeah, the ancient Egyptians did 525 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: not use pillows, but instead used a wooden or stone 526 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: stand for their head. Why does that not sound very comfortable. 527 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: Uh that that? I mean, that's the thing I always 528 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: I always wondered when I when I looked at It's 529 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: like I I tried to imagine what that was like, 530 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, because I would think, well, wouldn't you just 531 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: fold your arms up under your head? Instead? Like? Why is? 532 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: Why is this a good choice to make? And I 533 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: found an interesting article about this from Kira Foley. She 534 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: wrote an article for the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, and 535 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: she points out that Egyptian headrests had two purposes, one 536 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: practical and the other um apotropaic. So first of all, 537 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: they did the same thing that a pillow does. They 538 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: account for the gap between your head and shoulders during sleep. 539 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: But they also were items of of apotropaic magic. In 540 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: other words, they served to protect the individual from evil 541 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: influences during sleep. Ah. So they were kind of like 542 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: a like almost like an amulet, but a feature of 543 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: furniture that served the same purpose well both actually, because 544 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: they start off as being this thing that is seen 545 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 1: as a magical item of key importance, like so important 546 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: that when you die you are buried with your head 547 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 1: rest in order that you can take it with you 548 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: to provide protection in the next life. But eventually, by 549 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: the third Intermediate period this would have been seven seven 550 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: b C, they start using amulets in the shape of 551 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: headrests instead, like the thing becomes a symbol of the thing, 552 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: and you take this with you into into the grave 553 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: for the same purpose. Interesting. Yeah, so it's like a 554 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: little you can look up images of this amulet and 555 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: it it's basically just a small version of the headrest, 556 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: the headrest made into a symbol. You know. It looks, uh, 557 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: you know, look looks a little bit like if you 558 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: don't know what it is, you might think, what looks 559 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: kind of like a saddle on a stand or something, 560 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 1: and fully writes that The Book of the Dead, the 561 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: Egyptian Book of the Dead, elaborates that these amulets could 562 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: protect you from decapitation in the afterlife. Whoa, yeah, so 563 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: I had to look this up. Uh. It's often referred 564 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: to as the chapter of the pillow uh in the 565 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: Book of the Dead, and this particular example, I believe 566 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: is from the Wallace Budge translation from I'm just going 567 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: to read a part of this. Uh. You can you 568 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: can look up the whole text online, but it goes 569 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: son of hathor nessert nessertet who giveth back the head 570 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: after the slaughter, Thy head shall not be carried away 571 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: from the after the slaughter, thy head shall never never 572 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: be carried away from the That's the headrest guarantee. Now, 573 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: one of the big things from any Westerners when we 574 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,479 Speaker 1: view Egyptian headrest is again not the idea that they 575 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: might protect us from evil, but rather that this sort 576 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: of thing is comfortable at all during sleep. Well, I 577 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: ran across a wonderful article about this very topic. This 578 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: is for the Glencren Museum in Pennsylvania. They have a 579 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: nice article with illustrations on this topic from Jennifer hawser Vegner, 580 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: pH d, Associate Curator Egyptian Section Pin Museum, and in 581 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: it she points out several key facts about the use 582 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: of of headrest and this headrest in these headrests in 583 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: particular during sleep. So for starters, this wasn't just an 584 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 1: Egyptian thing. Uh, Ceramic pillows were used during the Ming 585 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: dynasty of China through sixty four. She mentions that this 586 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,719 Speaker 1: was a time when elaborate female hairstyles were fashionable, so 587 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: a headrest in these cases would protect an elaborate hair 588 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: treatment from what we would think of as bed head today. Oh. Interesting. 589 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: And then headrests are not just an ancient or even 590 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: historical things. She points out that we see them used 591 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: to this day in parts of Africa, and it comes 592 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 1: down to two key reasons. First, there's the elaborate hair 593 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: issue thing quote groups whose cultural expressions involved the wearing 594 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: of elaborate hairstyles. Uh. These are the types of cultures 595 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: where we may see the use of a headrest at night, 596 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: and this would have included the Egyptians. Uh. Secondly, there's climate. 597 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: So if you use a traditional fabric pillow, you know 598 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: as well as we know, that the cold side of 599 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: the pillow is where it's at right in a hot climate. Uh. 600 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: This feeling, the feeling of the cold pillow that may 601 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: be harder to come by. A headrest provides a cooler 602 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: sleeping experience by lifting the head up from the sleeping 603 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: surface and allowing air to flow under and around the 604 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: head and neck. Nice. Okay, I think I understand now. 605 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: That makes a lot of sense. And then another reason 606 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: they mentioned this comes back to what you were talking 607 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: about earlier. With the burning of the betting. Organic fabric 608 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: pillows may have posed more of an infestation risk, but 609 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 1: a solid headrest, Uh, that would have that would have 610 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: removed this particular threat. You know, you might have to 611 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 1: worry with the rest of your betting, but at least 612 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: the head region is is safe and secure. Oh. This 613 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 1: is uh sort of the same logic for why I 614 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: was kind of grossed out when we were reading about 615 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: in the history of the toilet that there were these 616 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:10,280 Speaker 1: cushioned toilets with like fabric that for the seat area, 617 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: which just seemed awful, Like, wouldn't it be better to 618 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: just have like hard, non porous surfaces that are easy 619 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,719 Speaker 1: to clean. And I guess the same that's true of 620 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 1: a toilet would apply to a bed. Uh. They're probably 621 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: equally like germ infested and gross. Yeah, but you know, 622 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 1: if you if you have just um, you know this 623 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: this wooden platform on which to lay your head. Uh. Yeah, 624 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 1: that removes at least some of the risk here, But 625 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: it still leaves that that remaining question was this comfortable? 626 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: Is this a comfortable way to sleep? Well? Vegner takes 627 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,839 Speaker 1: the extra step of testing it out herself in this 628 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: article so um, she constructed a wonder one replica of 629 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: one of the headrests found in the Pen Museum's collection, 630 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: and I just want to read her results here she 631 00:34:55,680 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: she writes it up rather nicely, quote the experiment clarify 632 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: had a few things from me. Firstly, I had always 633 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: assumed that the curved support of the headrest could be 634 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: used to support either the head or the neck. This 635 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: was an incorrect assumption. The headrest can only be used 636 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: to support the head, not the neck. Trying to use 637 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: the headrest on one's neck was an uncomfortable impossibility. There 638 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: is a reason it is called a headrest. Secondly, the headrest, 639 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 1: when positioned correctly on the head, can be used fairly 640 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: comfortably while resting on one's back. Many representations of the 641 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,759 Speaker 1: headrest in use, such as in the Glencrere and figurine, 642 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 1: show the sleeper resting on their side. Again, it was 643 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,839 Speaker 1: possible to position the headrest in such a way just 644 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,959 Speaker 1: above one's ear that this pose was also not completely uncomfortable. 645 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: I can also let any stomach sleepers know that using 646 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,279 Speaker 1: headrest and trying to position it on the forehead while 647 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: facing downwards is impossible. There seems to be some evidence 648 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: that the headrests in ancient Egypt were padded or wrapped 649 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: with linen when used. I would imagine this would make 650 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: the headrest even more comfortable as it lightening. As this 651 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,640 Speaker 1: experiment was, I do not think I will trade my 652 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:10,320 Speaker 1: trusty pillow for a wooden head rest anytime soon. That's interesting. 653 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I wonder if it's a it's a matter 654 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: if it's a matter of getting used to it, or 655 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: if it's a matter of maybe like we don't know 656 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: exactly how it was used. It sounds like it's a 657 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: it's it's a combination of those. Yeah, Like like there 658 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: are particularly what particular ways to use it and not 659 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: to use it, and you have to take an account 660 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 1: that you would have like added um uh you know, 661 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:33,240 Speaker 1: padding and whatnot. But kudos to Vegner for for taking 662 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: the you know, the step of trying it out for herself. 663 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 1: It makes me wonder too. It's just the kind of 664 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,399 Speaker 1: thing we can see make a comeback, you know. I mean, 665 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 1: I'm surprised. I mean, on one one hand, it's something 666 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 1: humans do and certainly did in the past as well. 667 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: So it's the kind of uh sleep choice that could 668 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: make a comeback. You could also imagine it becoming fashionable, 669 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: be becoming the next big thing that you buy, you know, 670 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: on line or you know, order with a podcast code. 671 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: It's the next squaddy potty. Well, and then on the 672 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: other hand, you could imagine someone coming up with outrageous 673 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: claims for why like this is the this is the 674 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: way to sleep, you know, give you the the enlightened 675 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: mind of the ancient Egyptian or something, you know, uh, 676 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: some sort of you know, spiritual or pseudo scientific reason 677 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: for why this is the best way to sleep, like 678 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: some chiropractors theory about how pillows are responsible for all 679 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:29,359 Speaker 1: Western diseases. Now, now, Vegner, you know very much, and 680 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: is someone who normally uses a you know, a soft 681 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 1: pillow and try it out using uh one of these 682 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: headrest I would be interested to hear from any listeners 683 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 1: out there who either have tried the same experiment or 684 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: have any experience using a headrest regularly. Uh yeah, I'd 685 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: love to I'd love to hear the reverse, you know, 686 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: someone who regularly uses a headrest, a hard headrest, and 687 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: then tries a soft pillow, because I mean, I'm very 688 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: particular about my pillows. I need a certain amount of 689 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:04,839 Speaker 1: firmness otherwise I'm not getting that that next support agreed, Now, 690 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: Fagan and Killing back in, they're they're right up. They 691 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:10,720 Speaker 1: mentioned some other examples of note. The ancient Greeks developed 692 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: a bed that was larger and higher than the Egyptian bed, 693 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 1: called a client, and it was the sort of thing 694 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,360 Speaker 1: that you could lay on, prop yourself up on a 695 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,359 Speaker 1: pillow on, and of course enjoy a hearty meal upon 696 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 1: more in bed. Yeah. Uh, you know you. I don't 697 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: know if you were in the city at at this point, 698 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: but that's there was a There was a restaurant in 699 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,720 Speaker 1: Atlanta for a while called Bed and all of the tables, 700 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: or at least a number of the tables, were beds, 701 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: and that was the whole attraction. It was like a 702 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 1: big canopy bed and you hung out on it and 703 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,120 Speaker 1: you ate. Uh huh, yeah, I mean I never went, 704 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,280 Speaker 1: but I I've heard about it. Oh, maybe I'm being unfair. 705 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: That strikes me as very gimmicky, but I don't know. 706 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:51,399 Speaker 1: I'd give it a shot if somebody at trusted said 707 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: the food was good. Now, we mentioned the idea of 708 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: a platform and temperature earlier, um, the ancient Chineese Fagan 709 00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:03,719 Speaker 1: and and Killing right where a matt level culture so 710 00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 1: they used lower simply wooden bed frames, and they don't 711 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: really get into this, but one of the cooler sleep 712 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 1: innovations in Chinese culture, at least in Northern China, was 713 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:16,800 Speaker 1: the kind an integrated home heating system for cooking, sleeping, 714 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:20,400 Speaker 1: domestic heating and ventilation that still apparently widely used in 715 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: northern China. And it's a heated h raised bed pat 716 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: platform that is thought to have its origins and Neolithic 717 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 1: designs but for for a long time. Basically, what you 718 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:36,280 Speaker 1: have is you have hot exhaust from a fire housed 719 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:41,320 Speaker 1: in another room circulating through this platform of stone or brick, 720 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: creating a heated platform on which to sleep but also 721 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,360 Speaker 1: to work and to live. If you if you end 722 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 1: up looking at it, you probably have seen images of 723 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 1: this of a Chinese household, either contemporary or historic, and 724 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:58,399 Speaker 1: maybe not realize exactly what you're looking at, but it's 725 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,840 Speaker 1: like a it looks like a raised warner or portion 726 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 1: of a room, but it is also heated. Now. Uh, 727 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: one quick note about something we're not really going to 728 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,160 Speaker 1: get into in these in this episode, and that is 729 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 1: the hammock Um. Because the Hammock I was looking into 730 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: this a little bit. It seems to have its own 731 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:19,839 Speaker 1: really interesting history, one that we could potentially come back 732 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 1: and discuss in greater detail. But it's an example the 733 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:26,360 Speaker 1: hanging bed that is based on fabric technology, and so 734 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,720 Speaker 1: we see examples of its use in the ancient world 735 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,719 Speaker 1: as well as among the fiber technology using people's of 736 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: the of the America's. We should definitely come back to 737 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: the hammock. Yeah, I love I love a good hammock. 738 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: All right, we're gonna take another break, but we'll be 739 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 1: right back. Than alright, we're back. So I want to 740 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,240 Speaker 1: come back to some of what we were talking about earlier, 741 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 1: about just sort of the basic function of a bed, 742 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: like what does a bed do? Um? You know, because 743 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: it is essentially a kind of nest, like like the 744 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: nest of her Really any terrestrial animal you can name, um, 745 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: if not nest construction, then at least nest behavior. But 746 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:08,440 Speaker 1: we also have to think of the human bed in 747 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: terms of physiological and techno cultural adaptation. So I was 748 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,879 Speaker 1: looking for for some examples of this. I was looking 749 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: at a article and Evolutionary anthropology titled Sleep Intensity and 750 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:24,160 Speaker 1: the Evolution of Human Cognition by David R. Sampson and 751 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 1: Charles L. Nonne, which considers the view that our our 752 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 1: species sleep architecture is in accord with that of other 753 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: animals and presents and they present an alternate hypothesis that 754 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 1: human sleep is highly derived relative to that of other primates. 755 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 1: So the idea that they present here is that the 756 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,640 Speaker 1: human sleep is superior to that of other primates. It's shorter, 757 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,560 Speaker 1: it's deeper, it exhibits a higher proportion of of of 758 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:54,360 Speaker 1: rim sleep than expected. They call it the sleep intensity hypothesis. 759 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,240 Speaker 1: That early humans would have experienced selective pressure to fulfill 760 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:02,680 Speaker 1: sleep needs in the shortest time possible. Interesting, So what 761 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: would that selective pressure be other that was different than 762 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:08,560 Speaker 1: other animals. Well, that's a part of it was of 763 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: course survival from predation like all animals would have had 764 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:16,319 Speaker 1: to deal with, as well as from human violence, uh, 765 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 1: the violence of other humans. But it also this would 766 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 1: have by being able to get like maximum but short sleep, 767 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,279 Speaker 1: it would have allowed them more time to engage in 768 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: social interactions. Again we're talking, we're talking earlier about these 769 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 1: these these creatures that we're living around fires, sleeping among fires, 770 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 1: having this enhanced social time. But then part of that 771 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: also becomes you know, becomes essential to humans that were 772 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:46,719 Speaker 1: transmitting skills and knowledge to the next generation of humans, uh, 773 00:42:46,719 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: and to each other. And so the less time you're sleeping, 774 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: the more time you have to do that and most 775 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,880 Speaker 1: of that knowledge. I mean pretty much, I guess all 776 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 1: of the knowledge and skills that you're dealing with at 777 00:42:55,640 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: that point, our survival skills and survival knowledge. Uh. This 778 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 1: is one of those hypotheses that would that it seems 779 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 1: like it would be hard to prove something like this, 780 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:09,279 Speaker 1: but it is interesting and I often find myself at 781 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:14,800 Speaker 1: least intuitively sympathetic to um explanations for in human origins 782 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 1: that have a lot to do with social groups and 783 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 1: social relationships. Yeah, it seems very likely to me that 784 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 1: it's actually social pressures that were some of the dominant 785 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,399 Speaker 1: pressures on early humans. Yeah. I mean, it also lines 786 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 1: up with the old addity snooze you lose, right yeah. Uh. 787 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: They also point out that that deeper sleep might have 788 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:37,840 Speaker 1: also been key to the consolidation of the skills and questions. 789 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:40,839 Speaker 1: So you know, the more you're you're you're out of bed, 790 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 1: the more you're potentially learning new skills and then I 791 00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 1: have sleep, is is indeed important to the consolidation of 792 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 1: those skills in the mind. Then it it pays to 793 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,719 Speaker 1: have deep sleep when you are sleeping. But of course, 794 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:56,680 Speaker 1: in order to get the sleep they needed, our ancestors 795 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,600 Speaker 1: would have needed social and physical security, and beds are 796 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:01,759 Speaker 1: just part of that equation, both in terms of the 797 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: general sort of bed that primates make and the technological 798 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:08,480 Speaker 1: bed that humans developed. They also point to an interesting 799 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:13,120 Speaker 1: study that Samson, along with Rob Shoemaker wrote in looking 800 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 1: at how nests and sleep enhance cognitive performance in non 801 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 1: human grade apes. They quote quantified the sleeping platform complexity 802 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 1: each night, measuring it as an index of the number 803 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 1: of material items available to construct a bed, and found 804 00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 1: that complexity co varied positively with reduced nighttime motor activity, 805 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:37,440 Speaker 1: less fragmentation, and greater sleep efficiency. I think one of 806 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,840 Speaker 1: the authors here, David Sampson, is also one of the 807 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 1: authors of that study about chimpanzees preferring certain kinds of 808 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:47,800 Speaker 1: wood for their sleeping arrangements, the wood of the Ugandan 809 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: ironwood tree. Oh that well, that would make sense, yeah, 810 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: because I did look him. Look him up in a 811 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 1: lot of his work seems to revolve around um sleep 812 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:59,440 Speaker 1: cognition and uh and primates. Interesting. Yeah, but but yeah, 813 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 1: I breding this up not so much to to lobby 814 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:03,759 Speaker 1: for their hypothesis here, but I do think it's a 815 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,920 Speaker 1: very interesting hypothesis, but rather to use it as a 816 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,400 Speaker 1: way of rethinking exactly what role of bead plays in 817 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 1: our lives, you know, as part of this suite of 818 00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:16,680 Speaker 1: techno cultural adaptations that support human sleep cycles, sleep cycles 819 00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:19,440 Speaker 1: that that you know very well could could be essential 820 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: to um to many of the other cultural and technical 821 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,919 Speaker 1: um adaptations that end up taking place afterwards. Yeah. On 822 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:32,000 Speaker 1: one hand, I think like, well, okay, so the bed 823 00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:35,360 Speaker 1: doesn't seem like a realm of technology that's ripe to 824 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 1: change much in the future. But then again, I don't know. 825 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,480 Speaker 1: I mean, the human sleep patterns have changed before. I 826 00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 1: think there's like, there's some evidence that throughout much of 827 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:47,680 Speaker 1: history people slept at kind of different times and in 828 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:50,359 Speaker 1: different segments than they often do at least you know 829 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:53,640 Speaker 1: that we're familiar with in the in America today. Uh, 830 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 1: And so so I don't know, maybe there is more 831 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,000 Speaker 1: room for change in the technology support structure of our 832 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,960 Speaker 1: sleeping habits. And then I would be led to assume 833 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 1: I wonder, Yeah, I guess one of the questions would be, like, 834 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 1: what would we intentionally change about human sleep? You know, 835 00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:12,440 Speaker 1: we've all had those those sort of lingering fantasies like 836 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:14,520 Speaker 1: what if I didn't have to sleep, I wouldn't have 837 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:16,800 Speaker 1: to own a bed. I could just I don't wander around, 838 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:22,399 Speaker 1: not pay rent. But um, I could doom scroll all 839 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,520 Speaker 1: night long. I know. I mean I certainly don't feel 840 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:28,280 Speaker 1: that way now. I'm kind of like, oh, man, sleep, 841 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:31,200 Speaker 1: that's um, you know, when it's when sleep is good 842 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:33,920 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, and you're not dealing with nightmares 843 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:35,799 Speaker 1: or awkward dreams, it's a pretty great place to be. 844 00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: But but but I guess what one of the things 845 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: like we can sort of fantasize about what we want 846 00:46:42,120 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: sleep to be. But one of the problems is that 847 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:50,839 Speaker 1: we don't have a perfect understanding of what sleep really is, 848 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:54,520 Speaker 1: like what what it's key role is for for human existence. 849 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:58,160 Speaker 1: You know, Um, yeah, we know it, we know it's necessary, 850 00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:01,840 Speaker 1: we know it's necessarious, but we but we don't fully 851 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 1: understand all of it, all the roles that plays in 852 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,520 Speaker 1: human health and psychology and all that. Yeah, I mean, 853 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:11,120 Speaker 1: is it is it defragmenting the hardware? Is it as 854 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:14,759 Speaker 1: David Eagleman hypothesizes, is it is it is? It? Is 855 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:20,279 Speaker 1: it tied to um uh to to to neural visual processes. H. 856 00:47:20,719 --> 00:47:22,719 Speaker 1: You know, we were not entirely sure. So before we 857 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:26,560 Speaker 1: start messing with it and and reshaping sleep in our image, 858 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:30,560 Speaker 1: it would pay to to understand exactly what it is doing. Oh, 859 00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:34,920 Speaker 1: humans would never intentionally mess with their sleeping patterns through technology, 860 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:37,879 Speaker 1: saying like bringing a small blue light device into their 861 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:40,440 Speaker 1: bed and staring at it for four hours before they 862 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:44,200 Speaker 1: go to sleep. Oh. One other thing. Long time listeners 863 00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:47,719 Speaker 1: of the show remember previous co host Christian Savior, who 864 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: joined me on topics such as Timothy Leary, we could 865 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:54,319 Speaker 1: problems and are creepy pasta episodes. Well, Christian has an 866 00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:58,680 Speaker 1: awesome new project, Corridor Magazine, a new horror magazine that 867 00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:02,920 Speaker 1: brings the weird worlds, short fiction, art, comics and essays 868 00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:06,200 Speaker 1: together under one roof. It's going to feature a new 869 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:09,440 Speaker 1: original work of science fiction by me titled Leviathan c. 870 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: I'm very excited about it. Touches on some stuff to 871 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:14,319 Speaker 1: bow your mind topics. I think many of you will 872 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 1: dig it, as well as Christian story rescue and alter. 873 00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:22,399 Speaker 1: It will also feature fiction by other names you may 874 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:26,400 Speaker 1: be familiar with, such as the incredible horror author Christie Demester, 875 00:48:26,719 --> 00:48:29,120 Speaker 1: and you also find works in there by authors you 876 00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:32,359 Speaker 1: might know, such as ed Garbanowski. You might recognize him 877 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:34,920 Speaker 1: from his work with stuff you should know. As far 878 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:37,480 Speaker 1: as art goes, this is gonna be a beautiful publication 879 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:40,800 Speaker 1: with work from from such artists as j M. Joe Grants, 880 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:45,680 Speaker 1: who creates these amazing woodcut style images super into his work, 881 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:50,040 Speaker 1: but also the psychedelic art of Malachi Ward. But for 882 00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:53,520 Speaker 1: this magazine to actually exist as a digital and physical product, 883 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:55,880 Speaker 1: they have to they have to reach their Kickstarter go 884 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,839 Speaker 1: and as of this recording, they're not quite there yet. 885 00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:01,760 Speaker 1: So if you want to get your eyes or hands 886 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:05,640 Speaker 1: on Corridor, you'll need to back it, and the easiest 887 00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:07,920 Speaker 1: way to do that is to head on over to 888 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:12,480 Speaker 1: kickstarter dot com and search for Corridor Magazine again. Go 889 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:15,839 Speaker 1: to kickstarter dot com search for Corridor Magazine and you'll 890 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:18,239 Speaker 1: find it. Back it, and then you can get your 891 00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: your hands and your eyes on this. Uh, this very 892 00:49:21,719 --> 00:49:25,640 Speaker 1: promising project. I'm I'm super excited about it. All right, Well, 893 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: we're gonna go ahead and close out this episode here, 894 00:49:27,960 --> 00:49:29,160 Speaker 1: But like I said, we may have come back in 895 00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:32,000 Speaker 1: the future to talk about hammocks, etcetera. This is this 896 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:34,799 Speaker 1: is an Invention based episode of stuff to blow your mind, 897 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:38,359 Speaker 1: continuing the legacy of the show that we did for 898 00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:42,080 Speaker 1: what about a year titled Invention. Uh. You can still 899 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:45,600 Speaker 1: find all those episodes online as a podcast that you 900 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:49,960 Speaker 1: can subscribe to and download, etcetera. But we're we're continuing 901 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:52,799 Speaker 1: that here. We're gonna continue to do Invention episodes from 902 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:56,000 Speaker 1: time to time as we enjoy doing them, and we're 903 00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:58,320 Speaker 1: lad to believe you enjoy listening to them as well. 904 00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:01,560 Speaker 1: This book by Fake and Granny about the history of 905 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:03,840 Speaker 1: sleeping habits is interesting and I think there's stuff in 906 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:06,960 Speaker 1: it that we could come back to again in the future. Absolutely, 907 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:08,719 Speaker 1: I mean, sleep Again is one of those things we 908 00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:11,600 Speaker 1: all can relate to. We we all have have some 909 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:13,960 Speaker 1: bit of insight there, and likewise, we'd love to hear 910 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:16,360 Speaker 1: from everyone out there, if you've ever used a headrest, 911 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:19,680 Speaker 1: if you have thoughts on different beds and different cultures, 912 00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:21,960 Speaker 1: if you've you know, tried out a wide variety of 913 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:24,400 Speaker 1: them and would like to, uh to share what works, 914 00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:26,960 Speaker 1: what doesn't work. Yeah, we we'd love to hear from you. 915 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:28,839 Speaker 1: In the meantime, if you want to check out other 916 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:30,680 Speaker 1: episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, you'll find us 917 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:32,920 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts and wherever that happens to be. 918 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:35,920 Speaker 1: We just asked that you rate, review and subscribe. You 919 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:37,560 Speaker 1: can always find us by going to stuff to Blow 920 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:38,960 Speaker 1: your Mind dot com. That will take you to the 921 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:40,879 Speaker 1: I Heart listing for our show. And if you look 922 00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:43,759 Speaker 1: around on that page long enough, you'll find a little 923 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:46,000 Speaker 1: bit that's a store. Click on that that'll take you 924 00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:47,640 Speaker 1: to a T shirt shop where you can buy some 925 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:51,160 Speaker 1: shirts or bags or stickers or what have you that 926 00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:55,319 Speaker 1: have our logo or various monsters or fund designs on them. 927 00:50:55,640 --> 00:50:58,279 Speaker 1: Huge things. As always to our excellent audio producer Seth 928 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:00,719 Speaker 1: Nicholas Johnson. If you would like to get in touch 929 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:02,839 Speaker 1: with us with feedback on this episode or any other, 930 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:05,239 Speaker 1: to suggest a topic for the future, just to say hello, 931 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,879 Speaker 1: you can email us at contact at stuff to Blow 932 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:17,840 Speaker 1: your Mind dot com. Stuff to Blow Your Mind is 933 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:20,560 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts for my 934 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,960 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, this is the I Heart Radio app, Apple 935 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:36,440 Speaker 1: Podcasts or wherever you're listening to your favorite shows