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Flesh Made Wood: The Invention of Artificial Refrigeration (2014)

31 points by benbreen 8y ago

Scaevolus 8y ago
Perhaps more significantly, refrigeration and air-conditioning allowed previously inhospitably hot regions to increase in population and productivity. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/thermal-delight/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/thermal-delight/
woweeeeeeee 8y ago
Wow, look at all the women in tech. Those pictures are incredible!
1e-9 8y ago
One of the possible benefits of the increasing use of refrigeration in the United States during the early 1900's was a rapid decrease in the stomach cancer rate, which appears to be largely due to the decreasing use of nitrate-based salts for meat preservation. Stomach cancer was the leading cause of US cancer mortality in 1930. The stomach cancer death rate dropped by a factor of 2 from 1930 to 1950 and kept on dropping until it is now about one-tenth of the 1930 rate and isn't even in the top-ten list for cancer mortality. In countries where highly salted foods are still prevalent (e.g. Japan and South Korea), stomach cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death in spite of the increased use of refrigeration.
- dcx 8y ago
  What might be some examples of Japanese and Korean foods which use nitrate-based salts for meat preservation? I assume meats marinated or cooked with high levels of regular salt are not what you are referring to? This looks like a gap in my knowledge on healthy eating. I'm based in an Asian country and Google was not very forthcoming on this topic.
  - 1e-9 8y ago
    Pickled vegetables and salt-cured fish appear to be the most significant culprits in Asia. Also, both high levels of regular table salt (sodium chloride) as well as high levels of nitrate have each been linked to stomach cancer, so it doesn't have to be a nitrate-based salt to be of concern. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682234/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682234/, [2] http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/21/6/905 http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/21/6/905, [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4291998/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4291998/
- sciurus 8y ago
  And yet many Americans continue to eat "hot dogs, ham, bacon and turkey bacon, corned beef, pepperoni, salami, smoked turkey, bologna and other luncheon and deli meats, sausages, corned beef, biltong or beef jerky, canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces, among others" without understanding the risk. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/well/eat/is-eating-deli-meats-really-that-bad-for-you.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/well/eat/is-eating-deli-m...
pressureVessels 8y ago
Once you have hermetically sealed metal cans, refrigeration is essentially a foregone conclusion. So, with steam power in the picture, making things cold and keeping them in temperature controlled chambers would have been inevitable. Sure, we know that now. At the time it wasn't obvious. But whatever.
sparkpeasy 8y ago
Artificial refrigeration and air-conditioning also serves as a handy proof of work for all the cities that in fifty years will have newly hot climates battling scorching temperatures and partially underwater. https://www.wired.com/story/this-scary-map-shows-how-climate-change-will-transform-your-city/ https://www.wired.com/story/this-scary-map-shows-how-climate...
Jedd 8y ago
I grew up with a fridge in the home, but my parents certainly did not have electronic refrigerators growing up -- perhaps not the most profound difference in our worlds, but certainly up there. The ability to reliably, safely store perishable foods in quickly usable form for weeks, or (only slightly less conveniently) freeze for many months, is hugely significant, and it's easy to underestimate the cultural impact. Similar to the electronic / mechanical washing machine, I suspect. I've always assumed a fridge is a fridge, albeit some have fancy doodads like cold water dispensers, ice makers, etc. However, I've just started looking at a new fridge in earnest, and discovered it's way more complicated now than just the cold bit (2-4C) and the frozen bit (-18C). I'm looking at a device now that has 5 separately doored areas, with each area adjustable, some by up to 15C difference, for combinations of temperature and humidity, with 'barely frozen' for slightly longer than fridge storage, different types of fruit/vegetables, things that need to be rapidly frozen, etc. I'm starting to wonder if I have the competence to drive such a machine.

31 points by benbreen 8y ago

Perhaps more significantly, refrigeration and air-conditioning allowed previously inhospitably hot regions to increase in population and productivity. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/thermal-delight/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/thermal-delight/

woweeeeeeee 8y ago

Wow, look at all the women in tech. Those pictures are incredible!

1e-9 8y ago

One of the possible benefits of the increasing use of refrigeration in the United States during the early 1900's was a rapid decrease in the stomach cancer rate, which appears to be largely due to the decreasing use of nitrate-based salts for meat preservation. Stomach cancer was the leading cause of US cancer mortality in 1930. The stomach cancer death rate dropped by a factor of 2 from 1930 to 1950 and kept on dropping until it is now about one-tenth of the 1930 rate and isn't even in the top-ten list for cancer mortality. In countries where highly salted foods are still prevalent (e.g. Japan and South Korea), stomach cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death in spite of the increased use of refrigeration.

dcx 8y ago
What might be some examples of Japanese and Korean foods which use nitrate-based salts for meat preservation? I assume meats marinated or cooked with high levels of regular salt are not what you are referring to? This looks like a gap in my knowledge on healthy eating. I'm based in an Asian country and Google was not very forthcoming on this topic.
- 1e-9 8y ago
  Pickled vegetables and salt-cured fish appear to be the most significant culprits in Asia. Also, both high levels of regular table salt (sodium chloride) as well as high levels of nitrate have each been linked to stomach cancer, so it doesn't have to be a nitrate-based salt to be of concern. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682234/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682234/, [2] http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/21/6/905 http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/21/6/905, [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4291998/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4291998/
sciurus 8y ago
And yet many Americans continue to eat "hot dogs, ham, bacon and turkey bacon, corned beef, pepperoni, salami, smoked turkey, bologna and other luncheon and deli meats, sausages, corned beef, biltong or beef jerky, canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces, among others" without understanding the risk. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/well/eat/is-eating-deli-meats-really-that-bad-for-you.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/well/eat/is-eating-deli-m...

pressureVessels 8y ago

Once you have hermetically sealed metal cans, refrigeration is essentially a foregone conclusion. So, with steam power in the picture, making things cold and keeping them in temperature controlled chambers would have been inevitable. Sure, we know that now. At the time it wasn't obvious. But whatever.

sparkpeasy 8y ago

Artificial refrigeration and air-conditioning also serves as a handy proof of work for all the cities that in fifty years will have newly hot climates battling scorching temperatures and partially underwater. https://www.wired.com/story/this-scary-map-shows-how-climate-change-will-transform-your-city/ https://www.wired.com/story/this-scary-map-shows-how-climate...

Jedd 8y ago

I grew up with a fridge in the home, but my parents certainly did not have electronic refrigerators growing up -- perhaps not the most profound difference in our worlds, but certainly up there. The ability to reliably, safely store perishable foods in quickly usable form for weeks, or (only slightly less conveniently) freeze for many months, is hugely significant, and it's easy to underestimate the cultural impact. Similar to the electronic / mechanical washing machine, I suspect. I've always assumed a fridge is a fridge, albeit some have fancy doodads like cold water dispensers, ice makers, etc. However, I've just started looking at a new fridge in earnest, and discovered it's way more complicated now than just the cold bit (2-4C) and the frozen bit (-18C). I'm looking at a device now that has 5 separately doored areas, with each area adjustable, some by up to 15C difference, for combinations of temperature and humidity, with 'barely frozen' for slightly longer than fridge storage, different types of fruit/vegetables, things that need to be rapidly frozen, etc. I'm starting to wonder if I have the competence to drive such a machine.