The Ice That Built the Modern World
from David's Gemini Notebook Podcast Collection Hosted by David Weissman
Cold was once something people had to harvest in winter and hope would survive the trip to summer. Drawing on Steven Johnson’s How We Got to Now, this episode begins with Frederick Tudor’s unlikely plan to ship New England pond ice to the tropics and follows the leap from selling ice to manufacturing cold. Travel from insulated ships and refrigerated railcars to Clarence Birdseye’s quick freezing and Willis Carrier’s air conditioning. Along the way, cold changes food, city life, and the preservation of human cells. The next time an ice cube drops into your glass, you may see far more than a convenience.
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