This episode of Pursuit of Prosperity explores the world of Food. From the australopithecines which had to spend hours just chewing to today’s high calorie, nutrient rich food which can be consumed in a matter of minutes, we explore the different events that led to this explosion of the availability and variety of food and its consequences. We explore how cooking, packaging and preservation played a role in making this possible. We also look at the consequences of the industrialization of the food industry and the challenges that must be currently encountered.

Timestamps:

1. Food History - Cooking and the evolution of the human brain (00:00)

2. Food Preservation - Historical overview (05:32)

3. Food Preservation & Packaging - The effects of the Napoleonic & World Wars (09:23)

4. Food Packaging - Tetra Pak (15:45)

5. The future of food - Challenges and Solutions (18:14)

6. Sources - (23:28)

Sources for this episode:

Curiosity Stream - The History of Food | The Invention of Cooking | How Highly Processed Foods Liberated 1950s Housewives | National Women's History Museum (womenshistory.org) | Tetra Pak machte ihn zu einem der reichsten Menschen der Welt – ein Nachruf auf Hans Rausing | NZZ | Food in Medieval Times - Melitta Weiss Adamson - Google Books |

About the Podcast:

Pursuit Of Prosperity is a fortnightly podcast following the people and stories behind humanity's relentless pursuit of technological advancement through the ages. Created by Nikhil Nagaraj, Shubham Vyas, Jishnu Chander and Arnab Das, four technology and podcast enthusiasts, every episode dives into a modern anthropological phenomenon and looks at the breathtaking ideas, lucky coincidences and the passionate people behind its development.

Writers and Producers: Shubham Vyas, Arnab Das, Jishnu Chander and Nikhil Nagaraj

Graphic Design: Mahak Chhajed

Social Media: Tejas Sontakke