These Ornate 3-Foot-Long Tubes May Be The Oldest Known Straws

Slender gold and silver tubes crafted during the Bronze Age are the world’s oldest drinking straws, a new study finds.  Archaeologists found the 3-foot-long (1 meter) metal tubes in 1897 while excavating a burial mound known as a kurgan from the ancient Maikop (also spelled Maykop) culture in the northwestern Caucasus, which primarily includes modern-day … Read more

Cosmosphere craft beer: Space museum set to launch ‘Space Race’ IPA

For 60 years, the Cosmosphere has been a leader in the presentation and preservation of space exploration history. From its dynamic exhibits to its collection of recovered and restored space artifacts, the Hutchinson, Kansas institution has had everything you would want and expect from a world-class museum. Everything, that is, except its own beer. “As … Read more

This Ancient Peruvian Empire Put Hallucinogenics in Beer For Political Reasons

The ancient Wari empire of Peru might have used hallucinogenic beer to rally support in new territories. The remnants of a large feast, found at a Wari outpost from the ninth century CE, strongly suggest the seeds of a psychoactive plant called vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina) were once mixed with chicha, a beer made from the fruit … Read more

Archaeology: Ancient Andean leaders may have mixed hallucinogen with their beer

A concoction of vilca seeds and fermented alcohol may have provided a mild hallucinogenic experience, enabling Wari leaders in South America to bond with their people Humans 12 January 2022 By Michael Marshall Anadenanthera colubrina, a tree species common to nearly all regions of South American Matt Lavin/Flickr Get high, make friends. Members of the … Read more

How climate change is shaking up the hops that give beer its flavour

Hop plants are largely what distinguish your dark ales from your refreshing pales, and each has its own “terroir”. With changing weather affecting how and where they grow, what does the future hold for brewing and beer? Humans 15 December 2021 By Chris Simms Wicked weed: freshly harvested hop flowers Jean/Stockimo/Alamy WATER, malted barley and … Read more

Robots: Human-like hand can crush beer cans and hold eggs without breaking them

A robot hand that has the lightness of touch to hold delicate objects and the strength to crush cans could one day be used as a prosthetic Technology 14 December 2021 By Carissa Wong A highly dexterous, human-like robotic hand with fingertip touch sensors can delicately hold eggs, use tweezers to pick up computer chips … Read more

Beer in Ancient Egypt: Wealthy people used porridge-like beer in their ceremonies 5600 years ago

Centuries before the pharaohs emerged in Egypt, the local elites used a thick porridge-like beer in their ceremonies Humans 3 December 2021 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Reconstruction of beer cups and jars from early Egypt Dr. Renee The elite members of early Egyptian society – before the emergence of the pharaohs – probably drank beer, … Read more