Open Origins

Sylvia Bishop -

The Origins Of Clothing

Ian Gilligan | Sapiens | 20th April 2023

We divide prehistory into Stone, Bronze and Iron ages because lots of things made of stone, bronze and iron survive from those times. We neglect the role of wood and cloth in prehistoric cultures because ancient things made of wood and cloth have mostly rotted away. When was clothing invented, for example? Judging from the tools which survive, perhaps a million or more years ago (2,600 words)

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Open Questions

Gwern | 13th February 2023

Gwern has more curiosity and more knowledge about more things than anybody else on the Internet. Yet some things remain a mystery even to Gwern, and here is Gwern's scratch pad. Topics include: Why fur­ries? Why does microwaved tea taste bad? Why does red excite people? Why don't twins work together more often? Are people getting more beautiful? Who were the Metcalf snipers? (10,800 words)