PAST TO PRESENT

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- JULY 20, 2024

Sometimes things that happened in the past have a way of influencing us in the present. This “back to the future” phenomena is more common than you might surmise. 

For example, we're all familiar with vending machines that dispense snacks and drinks. A logical hypothesis is that they were invented for this purpose. That assumption is not even close to how the invention came to be. 

“Heron of Alexandria invented a lot of things, many of which helped set the stage for our modern society. But perhaps the most interesting thing he invented during his lifetime was a machine that efficiently ensured that people weren't taking too much holy water at the temples where they went to worship.”

This holy water vending machine was very efficient. “People would drop tokens inside of the holy water dispenser, and the weight of the token would push against a lever that opened a small door. While the door was open, the holy water would fall out.” 

How old is this invention? “Heron died around 70 A.D., but Heron's idea proved to have a lasting impact. The mechanisms today are fairly similar—money goes in, gears turn, stuff comes out.” Currently, the vending machine industry earns about $20 billion in revenue each year. (https://tedium.co/2015/06/25/how-vending-machines-work/)

Heron's machine was not the only invention with a religious theme. “The humble pretzel actually has a spiritual origin: It was invented by Catholic monks at the beginning of the Middle Ages and, according to legend, was imbued with religious symbolism.”

That symbolism is due to the shape of the pretzel. “Most historians trace the origin of the pretzel to around 610 CE in a monastery in either Italy or France. Some scholars believe that the iconic twisted shape was meant to resemble children with their arms crossed in prayer.” (https://historyfacts.com/world-history/fact/pretzels-were-invented-by-catholic-monks/)

While pretzels can be found today in any grocery store, another commodity that's in most stores is the ordinary banana. However, it turns out that a typical banana is not so typical. “There are over one thousand different kinds of bananas and they've changed a lot, evolving from round, green fruits filled with seeds to the bright yellow, phone-shaped fruits we know today.”  

Your age comes into play here. “If you were a child before the 1960s, then you were eating different bananas than the modern bananas found today. This is because the 'Gros Michel' variety of banana, which was popular at that time, has been almost completely replaced by the 'Cavendish' variety of banana. Where the Gros Michel was thick-skinned and sweet, the Cavendish is larger and more mild in flavor.” 

That's not all. Banana candy is a third taste. “The flavor for banana candy is made using a chemical compound called isoamyl acetate, so banana candy taste doesn't match up specifically with any real kind of banana. It's an entirely unique flavor.” 

(https://www.chowhound.com/1609292/bananas-back-then-versus-now-history/)

On another front, men all over the world are thankful that a fashion trend invented for them has gone by the wayside. “Long before the days of stilettos and pumps, high-heeled shoes were worn by men. As far back as the 10th century, Persian soldiers and emissaries wore heels when riding. When a soldier wore heeled boots on a horse, he was able to better steady himself and generate more balance both for riding and fighting.” 

Needless to say, while the high heels were fine for riding a horse, walking around on the ground in heels was not too efficient. “Once heels made their way to Europe in the 16th century, their purpose was much more akin to how we think of these shoes today. High heels faded out of fashion for men.”

Luckily for the cobblers of the day, women adopted the fashion trend. “When women started to wear high heels, the goal was to hide as much of the foot as possible beneath a long skirt.” (https://historyfacts.com/world-history/article/facts-about-the-elizabethan-era/)

By the way, investing in companies that make high heels might be a savvy move. “In 2019, the value of the global high heels market amounted to about 34.1 billion U.S. dollars. The value of this market was expected to rise to 42.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.” (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105845/high-heels-market-value-worldwide/)

If you'd rather invest in something else that's popular, video game companies are a hot commodity. The genre had humble beginnings. “In October 1958, Physicist William Higinbotham created what is thought to be the first video game. It was a very simple tennis game, similar to the classic 1970s video game Pong. The game was  called Tennis for Two.” 

It was very basic. “Players could turn a knob to adjust the angle of the ball, and push a button to hit the ball towards the other player. If they hit it at the wrong time or hit it at the wrong angle, the ball wouldn’t make it over the net. When the ball went off the court or into the net, players hit a reset button to start the next round.” (https://www.aps.org/apsnews/2008/09/first-video-game)

Fast forward to 2024 for one of the newest video games. “FarSight Studios' makes one of the fastest-growing sports in America available to play from the comfort of your couch with the release of PPA Pickleball Tour 2025, a new game available now for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.”

The goal is to give you an immersive product. “Working closely with the American Pickleball Association (PPA Tour), FarSight developed the game in the hopes of creating the most realistic, authentic and fun pickleball video game on the market. PPA Pickleball Tour 2025 allows players to step into the shoes of over 16 professional pickleball players.” (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pickleball-is-all-the-rage-and-a-new-video-game-is-out-now-on-playstation-xbox-and-pc/1100-6525054/)

Finally, there is nothing like a good phobia to complicate your day. Phobias have always been with us. The Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived from around 460 BC to 370 AD, even wrote about these. 

Perhaps one of the oddest examples of a modern phobia is one of the longest words in existence -- hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.  Someone suffering from this phobia is terrified of long words. (https://www.dictionaryscoop.com/article/Which-Are-The-Longest-Words-In-The-English-Language)

This is ironic because if you have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia you'd be afraid of the word at the same time. You couldn't tell anyone you have  hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia because you'd be unable to say the word. “This noun holds the dubious distinction of describing an unreasonable fear to itself.” It's a conundrum.

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.