Page 1901 – fakuto

It’s said that Aboriginal men have a strict policy when it comes to their mothers-in-law: They don’t look directly at them or address them in any way. It’s a tradition that has roots in the culture’s earliest days and probably has done more to ease familial tensions than any in history.

Of course, most families don’t have any such traditions in place, leading to several instances of historical figures who have been influenced—or browbeaten—by their in-law. Here are 11 examples.

1. SARA ROOSEVELT

Upon hearing her son—and future president—Franklin wanted to marry Eleanor, Sara Roosevelt tried to convince him to break it off. When that didn’t work, she coerced him into keeping it a secret for a year. Sara had a hand in every facet of his life, even ordering construction of a double townhouse after the wedding so that Franklin and Eleanor could live on one side and she could live on the other. Eleanor and Sara were often at odds, including how best to move forward after Franklin’s diagnosis of polio. When Sara died in 1941, Eleanor wrote that it was hard to have known someone for 36 years yet “feel no deep affection or sense of loss.”

2. SOPHIE OF BAVARIA

Wikimedia Commons

Born in 1837, Sisi Wittelsbach became an empress by marrying Franz Joseph, a seeming promotion in life quality—were it not for her mother-in-law, Sophie. The Archduchess was also Sisi’s aunt and campaigned for her son to marry Sisi’s sister, Helene, instead. When that failed, she made a habit of correcting Sisi’s every move, including how best to mother her own children. Even her own son, Franz, was too laid-back for her liking; Sophie has become known as the “only man in Hofburg.”

3. MARIE WOOLF

Welcoming the famed writer Virginia Woolf into her fold was something Marie Woolf had no reservations about, but the same wasn’t necessarily true of her new daughter-in-law. Although Marie admired Virginia’s intelligence and considered her her favorite in-law, Virginia perceived Marie’s presence as a reminder of her own tumultuous upbringing that was marked by possessive relatives. “I felt the horror of family life, and the terrible threat to one’s liberty that I used to feel with father,” she once wrote in her diary. “To be attached to her as daughter would be so cruel a fate that I can think of nothing worse.”

4. MARIA CLEMM

Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore

Awkwardly, Clemm was both writer Edgar Allan Poe’s aunt and his mother-in-law: the shift in relations came when Poe married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia. (Poe was 27.) While Poe and Clemm were believed to have largely gotten along, she did create friction between her nephew and a friend of his named William Duane. Poe had borrowed a book belonging to Duane that Clemm subsequently sold, forcing Duane to track it down through third-party sellers. With the Poe clan unapologetic, Duane never spoke to them again. Following Poe’s death, Clemm reportedly burned a bunch of valuable correspondence that belonged to him.

5. BONA SFORZA

A woman of considerable influence in 16th century Poland and Lithuania, Bona Sforza prompted many of her son’s associates to tread lightly. When Sigismund II, the heir to the Polish throne, married Elizabeth of Austria, Sforza made her disdain for the bride known—and Elizabeth died two years later. Sigismund’s second wife also became ill and died a short time after exchanging vows. Although it’s unlikely she had anything to do with the deaths of her daughters-in-law, Sigismund eventually grew very wary of his mother and saw her off to Warsaw, where she could presumably no longer interfere with his romantic relations.

6. CATHERINE DE MEDICI

Wikimedia Commons

When Mary, Queen of Scots was just 5, she was sent to live in France with her newly betrothed, the 4-year-old dauphin. Though her future mother-in-law, Queen of France Catherine de Medici, wasn’t overly warm towards her, Mary was a court favorite and loved her time in France. However, just two years after her wedding at Notre Dame, an 18-year-old Mary, who had only been Queen Consort for 17 months, was widowed and subsequently shipped back to Scotland by Catherine. And despite accusations of murdering her second husband, Mary, Queen of Scots garnered a better reputation over the years than her former mother-in-law. The Medici matriarch had little use for human nuisances, being implicated in the killing of courtiers and orchestrating the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre that helped to suffocate the idea of Protestantism in France.

7. DOWAGER CIXI

Born in 1835, Dowager Cixi kept a firm grasp in China’s Qing Dynasty for half a century. For some time, her influence was directed through her son, Tongzhi, who became Emperor at the age of 5. When he married Xiaozhe 11 years later, an irritated Cixi guaranteed she would remain his primary influence by allegedly encouraging Tongzhi to keep concubines. Soon after Tongzhi died of smallpox (which is rumored to have actually been syphilis), Xiaozhe and her unborn son also passed away under suspicious circumstances—The New York Times reported at the time that “the circumstances of her death have aroused general suspicion … and there is but little attempt to conceal the belief that the fear of complications in case her expected child should be a son led to the sacrifice of her life.” Without an heir, Cixi was able to retain her influence, leading some to speculate she had been responsible for their deaths.

8. ROSE KENNEDY

TheFamousPeople

As the matriarch of the most famous political family in American history, Rose Kennedy was perceived a model of behavior for the women who married her sons. According to Jackie Kennedy, Rose did not fit the stereotype of the overbearing scold: She offered advice when asked but refused to burden Jackie with demands. After the assassination of JFK and Rose’s husband Joe Kennedy’s stroke, Jackie said it was her relationship with Rose that helped keep her a symbol of strength while her grief was under a microscope.

9. YVONNE MACNAMARA

The discovery of a work-in-progress notebook once owned by acclaimed poet Dylan Thomas in 2014 shed some light on his relationship with mother-in-law Yvonne Macnamara. After marrying Caitlin Macnamara, Thomas was apparently under significant duress when in Yvonne’s presence. He wrote: “I sit and hate my mother-in-law, glowering at her from corners.” Her house, he said, “levels the intelligence.” Adding credence to his opinion, it was considered a minor miracle his notebook was found at all: After finding it, Yvonne had ordered a servant to burn it.

10. MADGE GATES WALLACE

Truman Library

Following the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman became President of the United States in 1945—and promptly equipped the White House with another domineering mother-in-law. Madge Gates Wallace, the mother of Truman’s wife, Bess, apparently didn’t hold the office in high regard, believing that her daughter was still too good for the most powerful man in the free world. When Truman ran opposite Thomas Dewey in 1948, Wallace told Truman she admired Dewey greatly.

11. PRINCESS ALICE OF BATTENBERG

Despite having been a royal her whole life (she was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and was married into the Greek royal family), Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, had little use for the pageantry that surrounded regality. She gave some of her jewels to be set into the engagement ring when Philip was betrothed to Princess Elizabeth, but when her daughter-in-law was crowned Queen in 1953, Alice attended the Westminster Abbey coronation wearing a wimple and habit. Alice largely stayed out of their business, rejecting their lavish bubble and devoting herself to helping the poor in Greece (for her earlier role in saving a Jewish family during World War II, she was declared one of the “Righteous Among the Nations,” a high honor given by Israel to those who risked their own lives to save Jews during the war), and she even founded her own religious order of nuns before settling in with her family at Buckingham Palace for two years prior to her death in 1969.

October 23, 2016 – 2:00pm

October 23, 2016

Watch This Groovy 1960s Tupperware Documentary/Infomercial

Chris Higgins

filed under: chemistry, Food, food science, video

Image credit:

YouTube // wdtvlive42 – Archive Footage

In The Wonderful World Of Tupperware Plastics, we learn the benefits of Tupperware, “made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene—relative newcomers to the wonderful world of imagination and industry.” This is precisely what that guy in The Graduate was referring to when he told Benjamin Braddock, “Just one word: PLASTICS.”

From Earl Tupper’s novel plastics to Brownie Wise’s “Tupperware Party” innovation, this is an impressive half-hour how-it’s-made. It actually goes deep into the details of how oil byproducts are turned into plastics, and how the manufacturing process works. There’s also a notable segment about how IBM punch-card computers help with inventory management “at lightning speed.” It really kicks into gear with a series of corny musical numbers celebrating Tupperware, featuring Anita Bryant and Johnny Desmond.

Enjoy:

Further reading: How a Single Mom Created a Plastic Food-Storage Empire and 15 Tupperware Facts From the Back of the Fridge.

October 23, 2016 – 12:00pm

October 23, 2016

This Week’s Best Amazon Deals You Can Still Get

Smart Shopping Team

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, we share some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. These items were the ones that were the most popular with our readers this week, and they’re still available.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers (including Amazon) and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

October 23, 2016 – 11:00am

Amazon Product Id:

B000GB1R7S

October 23, 2016

The Science of Spit

Luba Ostashevsky

filed under: biology, health, medicine

Image credit:

iStock

The human body is an amazing thing. For each one of us, it’s the most intimate object we know. And yet most of us don’t know enough about it: its features, functions, quirks, and mysteries. That’s why we’re launching a new series called The Body, which will explore human anatomy, part by part. Think of it as a mini digital encyclopedia with a dose of wow.

Your mouth is a battleground—a wet one. Trillions of microorganisms wage war against each other within. On one side are at least 700 species of bacteria. Most are harmless, and some even beneficial—but a few major species repay your hospitality with tooth decay or gum disease, such as Streptococcus mutans, first described by 18th-century Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek as “living animalcules” because they wriggled around so much under a microscope lens. These spiral-shaped microbes build colonies on smooth tooth surfaces and turn the sugars and starches of food stuck in your teeth into acid that dissolves enamel and causes cavities. But Streptococcus isn’t the only danger. Below the gum line live Porphyromonas gingivalis and the recently discovered Prevotella histicola, both of which cause gum disease.

On the other side are the white-caped superheroes of your mouth: enzymes encased in a watery, frothy substance known as saliva or spit. Your mouth makes two to four pints of spit every day. It’s produced by the salivary glands inside your cheeks and the bottom of your mouth. While saliva is 99 percent water, its constant circulation keeps bacteria from settling on your teeth, and swallowing flushes them into your stomach. (Saliva also performs the important function of keeping your mouth’s pH slightly basic, preventing the acid produced by microbes like the S. mutans from making your teeth fall out.)

While saliva polices the neighborhood, there is also co-existence going on. Between meals, when there’s little for bacteria to feast on, some species dig into the protein in saliva and in the fluid secreted by gums. Having a certain level of microbes in your mouth is important: They boost your immune system and keep respiratory infection at bay.

Which microbes occupy your mouth matters. While 200 odd species are common around the world, many others depend on your environment, race, or food preferences—and they can tell a lot about your overall health.

That’s why last summer’s headlines suggesting you toss the floss made many dentists frown.

A medieval dentist at work on a patient, circa 1500. Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

“Some patients need to floss, others do not,“ explains Dan Malamud, professor of infectious disease at the NYU School of Medicine.

Not only does your particular micro-fauna dictate the importance of your daily routines, Malamud tells mental_floss that saliva holds a lot of information, and at times can be a more useful diagnostic tool than your blood.

Just a drop of your spit can tell doctors if you are prone to heart disease; if your pregnancy may be complicated; if you’re stressed; or, if you’re a woman, whether you have a healthy relationship with your father. It may soon also reveal whether you have cancer. Spit is easier to access than blood, too.

While this dark, moist cave is bacteria’s fantasy real estate—an easy place to grow and reproduce—your health depends on keeping them in check. Moreover, the right balance of microbes is important: bacteria on your teeth are being kept in check by bacteria in your gums that produce bad breath. And while the species P. histicola may cause gum disease, it was discovered recently that it also helps control rheumatoid arthritis. And the chemical compound opiorphin, found in saliva, helps activate opiate receptors, which block pain signals from the brain—giving new credence to the idea that you can kiss a booboo to make it feel better.

But there is still a lot that is not understood about our spit. Only half the microbes in our mouth have been sequenced and identified, Xuesong He, a microbiologist at UCLA school of dentistry, tells mental_floss. The Human Microbiome Genome Project, an initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is currently funding a massive effort to identify all of the millions of microbes that inhabit our bodies.

He and his group recently identified [PDF] bacteria in the mouth called TM7x that live parasitically, meaning they occupy the host and rely on it for nutrition. This is the first time a parasitic bacterium has been discovered in the human body. Its host, XH001, is a “relatively good bug,” He says, but when saddled with the parasite, it may cause gums to become prone to disease.

There may be many other such connections lurking under our tongues. NYU’s Malamud, for example, is currently working to develop a diagnostic saliva test for the Zika virus. A blood test exists, but blood begins to develop antibodies to Zika after 7 to ten days, and then the virus becomes undetectable. In one recent CDC report, researchers were able to detect Zika in saliva up to 20 days after infection. As the virus progresses in stages, its long detection cycle in spit allows doctors to tell when the person was infected. Moreover, the ressearchers were able to spot Zika in saliva 81 percent of the time—a rate second only to urine (92 percent), and a third higher than serum (51 percent).

Malamud sees the sequencing of human saliva as one of many steps toward personalized medicine. He says, “When it’s all put together in five to 10 years, it will change the way we practice medicine.”

October 23, 2016 – 8:00am

October 23, 2016

Artist’s Hand-Hewn Ceramic Mugs Resemble Cardboard

Kirstin Fawcett

filed under: art, design

Image credit:

Tim Kowalczyk, courtesy of timsceramics // Etsy

Artist Tim Kowalczyk’s mugs look like they’re fashioned from tattered cardboard scraps, but when you touch them, you realize they are carefully hand-hewn from clay. According to Bored Panda, Kowalczyk is a ceramics instructor at Illinois Central College. When the teacher isn’t molding young minds, he creates unique, corrugated dinnerware in his home studio.

“Pathetic, absurd, antiquated, banal or even garbage are words that best describe the objects I am drawn to,” Kowalczyk explains in an artist’s statement published on his website. “These types of objects hold my attention because of the stories they can tell and what they can mean. Many times I find objects at thrift stores, yard sales or the side of the road … I want people to see the beauty and narrative that is held within simple overlooked objects.”

Along with his cardboard-inspired mugs, Kowalczyk also makes ceramic plates, bowls, and ashtrays that mimic styrofoam, paper, and pegboard; tumblers that look like old tin cans; and trash-themed sculptures. View some of his mugs and cups below, or visit the artist’s Instagram or website to check out more works.

[h/t Bored Panda]

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

October 23, 2016 – 6:00am

October 23, 2016

Relax With a Video Visit to Kew Gardens (in 1942)

Chris Higgins

filed under: garden, video, world war two

Image credit:

Vimeo // British Council Film

London’s Kew Gardens are a gem. Contained within the city, the gardens first opened in 1840. They house thousands of plant specimens along with research labs.

In 1942, cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth captured Kew in Technicolor, marking one of his earliest works—he went on to photograph 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman, Cabaret, Zardoz, and dozens more. Keep in mind that the Blitz only ended in May, 1941, so Kew was within a war-torn country when this film was made.

Take ten minutes to relax and enjoy this vintage look at Kew’s beautiful grounds and research facilities.

World Garden (1942) from British Council Film on Vimeo.

October 23, 2016 – 4:00am

October 23, 2016

Watch the Relaxing Process of Creating Traditional Japanese Dolls

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: art, video

If you’re familiar with Japanese culture, you’ve likely come across the prolific Daruma doll. The symbolic toys have a rich history in Japan: They’re based on Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. While the dolls can come in an array of different colors and styles depending on the region, the most popular models come from the city of Takasaki. In the video above, you can see Daruma dolls being created in that regional style.

Each doll has a mustache made of turtles and cranes for eyebrows. (These animals both represent longevity.) Once the figures are sculpted, artists dip them in red paint, then hand-paint designs on their faces. As you might have noticed, the dolls have blank eyes, which look out of place when surrounded by the intricate animal patterns.

That’s because it’s up to the owner to paint them in: After purchasing a doll, the customer fills in the left eye, while thinking about a specific goal or wish. Once that objective has been completed, they can fill in the right eye. In this way, the doll serves as a physical reminder to the owner to keep working on his or her goal.

Primary image courtesy of YouTube.

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

October 23, 2016 – 12:00am

1. SARA ROOSEVELT

2. SOPHIE OF BAVARIA

3. MARIE WOOLF

4. MARIA CLEMM

5. BONA SFORZA

6. CATHERINE DE MEDICI

7. DOWAGER CIXI

8. ROSE KENNEDY

9. YVONNE MACNAMARA

10. MADGE GATES WALLACE

11. PRINCESS ALICE OF BATTENBERG

GADGETS

KITCHEN

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