When Julia Child tried to save troops from sharks

+ an aerospace engineer explains suborbital flight US Edition - Today's top story: Before Shark Week and 'Jaws,' World War II spawned America's shark obsession [View in browser]( US Edition | 10 July 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair With Shark Week looming, American studies professor Janet M. Davis writes of the [shark-phobia that spread among American GIs]( stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Hoping to allay their fears, Navy officials sought to prepare them for any future encounters. Efforts included a pamphlet titled “Shark Sense” and a pill dubbed “Shark Chaser” that, when dropped in the water, dissolved into an inky dye. They also tasked a crack team of researchers – which included future chef Julia Child – with developing a shark repellent that servicemen could lather themselves with. This week we also liked articles about [cultural appropriation](, [extremely hot weather]( and [booster shots](. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor A painting for the U.S. Army’s Stars and Stripes newspaper shows a downed pilot fending off sharks with a knife. Ed Vebell/Getty Images [Before Shark Week and ‘Jaws,’ World War II spawned America’s shark obsession]( Janet M. Davis, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts As part of the nation's massive wartime mobilization effort, millions of Americans, for the first time, traveled abroad – where many had their first encounters with the marine predators. American reality TV star Kim Kardashian was criticized for sporting earrings patterned from the sacred Hindu Om symbol during a photo shoot for her beauty products line. E-Times [What is cultural appropriation, and how does it differ from cultural appreciation?]( Joshua E. Kane, Arizona State University Celebrities and businesses have drawn criticism for cultural appropriation. An expert provides guidance on when it is sharing another culture out of appreciation and when it is appropriation. Record-breaking triple-digit heat in Olympia, Wash., on June 28, 2021. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren [Knowing how heat and humidity affect your body can help you stay safe during heat waves]( JohnEric W. Smith, Mississippi State University Which is worse, dry heat or wet heat? Both, says an exercise physiologist. - [Do I need a COVID-19 booster shot? 6 questions answered on how to stay protected]( William Petri, University of Virginia Though currently approved COVID-19 vaccines effectively provide immunity against the virus, it's unclear how long that protection will last. - [What’s a suborbital flight? An aerospace engineer explains]( John M. Horack, The Ohio State University Both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are sending spacecrafts – and their billionaire founders – into suborbital flight. But what differentiates a suborbital flight from a trip around Earth? - [It’s not just bad behavior – why social media design makes it hard to have constructive disagreements online]( Amanda Baughan, University of Washington How social media services work – the nuts and bolts of interacting with others online – has the power to shape and improve online arguments. Here's how. - [US Black and Latino communities often have low vaccination rates – but blaming vaccine hesitancy misses the mark]( - [New York defines illegal firearms use as a ‘public nuisance’ in bid to pierce gun industry’s powerful liability shield]( - [3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet]( - [Global evidence links rise in extreme precipitation to human-driven climate change]( - [America’s founders believed civic education and historical knowledge would prevent tyranny – and foster democracy]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451