I’m busy planning Thanksgiving dinner, and as I do every year, am frustrated by the tyranny of today’s menu, and my family and friends’ expectations. People are so hidebound nowadays, demanding turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It hasn’t… Read More
The Persian king, Mithradates IV (134 − 63 BC), was so afraid of being poisoned that he regularly drank small amounts of different poisons in an attempt to develop immunity. He was said to have developed an antidote for poisoning containing as many as 65 ingredients, which became a highly sought-after drug for centuries after his death.