interesting how instrumental caffeine was and still is for society (the west)

[PurpleTree]

reading this book which talks about caffeine/coffee/tea

and it's interesting to think

before coffee/tea many people in europe drank a lot of alcohol all the time even in the morning because it was often deemed safer than water.

so a lot or most of europe was tipsy most of the time.

then around 1520 arabs and turks started bringing coffee to europe, they had a grip on it

at some point the netherlands got a hold of the plants and started growing it in their colonies in indonesia

so coffeehouses everywhere in europe, europe sobered up and became more rational

the age of enlightenment and the industrial revolution followed, the industrial revolution would probably not have been possible without caffeine and artificial light

so then europe needed more sugar in their cup of optimism, let's have sugar plantations in the americas

also the whole tea/opium "trade" between the u.k. india and china

some kings wanted to outlaw coffee at some points because people in coffeehouses were quite active with their blabbering and ideas but it was too late

caffeine was probably also important in the u.s. civil war

also tea was important in east asia, many monks used it for prolonged meditations

they have the whole tea ceremony etc.

[Danioover9000]

@PurpleTree

4 hours ago, PurpleTree said:

reading this book which talks about caffeine/coffee/tea

and it's interesting to think

before coffee/tea many people in europe drank a lot of alcohol all the time even in the morning because it was often deemed safer than water.

so a lot or most of europe was tipsy most of the time.

then around 1520 arabs and turks started bringing coffee to europe, they had a grip on it

at some point the netherlands got a hold of the plants and started growing it in their colonies in indonesia

so coffeehouses everywhere in europe, europe sobered up and became more rational

the age of enlightenment and the industrial revolution followed, the industrial revolution would probably not have been possible without caffeine and artificial light

so then europe needed more sugar in their cup of optimism, let's have sugar plantations in the americas

also the whole tea/opium "trade" between the u.k. india and china

some kings wanted to outlaw coffee at some points because people in coffeehouses were quite active with their blabbering and ideas but it was too late

caffeine was probably also important in the u.s. civil war

also tea was important in east asia, many monks used it for prolonged meditations

they have the whole tea ceremony etc.

   Yes, the power of beans and leaves weaned Europeans from stupor dreams, to enlightened beams, make believe.

[itsadistraction]

@Danioover9000 nice poem

@PurpleTree that's a really interesting topic you brought up. Kinda like how magic mushrooms helped our evolution too ?