CIA Shares Julia Child's Shark Repellent Recipe 41
coondoggie writes: Sometimes some of the coolest stories get lost in history. The CIA recently noted one of them – famous French food chef and author Julia Child's critical involvement in developing a shark repellent recipe for military personnel during WWII. The CIA reports: "Julia McWilliams (better known by her married name, Julia Child) joined the newly-created OSS in 1942 in search of adventure. This was years before she became the culinary icon of French cuisine that she is known for today. In fact, at this time, Julia was self-admittedly a disaster in the kitchen. Perhaps all the more fitting that she soon found herself helping to develop a recipe that even a shark would refuse to eat....After trying over 100 different substances—including common poisons—the researchers found several promising possibilities: extracts from decayed shark meat, organic acids, and several copper salts, including copper sulphate and copper acetate. After a year of field tests, the most effective repellent was copper acetate."
Julia Child swimming with sharks? (Score:2)
Kind of suggests a brand new spin on Dan Akyroyd's sketch on SNL. [nbc.com]
Re: (Score:2)
It still works for me.
Instead of complaining, maybe you could provide an alternate link?
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's just geoblocked outside usa.
for me as well. next time just look it up on youtube.
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I wish! It might work for that, but NBC is pretty good about getting takedowns on youtube so that you have to watch videos on their very-poorly-designed website.. which I guess is unavailable outside the US.
Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
she had a hand in making this, I'm sure
http://batman60stv.wikia.com/w... [wikia.com]
Public Relations stunt? (Score:1)
Re:Public Relations stunt? (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe, but whenever I read about Julia McWilliams' role in WWII, I find myself admiring the courage of her and people like her.
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Except this is actually admission of an abuse: This research could have saved lives. Civilian lives, American lives, even children's lives. There was really no excuse for keeping this sort of information secret for any length of time.
Strange... (Score:2)
This was years before she became the culinary icon of French cuisine that she is known for today. In fact, at this time, Julia was self-admittedly a disaster in the kitchen.
I had no idea this was a contradiction...
Wow. From a recipe that even a shark won't touch (Score:5, Funny)
"Ooops, looks like I grabbed the copper acetate instead of the cumin again, I really need to separate those better! Save the liver!"
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When I was a kid I used to tinker with kitchen chemistry. I accidentally made copper acetate: put vinegar in a little closed bottle, and some copper object (coin etc.) so that it stays _above_ the liquid. Copper will slowly react with vapor of the acetic acid yielding rather beautiful (and stinky) blue rhombic crystals. (As always, be safe: just don't eat it or don't give to kids, etc.)
She probably found it among her students (Score:1)
My wife's cooking
Anecdotal (Score:1)
My grandfather was a blimp mechanic (El Toro airbase, southern california) who saw plenty of downed craft and rescued wreckage. He claimed the repellent did nothing once there was blood in the water. There was always blood in the water once someone drowned. It was classified as an ongoing project that was eventually shelved due to continual failure, but promising reasearch. The repellents just weren't effective at all.
Gracious thanks, CIA... (Score:1)
... for declassifying the shark repellant recipe. We all forgive you and Jula Childs and love you as you are. Please now also declassify the cure for cancer.
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yeah, they're not going to go after the slow-moving blob of lunch that basically can't resist.
Shark Repellent bat spray (Score:1)
So Julia Childs invented this: http://img.gawkerassets.com/po... [gawkerassets.com]
Julia Child's thought (Score:2)
She Was A Spy (Score:2, Informative)
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She was definitely an OSS member, but I can't find any references to her being other than a typist and office coordinator for the Allies.
Spock's blood (Score:2)
Didn't Spock fend off some alien creature because his blood was copper-based?
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It was a vampiric cloud of energy. One of the better Star Trek TOS episodes.
You'd want to use that with caution... (Score:3)