How was the fork an instrument of evil?
5/27/202613 min
It sits quietly on the table, beside the knife and spoon, rarely asking for attention. But the fork hasn’t always looked — or behaved — the way it does today. From scandalous novelty to everyday necessity, this small object has played a powerful role in shaping how we eat, how we gather, and how manners became habit.
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Anthony Burke· Host0:05
[upbeat music] Every day, we use tools that were invented long ago, created to solve problems to make life a little easier, and in their time, they were nothing short of revolutionary. But somewhere along the way, those breakthroughs became background, familiar, ordinary, things we barely notice at all. This show is about bringing those stories back into focus, uncovering the ingenuity behind the everyday, and finding a sense of wonder in the things we take for granted. This is Extraordinary Everyday. I'm Anthony Burke. [utensil clatters] [classical music] It sits there quietly beside the knife and spoon, rarely demanding attention, but the fork hasn't always looked or behaved the way it does today. From scandal to standard issue, this small piece of design has shaped how we eat and how we gather. Today we're looking at the fork and how design turned etiquette into everyday habit. Darius von Güttner is a professor of history at the Australian Catholic University and our resident expert in all things fork. Darius, welcome