2: What was measured in 'gillettes'?
Lateral with Tom Scott
00:00
What Do Carob Seeds Even Look Like?
As well as its olives and wine grapes, the residents of ancient Greece also valued another plant, the carob. It is said that its seeds had an unusual property that led to a useful quantity that we use today. What do carob seeds even look like? Honestly, I'm not even sure what a carob is. Well, a hint that may help is that it's thought that the seeds were similar in size. This is where the notion of carrots come from 24 carats using carrots as a measurement because it sounds like carob and carrots are a very small unit, aren't they?"
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