The Gist Sadie Dingfelder on "Hair, Feathers, and the Theater of Disgust."
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Nov 6, 2025 Sadie Dingfelder, a journalist and author specializing in perception and science, dives into the fascinating biology of disgust surrounding human hair and bird feathers. She explains why hair often evokes revulsion and shares insights from studies on microbial differences between hair and feathers. Sadie also traces the origins of America's hairnet obsession back to Edward Bernays, revealing how public perception shaped hygiene norms. Plus, the discussion touches on the Philadelphia Art Museum's controversial rebranding and its implications.
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Bird-Banding Shows Casual Feather Handling
- Sadie described finding turkey feathers and attending a bird-banding workshop where handlers treated feather hygiene casually.
- She noted banders even licked fingers to separate feathers and did not fall ill from bird flu.
Personal Reactions To Hair In Food
- Mike Pesca and Sadie discussed personal reactions to finding hair in food and Sadie's eat-first, look-later habit.
- Mike said his wife reacts strongly and removes hairs before eating.
Hair Shafts Are Poor Bacterial Hosts
- Hair shafts are an arid environment and do not support large bacterial growth compared with hair follicles.
- Studies used microscopy and DNA-staining to estimate bacteria counts on hair shafts with wide variation.
