No Such Thing As A Fish No Such Thing As The Handshake Police
May 14, 2021
Ella Al-Shamahi, paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer, shares quirky histories and science around handshakes. Short, vivid stories span an 1894 anti-handshake society in Baku, biological origins in chimpanzees, bizarre greeting rituals and Prince Charles' arboreal habits. Conversation also jumps to Amelia Earhart lore, Mary Anning’s fossil work and Neanderthal coprolite discoveries.
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Anti‑Handshake Society In Baku
- In 1894 Baku an Anti-Handshake Society formed charging six rubles membership and fining three rubles for slips.
- The Lancet mocked them then, which now reads badly given cholera's transmission risks.
Handshake As An Ancient Biological Signal
- Ella argues the handshake is biological and very old, citing chimpanzee handshakes and chemical cues.
- Studies show people sniff their hands after shaking, implying chemo-signalling in greetings.
A Namesake Who Recreated Earhart's Route
- Amelia Rose Earhart (born with that name) later completed Amelia Earhart's fatal circumnavigation route and even won an Amelia Earhart award.
- She found no genealogical link to the original Amelia despite proximity of family origins.
