Understanding ‘Big Food’: Here’s What We’re Reading Today

Colin Rabyniuk October 5, 2016

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading today:

1. The incredible scale of 21st century agriculture

From the New York Times Magazine‘s food issue: “Our industrialized food system nourishes more people, at lower cost, than any comparable system in history. It also exerts a terrifyingly massive influence on our health and our environment. Photographer George Steinmetz spent nearly a year traveling the country to capture that system, in all its scope, grandeur and dizzying scale. His photographs are all the more remarkable for the fact that so few large food producers are willing to open themselves to this sort of public view.”

2. Jays fans hurled racial slurs at Orioles outfielders

“Adam Jones says he and fellow Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim were the targets of racial slurs after a fan threw a can of beer at Kim during Tuesday’s American League wild-card game against the Blue Jays.”

3. Why the human life span ends at 122

“The oldest human to have ever lived died at the age of 122—and that was nearly 20 years ago. A recent analysis of global demographic data suggests this may very well be the maximum age attainable by humans, and that it’s extremely unlikely anyone will ever live much beyond this advanced age. That is, unless we science the shit out of this problem.“

3. The FBI just arrested an NSA contractor for possibly leaking hacking tools

“The arrest comes shortly after a hacker or group of hackers, calling themselves The Shadow Brokers, distributed NSA exploits that can be used, among other things, to take over popular hardware firewalls.”

5. Donald Trump is tearing the NFL apart

“Fights. Friendships ended. Racial divides. Requirements not to talk about a combustible candidate on team property. B/R Mag’s examination of the football locker room electorate reveals that America’s most popular sport is just as politically divided as the nation itself.”