The world's first Nike

I'm getting a bit worn out by all the disasters in the world lately. It just seems like a never-ending run of bad news. If it's not a worldwide economic crisis then it's the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or flooding in Europe or the war in Afghanistan. But sometimes there's a news story that makes me feel proud to be human!

The world's oldest leather shoe has just been found in Armenia! It's 5,500 years old and it's really funny because it looks so modern. It's a single piece of cowhide that has been cut to fit, with leather laces tying up the front and back. OK, it's not high fashion, but I could imagine putting it on and going for a walk. I didn't know this, but apparently sandals (made from grass or something) were found in the US state of Missouri that are 7,000 years old. And no one knows for sure how long humans have been wearing shoes.

But just think about it: humans are great at adapting to difficult situations. It's cold - lets make some clothes to keep warm; the ground is rocky and hard - let's make some shoes; there's a gigantic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - let's ... I don't know. But I'm confident we humans can come up with a solution for all our problems. It just might take a little time ...

Our (very) distant ancestors learn some new tricks (from 2001: A Space Odyssey)