Glitter Actually Has An Eerie Origin That Few Would Suspect
Glitter probably isn’t something you’ve thought much about. But the average person comes across the shiny stuff at least once a day, as it has a surprising number of uses beyond crafts and makeup. In fact, it's everywhere. And besides popping up in the places that you least expect, glitter came about in a rather unusual way — one that's not all glitz and glamour.
It’s Glitterally Everywhere
Besides craft stores and nail polish, glitter is included in a variety of surprising places. NFL helmets, boats and other watercraft, and even credit cards require some kind of glitter. Sometimes, scientists even put it inside of living creatures.
Weird Application
If you can believe it, researchers have hidden edible glitter inside of animals' food. Once the creatures scarf up the sparkly food, the scientists can easily track the digestion process using the shining feces. That's probably not the messiest use of glitter, either.
CSI: Glitter Division
If you’ve ever spilled glitter, you’ll understand that it’s impossible to completely clean. This quality makes it excellent for crime scene investigators. When they find glitter at a location, they examine the particles under a microscope to learn more about the situation. But with all these crazy uses, where did the shimmery powder come from?
Long History
The word glitter originates from the Old Norse word glitra, though its concept is much older. During the Upper Paleolithic period, from 40,000 to 10,000 BCE, early humans used flecks of shiny mica in cave paintings. The Mayans were also fans of the material and occasionally used it to decorate their elaborate temples. Some civilizations used less conventional materials.
