Ken MacLeod is a Trot, he's Scottish, and he writes those weird SF stories. But he can write.
Haw! I am not blond but most of my genes come from that part of the world. And I do like my oatmeal.
Sadly, the lecture he describes seems to have been a real-world thing - no media at the provided link. Dang.
Blue-eyed blondes are a further twist in this tale: Northwest Europe, because of the Gulf Stream, is the only region where grain crops can be grown that far north. Grain crops are not only lacking in Vitamin D - eating their food products actually removes Vitamin D from the blood. This confers an advantage on skin types even more light-sensitive and melanin-deficient than the European norm. Natural blondes, sadly enough, are just people who can live on oats in the rain.
Haw! I am not blond but most of my genes come from that part of the world. And I do like my oatmeal.
Sadly, the lecture he describes seems to have been a real-world thing - no media at the provided link. Dang.
