Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
To learn for free on Brilliant for a full 30 days, plus 20% off the annual Premium subscription, go to brilliant.org/answerswithjoe
In the wide pantheon of tough jobs, your friendly neighborhood baker might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But pre-industrialization, bakers had one of the most strenuous, back breaking jobs you can imagine, which broke their bodies down aggressively. All this was exacerbated by the dreaded “Baker’s Lung,” a disease brought on by breathing in flour all day long. Today we’re going to talk about what is arguably one of the worst jobs of all time.
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Patreon: patreon.com/answerswithjoe
Channel Memberships: youtube.com/channel/UC-2YHgc363EdcusLIBbgxzg/join
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Book of Mysteries: https://a.co/d/0gRx0qvM
Documentary: nebula.tv/oldestnewest
Check out my 2nd channel, Joe Scott TMI:
youtube.com/channel/UCqi721JsXlf0wq3Z_cNA_Ew
And my podcast channel, Conversations With Joe:
youtube.com/channel/UCJzc7TiJ2nnuyJkUpOZ8RKA
You can listen to my podcast, Conversations With Joe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify 👉 spoti.fi/37iPGzF
Apple Podcasts 👉 apple.co/3j94kfq
Google Podcasts 👉 bit.ly/3qZCo1V
Follow me at all my places!
Instagram: instagram.com/answerswithjoe
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Twitter: twitter.com/answerswithjoe
LINKS LINKS LINKS
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/health-safety-and-welfare-work
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_case_of_the_journeymen_bakers_-_being_a_lecture_on_the_%27evils_of_nightwork_and_long_hours_of_labour%2C%27_delivered_July_6%2C_1848_%28IA_b22337246%29.pdf
amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-institute-for-immunology-and-infectious-diseases/news/bakers-eczema-a-work-related-hazard.htm
jiaci.org/issues/vol20issue7/1.pdf
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3125175
https://www.journal-irioh.ru/jour/article/view/2984?locale=en_US
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34671999
bshm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/thom-v2-102-113.pdf
bphs.net/HistoryOfKeyBusinesses/Bakery/index.htm
dn720001.ca.archive.org/0/items/b22416365/b22416365.pdf
en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Bread
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_case_of_the_journeymen_bakers_-_being_a_lecture_on_the_%27evils_of_nightwork_and_long_hours_of_labour%2C%27_delivered_July_6%2C_1848_%28IA_b22337246%29.pdf
tastingtable.com/1080592/the-dangerous-ingredient-victorian-bakers-sometimes-added-to-bread
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5467726
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4685600
hse.gov.uk/asthma/bakers.htm
amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-institute-for-immunology-and-infectious-diseases/news/bakers-eczema-a-work-related-hazard.htm
https://www.academia.edu/12250367/The_Biopolitics_of_Baking_I_Bodies_and_Environments_in_London_Bakeries
victorianlondon.org/professions/bakers.htm
tastingtable.com/1080592/the-dangerous-ingredient-victorian-bakers-sometimes-added-to-bread
archive.org/stream/foodlondonasket00doddgoog/foodlondonasket00doddgoog_djvu.txt
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28622147
victorianlondon.org/professions/bakers.htm
researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com/2017/11/bakers-life-in-london-and.html
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - The Industrial Nightmare
2:21 - Life of a Baker
5:04 - Death of a Baker
8:07 - Baker’s Lung
12:09 - Other Occupational Illnesses
14:39 - Sponsor - Brilliant
To learn for free on Brilliant for a full 30 days, plus 20% off the annual Premium subscription, go to brilliant.org/answerswithjoe
In the wide pantheon of tough jobs, your friendly neighborhood baker might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But pre-industrialization, bakers had one of the most strenuous, back breaking jobs you can imagine, which broke their bodies down aggressively. All this was exacerbated by the dreaded “Baker’s Lung,” a disease brought on by breathing in flour all day long. Today we’re going to talk about what is arguably one of the worst jobs of all time.
Want to support the channel? Here's how:
Patreon: patreon.com/answerswithjoe
Channel Memberships: youtube.com/channel/UC-2YHgc363EdcusLIBbgxzg/join
T-Shirts & Merch: laughsmarter.com
Book of Mysteries: https://a.co/d/0gRx0qvM
Documentary: nebula.tv/oldestnewest
Check out my 2nd channel, Joe Scott TMI:
youtube.com/channel/UCqi721JsXlf0wq3Z_cNA_Ew
And my podcast channel, Conversations With Joe:
youtube.com/channel/UCJzc7TiJ2nnuyJkUpOZ8RKA
You can listen to my podcast, Conversations With Joe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify 👉 spoti.fi/37iPGzF
Apple Podcasts 👉 apple.co/3j94kfq
Google Podcasts 👉 bit.ly/3qZCo1V
Follow me at all my places!
Instagram: instagram.com/answerswithjoe
TikTok: tiktok.com/@answerswithjoe
Facebook: facebook.com/answerswithjoe
Twitter: twitter.com/answerswithjoe
LINKS LINKS LINKS
sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/health-safety-and-welfare-work
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_case_of_the_journeymen_bakers_-_being_a_lecture_on_the_%27evils_of_nightwork_and_long_hours_of_labour%2C%27_delivered_July_6%2C_1848_%28IA_b22337246%29.pdf
amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-institute-for-immunology-and-infectious-diseases/news/bakers-eczema-a-work-related-hazard.htm
jiaci.org/issues/vol20issue7/1.pdf
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3125175
https://www.journal-irioh.ru/jour/article/view/2984?locale=en_US
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34671999
bshm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/thom-v2-102-113.pdf
bphs.net/HistoryOfKeyBusinesses/Bakery/index.htm
dn720001.ca.archive.org/0/items/b22416365/b22416365.pdf
en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Bread
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_case_of_the_journeymen_bakers_-_being_a_lecture_on_the_%27evils_of_nightwork_and_long_hours_of_labour%2C%27_delivered_July_6%2C_1848_%28IA_b22337246%29.pdf
tastingtable.com/1080592/the-dangerous-ingredient-victorian-bakers-sometimes-added-to-bread
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5467726
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4685600
hse.gov.uk/asthma/bakers.htm
amsterdamumc.org/en/research/institutes/amsterdam-institute-for-immunology-and-infectious-diseases/news/bakers-eczema-a-work-related-hazard.htm
https://www.academia.edu/12250367/The_Biopolitics_of_Baking_I_Bodies_and_Environments_in_London_Bakeries
victorianlondon.org/professions/bakers.htm
tastingtable.com/1080592/the-dangerous-ingredient-victorian-bakers-sometimes-added-to-bread
archive.org/stream/foodlondonasket00doddgoog/foodlondonasket00doddgoog_djvu.txt
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28622147
victorianlondon.org/professions/bakers.htm
researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com/2017/11/bakers-life-in-london-and.html
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - The Industrial Nightmare
2:21 - Life of a Baker
5:04 - Death of a Baker
8:07 - Baker’s Lung
12:09 - Other Occupational Illnesses
14:39 - Sponsor - Brilliant
