Alan Davies

Hundreds of thousands died.

Mark?

We're one month in to a life without salt.

I'm hoping we've moved past needing sodium chloride to clean our wounds.

Have we?

Salt today is like a kind of invisible scaffolding holding up huge sectors of our economy.

Mark, a month in, can the market feel it?

Wow.

We're alive, which is a win for humans.

How much further do you think we can go on without salt beyond this first month?

There's a Slovak fairy tale about a king who banishes his youngest daughter for saying she loves him like salt.

He took it as an insult.

All the salt grains mysteriously turn into gold.

The kingdom collapses, animals starve, people sicken, and suddenly salt is worth more than gold.

She returns with infinite salt to her father's open arms.

That's forgiveness without a grain of salt.

Thank you to my brilliant guests, Kamud Gandhi and Mark Miodownik.

Next time on Life Without, the oldest love story on Earth comes to a tragic end when I make the messengers that keep nature blooming and supermarket shelves full disappear.

Join me for a life without bees.

Life Without Salt was produced by Rhian Moussa with support from Michelle Martin.