It is often educational to think of something commonplace and wonder how it got that way. And with the Internet nearby, you don’t have to head off to the library to find the answers. Today I wondered “tuna in cans… how did that happen?” A few clicks later, I discovered that the tuna industry began “by accident” in 1903 when sardines became scarce. Albacore tuna had no market value at the time, but an enterprising employee at a San Pedro, CA sardine plant decided to can it instead. The public liked the taste and an American pantry item was born. San Diego was once the Tuna Capital of the World, ranking third in the local economy to the Navy and aircraft industry. Tuna headed for cans is cooked under steam pressure, both before canning and afterwards. These days, most canned tuna is produced by foreign countries, as the U.S. industry fell to competition, rising costs, regulation, and environmentalists. There are opposing views on the “dolphin safe” controversy. Some say activists exaggerated the dolphin issue and filmed an atypical boat and crew to generate highly emotional publicity. The truth, as I always try to remember, probably lies somewhere in between.