A story of how far people would go to satiate their hunger. Worries of starvation prevailed in the 1900s, when the US faced meat scarcity alongside an infestation of water hyacinths in rivers, swaps and other bodies of water, killing aquamarine life. Enter Robert Broussard and Frederick Burnham, two unusual men with a strange bond who teamed up to look into an unlikely solution: the hippopotamus. While supported by former president Roosevelt, the ‘hippo bill’ ultimately didn’t pass in the US House of Representatives. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
