“[I]t’ll kill your child that’s in your womb, 100 percent. But it’s also going to cause all these other issues that could lead to your own death.” After Roe v. Wade was overturned—making abortion illegal in some US states—rampant misinformation about herbal abortifacients spread on witchcraft TikTok. For example, Pennyroyal is one of the most recommended abortion herbs on Witchtok. While it could be effective, you’re betting on your vital organs in the process; rarely do any of these TikToks mention how pennyroyal can cause liver and kidney damage. Read full article here
Research
Researcher uses AI to make texts that are thousands of years old readable
The Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest work of world literature, has been brought back to life by LMU researchers in the Electronic Babylonian Literature project. Using their new Fragmentarium tool, they have discovered hundreds of manuscripts, including the most recent tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic which dates from 130 BC – thousands of years after the earliest known version. This shows how highly valued the Epic was, even at a late period. With the public release of the Fragmentarium, anyone can now explore the thousands of cuneiform fragments and explore the ancient Babylonian literature. Read full article here
Merv
March 12, 2023
