Plastic dinosaur toys aren’t made of real dinosaurs. Sinclair Oil Corporation cemented the notion that dinosaurs contributed to the bulk of fossil fuels after they ran with the idea for an ad campaign. So, if not dinosaurs, what’s oil (and plastic) actually made of? It turns out that it’s made out of dinos, but not the ones we’re familiar with; dead dinoflagellates, or plankton, from the age of dinosaurs were compressed by heat and pressure to create the oil we use today.
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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
