The Victorians are seen in the present as a prudish society, even to the point of covering furniture legs lest they arouse people unexpectedly. Except they didn’t do it for that reason; the idea of covering piano legs with trousers was invented by the Victorians to poke fun at the puritanical Americans, who they saw as extremely modest. The imaginary act was only attributed to them after the French got wind of the joke and used it against the English. 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
