In 1953, Anton Melchers had come down with an illness that doctors couldn’t cure. He had stopped eating, started hearing voices, and was paranoid that he would be “rounded up and taken away”. What happened? Perhaps it was his past coming back to haunt him; Melchers was a former Nazi, and an involved one at that. After the denazification efforts by the Allies, he and thousands of other Germans feared retribution for their past actions, with this fear manifesting itself into hallucinations, heart attacks, and sudden paralysis. 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
