In 2014, biologist Robert Dudley proposed the drunken monkey hypothesis, which posits that humans like alcohol because ancient ancestors sought out ripe fermented nutritious fruit. Although monkeys (our closest relatives) eat fermented fruit, it’s only been recently observed that they seek it out without human intervention. The study followed spider monkeys on Barro Colorado island in Panama who routinely sniffed out and ate fruit from the jobo tree with 1-2% alcohol content; the same fruit is used by indigenous people to make the alcoholic drink chicha. 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
