Apparently, we perceive touch better when we’re lying down. An experiment found that participants are more in tune to their sense of touch when lying on their sides, similar to what happens when we close our eyes or when we’re blindfolded. To measure this, participants were asked to determine which hand felt vibrations while their arms were crossed. It is speculated that our bodies tune out external representations (like sight) when lying down to help us fall asleep.
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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
