90% of the world’s commodities are carried by sea, 60% packaged in steel containers. In 1956, inventor Malcolm McLean designed what we now recognise as the shipping container; he understood that standardised container sizes could automate ship and railway loading and unloading. His actions reduced transport costs from $5.86 per ton to just 16 cents. Nowadays, innovators are focusing on the ships: container ships, on average, have doubled in size over the last 20 years, now able to carry 24,000 containers, or 900 million cans of baked beans. 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
