There are few facts about Shakespeare that are universally agreed upon as true, but one of these is that he didn’t know Latin or Greek. And now this is up for debate. Ben Jonson famously wrote, “And though thou hadst small Latin and less Greek” in reference to Shakespeare, using “though” to mean “if”—an obsolete use of the word. This suggests that he was actually praising Shakespeare; Jonson was saying Shakespeare would have been better than the classical playwrights even if he hadn’t known Latin or Greek (which he did). 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
