Centuries ago, the Polish used interesting burial practises meant to prevent the dead from rising again, under suspicion that they could come back as vampires. Common anti-vampire methods involved attacking the head of the corpse; for example, a Polish woman was buried with a sickle across her neck in a way that would decapitate her or injure her neck should she try to “wake up”. Some corpses were not so lucky, being decapitated before burial instead. 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
