Plague Market

‘Plague’ Comes Before The Fall

Colin Elliott | Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists | 15th May 2024

Estimates for the death toll of the 166AD Antonine plague range between 2 per cent and 35 per cent. We haven't identified the pathogen or the symptoms. We do, however, know that increased storm activity the previous decade altered the Nile, which reduced the grain harvest, so that malnourished Roman bodies were more susceptible to sickness. Historical science is a capricious discipline (1,900 words)

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The Raw Milk Black Market

Nicholas Florko | Stat News | 15th May 2024

It is illegal in the US to ship unpasteurised milk between states. Yet the FDA does not seem to enforce the ban, even though tests have found genetic traces of bird flu viruses in 20 per cent of samples. Raw milk fans believe in health benefits the government is trying to keep from them. This reporter is easily able to buy a half-gallon via what feels like "the world’s weirdest drug deal" (1,700 words)