You can ask one question from a person from the year 3024. What are you asking? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by hungryphrog to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 7 months ago

What dangerous substances were unknowingly used by people in the past millennium?

(Like radium, lead, asbestos, etc. seems for us now)

[-] geogle@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Plastics

[-] xkforce@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

"Unknowingly"

Most plastic that we use shows evidence of endocrine disruption activity and it isnt just BPA as a byproduct of the manufacture of certain plastics. We know it is bad for the environment too. Microplastics are pervasive and also known to have negative health and environmental consequences.

[-] geogle@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

I agree with all of that, but as a society, I would not say we "know" it until we remove it from our food supply in a significant way. Today, still in most countries much of our food is stored, sold, and prepared in substantial plastics. We rightfully "know" better with lead and asbestos, but societally were still ignorant of the real concerns of plastics.

[-] xkforce@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

We knew Lead was poisonous back in roman times. That didnt stop us from using its derivatives in paint, gasoline, solders (still used today), bullets and other common products. The disaster in Flint for example, was the result of the use of Lead and its alloys in the water pipes used there combined with poor decisions made in the name of cost cutting. Dont assume that people individually or as a society do dumb things only because they dont know any better. People do dumb things they know full well they shouldnt be doing all the time.

[-] Waldowal@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

"Dude, it was wood. Stay the fuck away from wood!"

[-] hungryphrog 3 points 7 months ago

But it's pretty. :(

this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2024

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