history
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Here’s How Ancient Amulets Tried To Ward Off Disease
Throughout antiquity, from the Mediterranean to Egypt and today’s Middle East, people believed that misfortune, including accidents, diseases, and sometimes even death, were caused by external forces. Be they gods or other types of supernatural forces (such as a daimon), people — regardless of faith — sought magical means of protection against them. While medicine…
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Demonstrations That Changed The Course Of American History
With protests taking place in at least U.S. 140 cities over the last week sparked by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, we thought it was time to look at other demonstrations and riots throughout American history. And given the potential risks to personal safety”not to mention large gatherings in the midst…
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What The Spanish Flu Can Teach Us About Making Face Masks Compulsory
Should people be forced to wear face masks in public? That’s the question facing governments as more countries unwind their lockdowns. Over 30 countries have made masks compulsory in public, including Germany, Austria and Poland. This is despite the science saying masks do little to protect wearers, and only might prevent them from infecting other…
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Why We Don’t Name Diseases After Places Anymore
All the legit health and policy organisations out there (the WHO and the CDC among them) are calling the coronavirus disease by its agreed-upon name, COVID-19. But a few folks are stubbornly arguing that we should call it the “Chinese” virus or otherwise peg its name to a location. That’s bullshit, and here’s why.