2026-02-03 23:47 UTC
@tasket@infosec.exchange @martinvermeer@fediscience.org @dantheclamman@scicomm.xyz I don't at all doubt that lead, particularly tetraethyl lead isn't toxic and a contaminant on a massive scale (not to mention used for the stupidest pure greed reasons). Even the Romans knew that lead was bad news. Correlation across many industrialized nations can well constitute a smoking gun but correlation is not always causation. Just urging caution with blanket statements.
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@dantheclamman@scicomm.xyz 2026-02-04 00:46
@obscurestar@mastodon.social @tasket@infosec.exchange @martinvermeer@fediscience.org Yes, caution is merited. A recent meta-analysis showed there probably is an association between lead exposure and crime, but the relationship is not cut-and-dry. It explains some of the variance, but there are other contingent factors or "confounders" at play, with kids exposed to high lead and also having greater socioeconomic need showing the biggest negative effect. The review authors point out many studies do not account for that and some other interactive effects. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10393136/#sec011