Tag

Absinthe

All articles tagged with #absinthe

science1 month ago•12 min saved

Absinthe myth busted: science finds bans were driven by potent alcohol, not wormwood

A 2008 study of 13 pre‑ban absinthe bottles found thujone and other suspected toxins were not present at levels that would explain past claims of madness; the drink’s high alcohol content (~70% ABV) was the real intoxication factor, with no secret wormwood cure‑all. The widespread bans in the early 20th century were driven more by political and economic pressures and sensationalism than by science, and absinthe has since been reintroduced under regulation.

via Space Daily|

#absinthe #chemistry #prohibition

society5 months ago•12 min saved

From Absinthe to Algorithms: How Society Uses Blame to Mask Uncertainty

The piece traces a repeating pattern in which genuine social anxieties spark a scapegoat, who is then blamed and framed through shifting alliances and selective evidence—a process the author calls “stigma opportunity structures.” Using France’s absinthe ban as a historical example, it draws parallels to today’s scapegoating of social media’s impact on teen mental health and xenophobic reactions during the Covid-19 era, arguing that certainty about blame often outpaces evidence and that such blame can serve political and moral purposes rather than illuminate complex problems.

via The Conversation|

#absinthe #covid-19 #scapegoating