Articles like this one really benefit from some references and footnotes. I had trouble finding sources for the skeletal remains being found with lead accumulation, for example.
It is interesting how the author describes lead poisoning as likely being more common amongst the elite. Comparing this to the current state of the world, it seems to affect areas of the world where infrastructure may be weaker[1].
> these data provide unequivocal confirmation that the Romans in Londinium were exposed to elevated lead levels. Elevated blood lead levels would have resulted, negatively affecting their health and possibly contributing to declining birth rates.
Also, "lead poisoning caused the fall of Rome" is something I first encountered decades ago. It doesn't seem to be that well regarded if Wikipedia can be trusted
huh, looks like they published an AI generated piece every day for a week, let them age a bit, and maybe are now submitting here to either farm karma or test how much engagement this set of parameters generates? more interesting than the "article"
I get that people eschew generated content but this is more AI-assisted writing than purely generated, but I take the feedback in the thread into account, thanks
Thanks, that's all part of the process. The aim isn't to appear entirely human-written, but to provide original and enjoyable content. From the stats we saw, we did that.
"Historians have argued for decades about whether Roman lead poisoning was primarily due to plumbing or cups. But using advanced artificial intelligence, we can peel back layers of history and discover the true answer: leaded gasoline."
I’m still not at the point where I jump to “AI” when encountering writing like this and spend way too long waiting for the facts and research to show up.
Citation feedback taken — this is more about highlighting things we don't know we know, and hopefully in a way that makes the articles easy to read, interesting, and yet in a consumable size for our busy lives
I love AI so much. Instead of wasting minutes reading fluff, I can easily get a bullet-pointed list that takes 10 seconds to read!
- Lead was widely used in Roman society due to its malleable and durable properties, appearing in plumbing, pottery, cooking vessels, cosmetics and more.
- The Romans were unaware of lead's toxic effects on health. It was seen as a sign of progress and prosperity.
- Archaeological evidence shows Romans had startlingly high levels of lead in their bones, far exceeding modern safety standards.
- Lead exposure undermined public health in Rome. It reduced fertility, increased infant mortality, and stunted physical and cognitive development in children.
- The effects of lead poisoning were systemic and indiscriminate. Everyone from commoners to emperors was affected through the water system.
- Chronic lead poisoning may have weakened the Roman military over generations by reducing the number of physically capable soldiers.
- Lead also likely impaired decision-making among Roman leaders through cognitive and behavioral changes.
- The health burden of lead poisoning bred social stresses like reduced population growth and a less productive populace.
- While not the sole factor, lead poisoning gradually eroded Rome's strength and resilience over centuries.
- The story serves as a warning about unintended long-term consequences of substances integrated into daily life.
Hopefully it doesn't have too much fluff — we're designing the articles to be quick, consumable chunks that you don't end up bookmarking, but I appreciate sometimes you just want a TLDR.
So, we've added a TLDR to articles. Hope that helps!
It is interesting how the author describes lead poisoning as likely being more common amongst the elite. Comparing this to the current state of the world, it seems to affect areas of the world where infrastructure may be weaker[1].
[1]: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/death-rate-lead-exposure