brunhiddensmusings:

kurowrites:

squeeful:

tilthat:

TIL that the reason lead levels in children’s blood have dropped 85% in the past thirty years is because of an unknown scientist who fought car companies to end leaded gasoline. He also removed it from paint, suggested its removal from pipes, and campaigned for the removal of lead solder from cans.

via ift.tt

Yep.  It also correlates extremely strongly with an increasing decrease of violent crime.  One of the symptoms of low level constant lead exposure is increased aggression and volatility. 

“Unknown scientist”? That was Clair Cameron Patterson.

it took DECADES of fighting tooth and nail, goons in suits sent by the gas companies sent to offer him large sums of money to stop, being fired due to strongarm tactics by those who would be exposed

theres a whole episode of ‘cosmos: a spacetime odesy’ based on the herculian effort put into this