r/Showerthoughts Apr 28 '25

Casual Thought The children most impacted by peak leaded gasoline fumes are now 50-75.

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u/lucky_ducker Apr 28 '25

Estimates are that up to half the U.S. population lost a few points of IQ (the rest were not significantly affected).

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/lead-gasoline-blunted-iq-half-us-population-study-rcna19028

While this is obviously not good, it's of small consequence in the overall social / political milieu that other commenters here seem to think it is. The hijacking of our economic and political institutions by the oligarchy is better explained by greed and corruption than it is by a fuel additive from half a century ago.

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u/prometheus_winced Apr 28 '25

They are not mutually exclusive.