• notaviking@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    In high school, in the late 2000s in South Africa, a TV crew came to our school and we were wondering why. So we were sitting in class and the presenter walked past the door talking to the camera and we heard her say, these kids do not know the danger they are in, for all these classrooms were made out of asbestos. Fun times

  • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    Asbestos is a very unfortunate material. It’s awesome as an engineering material- stable, formable, fairly strong, extremely resistant to high temperatures. Asbestos coatings on steel framed buildings has probably saved hundreds of lives from building collapse during fires because it’s that good of an insulator. It’s great for so many mechanical needs.

    Just that tiny itsy bitsy problem of causing cancer…

  • Mikina@programming.dev
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    3 days ago

    My favorite asbestos trivia, which I learned only recently, is that at the start of public realozing that smoking causes cancer, one company came up with the solution of “cigaretes with asbestos filters”.

    It’s kind of morbidly funny reminder how catastrophically wrong can current science be.

    • cRazi_man@europe.pub
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      3 days ago

      how catastrophically wrong can current science be.

      Marketing is not science. I doubt any science or evidence or research was used. It sounded good and looked good to someone in the cigarette company and they thought it would sell better.

      • Mikina@programming.dev
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        3 days ago

        You’re right, I used a wrong word there. It wasn’t science, more like public perception maybe? I’d consider lack of research as a part of science, though.

        I’m not sure what better word would fit there instead. I wouldn’t say it’s the fault of marketing, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt that they thought it’s actually healthier to use this kind of filter.

        The comparison that sparks to my mind are vapes. There’s AFAIK lack of research that can tell us anything about long term issues, but a lot of people consider it as healthier. But in this case, common sense is also not correct - because it kind of makes sense that it probably isn’t, and it’s just marketing.

        But in the case of an asbestos filter, I can see why people (and common sense at the time) would asume that it helps.

        So, I guess common sense is the word that I should’ve used, because that’s what was wrong at the time.

      • Mikina@programming.dev
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        3 days ago

        While I get where are you comming from, and I’m also not fan of smoking, isn’t asbestos extremely worse?

        I remember my friend had a roof over his summer house that was using asbestos, and it was extreme problem. Like, you can’t even take it down without investing heavily into protection, or hiring a company that specializes in it’s diasposal, because it’s just that much toxic to handle.

        • prettybunnys@piefed.social
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          3 days ago

          Asbestos is a wonder material, you just don’t wanna breathe it.

          I think it has to become airborne in order to become harmful.

          So. I can’t see any issue with smoking through it 🙃🫠

          • Valmond@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            You are perfectly right, but doesn’t that filter look suspiciously uh, brittle and potential prone to release airborne particles?

            • ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              2 days ago

              You ought to really bite down on that filter, give it a good satisfying crunch, just give it a real manly squeeze using your masculine man face working man muscles, just to make sure no particles go anywhere. You’ll be fine, trust