Did Lead Exposure Create Serial Killers?

About this episode

The episode explores the potential link between lead exposure and the rise of crime and serial killers in the U.S.

Nowadays, everyone knows lead is toxic. Yet for thousands of years, it was treated as a miracle substance. Ancient Romans used it in everything from water pipes to wine sweetener -- an ubiquity that may well have contributed to the fall of the Empire as the civilization's collective IQ decreased due to lead exposure. And in the U.S., lead was also widespread until relatively recently. There's fascinating -- and disturbing -- speculation about how lead exposure in childhood may have created a spike in crime in the 1960s and 1970s. And, as Ben, Matt and Noel discover in tonight's episode, some experts take the theory one step further: Could lead exposure have created a boom in serial killers? They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Ben, Matt, Noel

Topics covered

• lead exposure
• crime rates
• serial killers
• historical context
• toxic substances

Keywords

• lead exposure
• serial killers
• crime spike
• 1960s
• 1970s
• toxic substances
• historical impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: iHeartPodcasts

Places: Ancient Romans, U.S.

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