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Interesting article on cannibalism over at CNN.com, at http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/04/10/prions.cannibalism.ap/index.html. I would have thought the fact we have such a deep and basic cannibalism taboo could also be a hint that it was widespread and didn't work. I was about to plug The Ghost Disease: and 12 other stories of detective work in the literary field, by Howell and Ford, which has one of the most fascinating articles on Kuuru, the Ghost Disease, I've read, but it seems to be very out of print.
(There was a mysterious neurological disease that only seemed to affect women and children in a certain area. It was thought to be hereditary, but then they realised that women from other areas of the island who married in would also get it. Finally, they realised that there was ritual cannibalism at funeral feasts -- and that women and children were honoured by being given brain to eat. There.)
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The odd thing about this week is that every time I've hit a deadline another one that I'd forgotten about leaps out, like Springheeled Jack from an alleyway, screaming "Hah! You thought you were so clever, but what about ME?" So I don't seem to be any further along than I was this time last week, despite having finished several introductions, a movie script and the first third of 1602 #5...