The word for today is…
litmus test (noun):
: a test in which a single factor (such as an attitude, event, or fact) is decisive
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : It was in the 14th century that scientists discovered that litmus, a mixture of coloured organic compounds obtained from lichen, turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions and, thus, can be used as an acid-base indicator. Six centuries later, people began using litmus test figuratively. It can now refer to any single factor that establishes the true character of something or causes something to be assigned to one category or another. Often it refers to something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that can be used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable or not
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