“[P]eople a few rungs ‘below’ are looking up and thinking, ‘why is that asshole where I’m supposed to be?’” Lincoln Michel urges writers not to think of their careers as linear like a ladder but as heavily luck-based. Failure and success befall all writers. While it can get frustrating seeing peers succeed while you languish in obscurity, it would’ve been equally likely for you to have been the lucky one instead, perhaps in a field you never would’ve thought you’d succeed in. “Careers aren’t linear. They really truly aren’t.” Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here