Analysing the cosine similarity of word diversity among research papers and Harvard news articles reveals that there’s a trend towards homogenisation, suggesting a “constriction” of ideas. Cosine similarity is the measure of the cosine of the angle of two arrows; a smaller number means a closer distance and more homogenisation. The cosine similarity of these documents was determined by feeding them through a machine learning algorithm that assigned values to the words, plotted them on a graph, and determined their cosine similarity. 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
Merv
June 1, 2023
