What makes the “you” from yesterday the same person as the “you” today? A frightening experience with transient global amnesia — a sudden but temporary malfunction of memory — left a professor wondering about the true nature of the self, and the importance of memory in tying together your experiences into one complete being; he didn’t feel like he was the same person who experienced the amnesia, because he had no memory of the experience. 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
