Alexi Indris-Santana was a brilliant mind who overcame hardships as a cowboy, excelled at Princeton, and captured the hearts of many. But there was one problem: he didn’t exist. Santana was actually James Arthur Hogue, a grifter who had a penchant for stealing and misrepresenting himself. Had he not been caught, he may have graduated from Princeton with flying colours because he was truly skilled. He likely felt the need to lie because the elite college wouldn’t have accepted him because of his past despite his exceptional test results. 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