The “Intellectual Situation” is a section of n+1 that hosts essays criticising intellectuals. Christian Lorentzen picks apart a recent essay of theirs criticising the current book criticism scene, and dismisses it as “irrelevant, distracting, and ultimately anti-intellectual”. Why? Among other things, the writers created composite characters that didn’t correspond to how critics actually behaved. For example, they lamented that critics had broken away from their Marxist roots, only to criticise a fictional essay based on a real essay that evoked Marxist ideas. All very meta, right? 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
