Nihilism is quite possibly the most pessimistic school of philosophy, believing that life is meaningless and nothing matters. Headlined by philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche—famous for saying “God is dead”—nihilists are characterised by a crazy amount of distrust in any and all authority figures, ranging from the government to religion to truth and knowledge. Nihilists find the notion of authority figures absurd because they believe that no one should be more important than anyone else: everyone is equally meaningless. 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
