Acknowledgements: The work was supported (in part) by grant 2105-32138 from the Russell Sage Foundation. Any opinions expressed are those of the principal investigator alone and should not be construed as representing the opinions of the Russell Sage Foundation. The broader project evolved out of conversations with the journalism of Melissa Sanchez, Elliott Ramos, David Eads, and Matt Chapman. Let me also extend special thanks to Ricarda Menn and Sabine Voßkamp for their close readings of the essay as well as Julika Griem for creating a transdisciplinary space where intellectual curiosity flourishes. Any errors are my own.