Questions for the Age of Automation
Back in the 1960s, scholars were making predictions about what the Age of Automation would look like. Where they right?
Do Security Robots Signal the Death of Public Space?
A security robot targets the homeless, raising questions about whether private companies can expand their security detail to public spaces like sidewalks.
To Cope with Digital Distraction, Embrace Digital Neurodiversity
The internet is changing our brains. Our columnist suggests that maybe this isn't such a bad thing.
The Alarming Possibilities of Hypersonic Flight
Hypersonic aircraft can fly at least five times the speed of sound. They would make for terrifying weapons -- if they are even possible.
The Anthropology of the Office Email
Researchers learn a lot from studying office workers' email. But the question remains: do they learn more about the people, or about the medium itself?
Has the Internet Weakened Our Political Institutions?
According to our columnist, the internet has destabilized many of the informal institutions that underpin our democracy.
How a Microwave Weapon Might Work
Personnel at the US embassy in Havana have reported mysterious sounds and physical symptoms consistent with brain injury. Could it be microwaves?
Is Media Piracy a Form of White Privilege?
How users feel about illegal downloading may have a lot to do with privilege.
The Future of Forgiveness Is Online
When our flame wars, insensitive Facebook comments, and rude texts are catalogued online indefinitely, can we still forgive and forget?
The Truth about Laser Guns
The U.S. and most other large militaries have been trying to develop laser weapons for decades. Has China created the first portable laser gun?