J. X. Seaton

J. X Seaton is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Saskatchewan. She is interested in the interaction between technology and culture. Her research focuses on incorporating game design into online educational environments. She tweets at @JXSeaton.

Google's self-driving car

That Time a Self-Driving Car Stared Down a Cyclist

A cyclist in Austin, Texas had an awkward encounter with a Google self-driving car when he approached a 4-way stop at the same time as the vehicle.

Close-up of the face of a killer robot

Who’s Afraid of Killer Robots?

Two recent DARPA projects have sparked fears about killer robots, machines that can decide whether to engage a target without human oversight.

Swarm of robots

Robots That Communicate with Each Other

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are working on creating robots that communicate with each other, allowing them to collaborate on tasks.

Pizza-making robot

Pizza-Making Robots, Coming in 2018

The Robot Dymamic Manipulation (RoDyMan) Project aims to create pizza-making robots.

A robot deep in thought

How Synthetic Brains Can Advance Robotics

Why try to create synthetic brains? Given the anxieties around artificial intelligence, why risk it?

Origami Robot Courtesy of MIT

Self-Folding Origami Robots!

Origami robots can not only walk, but swim, climb, and carry twice their body weight—granted, the robot only weighs a third of a gram.

Editors' Picks

James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni in Conversation

In 1971, two legends of Black letters discussed Black manhood, white racism, the role of the writer, and the responsibility to teach.

Science & Technology

Can We Build a Better Facebook?

Is it time to turn our back on Facebook? And if so, what social network could possibly replace it?

Science & Technology

The Anatomists of Ancient Alexandria

Cultural forces under the Ptolemaic dynasty briefly allowed scholars like Herophilus to practice dissection—and possibly vivisection—on human subjects.

Politics & History

The Genocide Before the Shoah

For a century, Jews in Turkey have maintained a strategic silence when it comes to recognizing the Armenian genocide. Could that be changing?

Politics & History

Wilhelm Reich: Twice Burned

A psychoanalyst and physician, Reich fled the Nazis only to be detained by the US as an “enemy alien” during World War II. And then came the sexual revolution.