Clik here to view.
The Prosthetic Voice
When Roger Ebert lost his lower jaw—and, thus, his voice—to cancer, the text-to-speech company CereProc created a synthetic voice that would be custom-made for the film critic. The computerized voice,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Akira Kurosawa and the New
1. Akira Kurasawa was born on March 23, 1910. Here, Lionel Trilling reflects on what he and the filmmakers of his generation meant. "If it is new, it is good, some people feel. I will go along with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Facebook (Maybe) Bought Oculus Rift: The Next Wave of Profits
Facebook announced they're acquiring Oculus Rift, a virtual reality platform, for $2 billion. Yes, the social network is buying a VR helmet-maker. The dominant reaction to the move could be summed up...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'What's Oculus Rift?' And Other Questions About Facebook's New Foray Into...
Late yesterday, Facebook made an announcement: It has acquired the virtual reality startup Oculus VR, the maker of the Oculus Rift headset, for around $2 billion in cash and stock. The news excited...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let's Talk Electronic Medical Records (Cont.)
Our new issue has an interview with Dr. David Blumenthal, who was in charge of the Obama administration's effort to promote the use of electronic medical records (EMRs). We've had two previous rounds...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dream of Intelligent Robot Friends
Karotz is an Internet-enabled console in the shape of an abstracted rabbit. One sits on my coffee table, continuously connected to WiFi, programmed to broadcast certain bits of live information such as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The TV Helmet
1. Walter Pichler's "portable living room." "Around forty-five years ago a man wore a submarine-like white helmet that extended from front to back. His entire head disappeared into the futurist...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The U.S. and Russia: Still Friends in Space
On Tuesday night, a trio of astronauts launched into space, headed for the International Space Station. Two are Russian, one is American. Their six-hour shared journey to the orbital laboratory was the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Bitcoin Can No Longer Work as a Virtual Currency, in 1 Paragraph
On Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service ruled that it would tax Bitcoin as a property, not a currency. Some see the move as helping to bring the medium into the mainstream. Now that bitcoins can be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Banality of Tragedy in the Age of YouTube
Yesterday, as a five-alarm fire engulfed a new apartment complex in Houston, a construction worker found himself in pretty much the last place he'd want to: trapped on a ledge, feet from the flames....
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Defense of Google Flu Trends
In 2008, Google released an experiment called Flu Trends, which attempted to predict the prevalence of the flu from searches that users made for about 40 flu-related queries. Based on the data up to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Human-Dolphin Translation
1. An important update on human-dolphin communication. "It was late August 2013 and Denise Herzing was swimming in the Caribbean. The dolphin pod she had been tracking for the past 25 years was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Windmill of the Future Could Be Floating in the Sky
Don Quixote famously—infamously—tilted at windmills. Were his story set today, though, Cervantes might have to change things up a bit: the monsters the self-styled knight battles might be set in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When a 1-in-a-Billion Chance of Accident May Not Seem 'Safe Enough'
As the mystery about the fate and location of MH370 continues, and as theories come and go about what might have happened, here is a note from J. Mac McClellan, long-time editor of Flying magazine,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let the Good Times Roll: The Incredible Bowling Bubble of the 1960s
There’s a reasonable amount of conjecture in the markets right now about whether things are getting a bit overheated. Wiser minds than us have been vexed by the topic of asset price bubbles, so we’ll...
View ArticleClik here to view.
To Prevent Crime, Walk the Dog on At-Risk Blocks
Last summer, the press began reporting on a new law enforcement tactic, "predictive policing." A computer program analyzes all crime that occurs in an area and produces a map with boxes drawn around...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Scientists Talk About the Future of the Climate
1. The latest IPCC report on climate change takes a new approach to talking about its forecasts. "The 2007 report was almost all about the impacts of climate change. Most of this report, and in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Is Not Your Father's STEM Job
Much has been written about the need to encourage women to embark on careers in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—and fill the demand for future STEM employment. Senator Kirsten...
View ArticleClik here to view.
As the Search Goes On for the Plane That Disappeared, How Can So Many Flights...
Earlier today, I quoted the longtime aviation writer J. Mac McClellan on the one-in-a-billion risk factor to which modern aircraft design is held. Someone familiar with such standards writes in: I'm a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Twitter Has Changed Over the Years in 12 Charts
It's been eight years since Twitter debuted. Like the rest of the social networks that have survived, it has changed, both in response to user and commercial demands. The user interface, application...
View Article