Clik here to view.
Stop Rebranding Months as Causes
Peter Thomas / ReutersIn his 1996 book Infinite Jest, the late American writer David Foster Wallace imagined a near future in which corporations could sponsor the calendar. Instead of counting up from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Telecommuting Looked Like in 1973
Matthieu Spohn / PhotoAlto / CorbisAccording to the latest Census numbers, 4.5 percent of Americans, or about 6.5 million people, are working from home most of the time. That’s up from 3.2 percent in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Construction of the World's Largest Telescope Is on Hold Indefinitely
An artist's rendering of the Thirty Meter Telescope at sunset TMT International ObservatoryAstronomers in Hawaii say there’s nowhere else on the planet where a colossal telescope could peer into space...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When Driverless Cars Were Deadly
A 1957 Chevy convertible formerly owned by rock-and-roll star Bruce Springsteen Mike Segar / ReutersIn the 1950s, encountering a driverless car was not what it is today. The self-driving vehicles that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Untold Stories of the Hairbrush
Thomas Peter / ReutersThe next time you wander through your local drugstore, take a good look at the hairbrushes—the quantity, the type, the things they claim to do. There’s a hairbrush to “smooth and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Congress Wants to Protect Your Emails From Warrantless Searches
Reuters / Aly SongEveryone’s got a shoebox under the bed. At one time, it was actually nestled below your mattress, collecting dust, protecting sentimental photos, yellowed love letters, and other...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Deficiencies of Tech's 'Pipeline' Metaphor
Lucy Nicholson / ReutersTech industry leaders are constantly talking about the so-called “pipeline problem.” On corporate stages and at academic conferences, CEOs and activists pledge their commitment...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A 41-Year-Old Cover That Could Run Today
This afternoon, flipping through Atlantic cover art from decades past, I stumbled across a chilling image. In big letters, framed by folksy illustrated guns: “Our Indifference to Violence.” This was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Journey Into the Heart of Facebook
Sam KronickWe are running late to the Facebook Data Center. I keep checking my watch, as if the seconds might start moving backwards if I stare hard enough. This is not a particularly safe way to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When Will Apple and Uber Open Up About Driverless Cars?
A driverless vehicle runs at Vanke's Building Research Center in Dongguan, China, in November 2015. Tyrone Siu / ReutersSelf-driving cars occupy the cultural space once dominated by flying cars. Both...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Violent Afterlife of a Recycled Plastic Bottle
Sims's tipping floor in its new Brooklyn facility Debra WinterMost of us do not think much about recycling. We might clean bottles and jars, crush cartons and break down boxes. We might sort these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tracking Mass Shootings in Language
I always thought of the term “mass shooting” as somewhat contemporary. Gun violence has existed for as long as guns have, but the ways in which people talk about firearms has changed a lot over...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Suicide and Immortality
The luminaries of Silicon Valley are increasingly interested in bringing everlasting life to the human race. Chief among them is Google Ventures President Bill Maris, who, with the help of futurist Ray...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Obama’s Troubling Dog Whistle on Encryption
Kevin Lamarque / ReutersIn President Obama’s prime-time address from the Oval Office—just his third in seven years—he struck a reassuring tone, reiterating his commitment to battling the Islamic State...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Linguistics of 'YouTube Voice'
Barracuda Studio / Shutterstock / Kara Gordon / The AtlanticHey guys! What’s up? It’s Julie. And today I want to talk about YouTube voice.So the other day, I was watching this YouTube video from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Robots Should Be More Like Babies
A baby is photographed by his mother, not pictured, next to a Coney Island Banksy installation in 2013. Brendan McDermid / ReutersBabies are such little copycats. They learn by watching other humans....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Future of Architecture: Moss, Not Mirrors
Dinodia / CorbisFor most architects, moss and lichen growing up the side of a structure is a bad sign. Building materials are designed specifically to resist growth, and much research has been done to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Photoshopping the Pain Out of a Memory
Jeff GatesDecades after the fact, I would learn that when I was 11 years old, my mother had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Specifically, she had an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor on the nerve...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Makes Tom Hanks Look Like Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks, pictured at the premiere of the film "Captain Phillips" in 2013 Andrew Kelly / ReutersIn the three decades that Tom Hanks has been a leading man in Hollywood, his appearance has changed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kazakhstan's New Encryption Law Could Be a Preview of U.S. Policy
A reporter works in an editing room in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Shamil Zhumatov / ReutersThink of all the little things you did on the Internet today. You checked your email. Maybe you shopped for a flight...
View Article