The Download
What's up in emerging technology
West Virginia will allow “blockchain voting” in the 2020 election. That’s a risky idea.
Facebook is working on a voice assistant to embed within its products
The scientist who created CRISPR babies is on Time’s most-influential list—but not in a good way
Activists are suing Canada over plans to build a smart city in Toronto
Scientists have restored circulation to severed pig brains in a step that blurs the definition of death
May 2, 2019
MIT Media Lab
10 years in: What's next for blockchain?
You've seen how powerful blockchain technology can be, but fundamental challenges still stand in the way of world-changing applications. Join us at Business of Blockchain to learn which projects and ideas have staying power.
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From Our Current Issue
Intelligent Machines
Congress wants to protect you from biased algorithms, deepfakes, and other bad AI
Only a few legislators really know what they’re talking about, but it’s a start.
Intelligent Machines
A robot has figured out how to use tools
In a startling demonstration, the machine drew on experimentation, data, and observation of humans to learn how simple implements could help it achieve a task.
Intelligent Machines
This robot can sort recycling by giving it a squeeze
The robot, called RoCycle, uses pincers to pick through garbage and identify what materials each bit contains. It could help reduce how much waste gets sent to landfill.
Connectivity
This is the first ever photo of a black hole
The scientists behind it spent a decade using a virtual telescope the size of Earth to create this historic image.
Rewriting Life
Chinese scientists have put human brain genes in monkeys—and yes, they may be smarter
A quest to understand how human intelligence evolved raises some ethical questions.
Intelligent Machines
This may be the Apple II of AI-driven robot arms
A new low-cost robot arm that can be controlled using a virtual-reality headset will make it easier to experiment with AI and robotics.
Connectivity
The UK’s online laws could be the future of the internet—and that’s got people worried
While they’re a welcome warning to big tech, some fear that if the implementation is botched they could easily lead to censorship.
Features
Intelligent Machines
Facebook’s ad-serving algorithm discriminates by gender and race
Even if an advertiser is well-intentioned, the algorithm still prefers certain groups of people over others.
View from the Marketplace
Anticipating cloud work’s most common side effects
The right technology choices can minimize complexity and help workers stay focused.
View from the Marketplace
Self-driving cars take the wheel
View from the Marketplace
The next ‘Deep Blue’ moment: Self-flying drone racing
Spoiler: Coders wanted! And a chance to win more than $2 million in cash prizes.
View from the Marketplace
From innovation to monetization: The economics of data-driven transformation
Used strategically, an organization’s data gains value over time. But to unlock its potential requires first establishing the right technical and cultural foundations.
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Connectivity
10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2019, curated by Bill Gates 17:18
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The new media’s role in politics
Forms of new media have introduced an unprecedented level of instability and distortion into the political communications system.
by Diana Owen, Professor of Political Science at Georgetown University
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Reality regained: An inquiry into the data age
The explosion of data and advances in computing power are radically transforming daily life.
by Jannis Kallinikos
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The crisis of social reproduction and the end of work
High-income societies are facing the rise of precarious employment.
by Helen Hester and Nick Snircek