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Stories from Around the Web (Week Ending June 21, 2013)

A roundup of the most interesting stories from other sites, collected by the staff at MIT Technology Review.

How Junk Food Can End Obesity
An interesting take on how science is engineering healthy junk food—and a counterargument to the glorification of natural foods laden with fat and salt—in The Atlantic’s cover story by David H. Freedman.
—David Rotman, editor

English Is No Longer the Language of the Web
Ethan Zuckerman offers a rigorous analysis of linguistic diversity online.
—Brian Bergstein, deputy editor

The Problem with the Neuroscience Backlash
The New Yorker pushes back on the current backlash against brain science.
—Kyanna Sutton, senior Web producer

Online Reputation Management
This story from New York magazine offers a fascinating look at how people manipulate their online search results.
—Rachel Metz, Web and social media editor

Obama Readying Emissions Limits on Power Plants
The New York Times reports that President Obama is preparing regulations that would limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, calling it “the most consequential climate policy step he could take.”
—Mike Orcutt, research editor

Rise of the Machines: How Computers Took Over the Stock Market
An interesting short feature from The Register about high-speed trading.
—Tom Simonite, IT Editor

The Video-Game Propaganda Wars
How computer games are used to promote all sorts of ideologies.
—Will Knight, online editor

Tomy’s Self-Transforming RC Cars Could be the Greatest Toy Ever
Transformers!
—Brent Turner, chief digital officer

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How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets

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