Categories
journalism media

What if news organizations streamed unedited interviews online?

Megyn Kelly’s interview of Alex Jones illustrates that mainstream media have something to gain by releasing more raw, unedited material, so that concerned consumers can make their own decisions about it.

Categories
society

Much ado about toilets.

Solving the problem of gender neutral bathrooms really isn’t a difficult one. Considering the history around how gendered bathrooms became the law in the first place, it’s time to admit it was a mistake worth correcting.

Categories
government

So, about those other options for President…

Now that both major parties have solidified themselves as defenders of war and corporate interests, it may be time to seriously consider the alternatives.

Categories
software technology

Software assistants need to be designed to the way the world actually works.

Digital assistants need to be coded to work within the limitations of real world contexts.

Categories
justice

Pay crime labs for their work, not the outcome of their work.

Research has shown that some crime labs are paid by the number of convictions they contribute to, rather than the work that they do. This is a big problem.

Categories
technology

Creating a working brain-computer interface will be messy.

Crossing the finish line will be a messy process, but a working brain-computer interface would enable all sorts of interaction not possible today.

Categories
games software

Finally, software has beaten humans at Go.

More progress with AI: Google’s DeepMind team announces that its Go program has beaten the European champion (and all other Go software). I guess self-aware computers are going to have to invent their own games if they want a challenge.

Categories
music software

Creative software should observe patterns of nature.

A study provides a bit of evidence that human drummers may in fact make timing mistakes in a fractal pattern. Things like this should inform developer decisions when creating software engaged in creative pursuits (like virtual drummers).

Categories
business entertainment technology

Why will Apple make a car? Free time.

If Apple’s developing a car, it’s probably not about the car. It’s about your free time.

Categories
religion

American society is becoming more open.

American society continues to become more open, and less dogmatic, as the influence of previously powerful religious and other institutions is balanced by increased exposure to different things, and easier communication with others.