Ada Palmer and the Weird Hand of Progress
Gregory Barber Backchannel Feb 10, 2022 6:00 AM The sci-fi author writes about the 25th century and teaches college students about the 15th. The past we think…
Gregory Barber Backchannel Feb 10, 2022 6:00 AM The sci-fi author writes about the 25th century and teaches college students about the 15th. The past we think…
For the past two weeks, observers of North Korea's strange and tightly restricted corner of the internet began to notice that the country seemed to be dealing…
Years ago, I asked a friend what kind of case she planned to buy for her shiny new flip phone. She paused, a little offended. “I don't like to buy stuff for my…
Student planned a protest against Feng Zhang's appearance at UC Berkeley, the home of competing Crispr inventor Jennifer Doudna, and then canceled it.
Jeffrey Fang was a ride-hailing legend, a top earner with relentless hustle. Then his minivan was carjacked—with his kids in the back seat. Jeffrey Fang,…
All pandemic long, scientists brawled over how the virus spreads. Droplets! No, aerosols! At the heart of the fight was a teensy error with huge consequences.
First of all, you have to stop thinking and kind of become a robot.
First, put on your fanciest clothes. And at 1:15 am, consider heading down to Deck D.
Disinformation could thwart distribution before government messages have a chance to push back. Debunking might turn out to be everyone’s job.
Earlier this year, the startup claimed to have a revolutionary solid-state lithium-ion cell that could change EVs forever. Now it has data to prove it.
The top app on both Google and Apple's app stores this week promises conservatives a safe space—but gives priority treatment to its most high-profile users.
We're on the cusp of being able to program biological systems like we program computers. That raises some thorny questions.
The man on the trail went by “Mostly Harmless." He was friendly and said he worked in tech. After he died in his tent, no one could figure out who he was.
A simple molecule floating in Venus's atmosphere is now humans' best bet for finding companionship in the galaxy.
Instead of optimizing work, technology has created a nonstop barrage of notifications and interactions. Six months into a pandemic, it's worse than ever.
The band hasn't been cool for years. But its Minutes to Midnight logo is everywhere in the most populous country in the world.
Health experts want a 9/11 Commission-style report on the US pandemic response. They say we must forecast and prepare for outbreaks as we do for wars or weather.
Companies like Facebook and Twitter expect many employees to work far from headquarters after the pandemic. That calls for a change in corporate cultures.
Farewell to Beyond the Beyond by Bruce Sterling So, the blog is formally ending this month, May MMXX. My weblog is a collateral victim of Covid19, which has…
The days blend together, the months lurch ahead, and we have no idea what time it is. The virus has created its own clock.
Epidemiologists aren't surprised that virus was spreading in the US in early February. But those early days offer lessons for how to catch the next wave.
A social network populated entirely by adoring bots aims to mimic the experience of being a celebrity online—trolls not included.
What was once a socialist dream has become every knowledge worker’s nightmare. It's time to unmake the modern myth of productivity.
What was once a socialist dream has become every knowledge worker’s nightmare. It's time to unmake the modern myth of productivity.
What was once a socialist dream has become every knowledge worker’s nightmare. It's time to unmake the modern myth of productivity.
The Pixel 4 smartphone is being built to house a chip called Soli that could eventually power gesture-based user interfaces in everything from VR headsets to cars.
U.S. route 395 is a geologic master class disguised as a road. It runs north from the arid outskirts of Los Angeles , carrying travelers up to Reno along the…