The Nightmare Machine
Researchers are teaching artificial intelligence how to terrify humans.
How a Bunch of Hacked DVR Machines Took Down Twitter and Reddit
… and Spotify, and Github, and The New York Times
How Much Will Today’s Internet Outage Cost?
Some companies lose tens of thousands of dollars for every minute of a DDoS attack.
When the Entire Internet Seems to Break at Once
The easiest way to take down the web is to attack people’s access to it.
What’s Missing From Mark Zuckerberg’s Memo on Peter Thiel
The Facebook CEO focuses on Thiel’s support of Donald Trump, when he should be addressing Thiel’s crusade against the press.
Incessant Consumer Surveillance Is Leaking Into Physical Stores
Retail is on its way to a future of personalized everything—even prices.
Half of American Adults Are in Police Facial-Recognition Databases
Cities and states are investing in biometric scanning technology, with few laws in place to restrict what they can do with it.
A Computer’s Hot Take on the 2016 Election
An artificial intelligence found Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton seemed to get “happier” coverage than Donald Trump. But is that evidence of media bias? Not necessarily.
ISIS Has a Drone Strategy Too
The Pentagon is rushing to develop new technology to fight the group’s unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq.
When Epidemics Go Viral
Governments grapple with social media’s role in spreading information and shaping public opinion during a health crisis.
Why the U.S. Military Still Flies Cold-War Era Planes
The U-2 shows how old technologies die hard.
How to Foil a Tech-Support Scam
Fraudsters are getting cleverer and more aggressive—but the government is cracking down.
The Low-Tech Way to Colonize Mars
NASA researchers are modeling Martian settlements after early American colonists.
When Glaciers Transform Into Deadly 150-mph Avalanches
After happening only once in the 100-year record, catastrophic glacial collapse occurred twice in Tibet this summer.
Tracking the World's Emotions, in Real Time
A new app is collecting data to create a snapshot of global mental health.
Could Self-Driving Cars Speed Hurricane Evacuations?
The case for a fully autonomous escape plan
That Time the Statue of Liberty Almost Got a Glowing Wrist Watch
The copper goddess is an artistic masterpiece—but also a longstanding symbol of technological progress.
There's No Erasing the Chalkboard
Blackboards will endure as symbols of learning long after they’ve disappeared from schools. An Object Lesson.
Tech Billionaires Want to Destroy the Universe
Seriously.
Is Silicon Valley a Meritocracy?
Obviously not. But maaaybe? (Still no.)