Gratitude for Invisible Systems
One way to improve democracy is for more people to appreciate its complex technological underpinnings.
How Soon Until the Next Ransomware Catastrophe?
WannaCry is the first global crisis to come from NSA exploits. It will not be the last.
Democracy Has a Design Problem
“What exactly do you do when you go to the polling place?”
Freeing Technology From the Pace of Bureaucracy
Machines and software can improve how well our democracy works for its citizens—but only with human-guided efforts.
Cyberwar Is Officially Crossing Over Into the Real World
Online warfare already affects wreaks havoc on the physical world, and it's only going to get worse.
The Weird Thing About Today's Internet
The world’s biggest tech companies might be bigger than you think.
Protecting the Public Commons
At a moment when institutional distrust is surging, there’s an urgent need to support civics education.
A Conversation With Liz Spayd, the Controversial Public Editor of The New York Times
“My job is not to win any popularity contests.”
The End of Forgetting
Technology delivers nostalgia on demand.
Skydiving From the Edge of Space
How Alan Eustace, a Google engineer on the edge of retirement, broke the world record for high-altitude jumping
Two Big Blows to Uber's Self-Driving Technology
Its rivals Lyft and Waymo announced a partnership, and a federal judge barred a key engineer from working on Uber’s project.
All the Other Julie Becks and Me
What a quest for my namesakes taught me about the meaning of names in the internet age
The Thinning Line Between Commercial and Government Surveillance
Privacy doesn’t just benefit individuals. It’s crucial for a functioning democracy.
A Stolen NSA Tool Is Being Used in a Global Cyberattack
The magnitude of the event shows the danger of insider threats to the U.S. intelligence community.
Does Technology Aid Political Action or Distract From It?
The Fidget Spinner Explains the World
The latest cultural trend is a perfect fossil of human life in the immediate present.
Global Ransomware Attack Stuns Systems in Up to 74 Countries
Businesses and hospitals were disrupted in a massive wave of cyberattacks Friday. Such attacks have increased by more than 500 percent in recent years.
Broken Technology Hurts Democracy
… and fixing both begins in American schools.
Is Donald Trump a Secret Redditor?
Probably not, but his staffers might be.
Trump Wants ‘Goddamned Steam,’ Not Digital Catapults on Aircraft Carriers
“You have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out.”