Pinboard

Systems are complex, but almost everything we think of as automatic has a human in the loop. It is not inevitable that computers rule the world; we choose how they integrate with our culture. Love this quote: "elevate information to the level of celestial infinity". Also this one: "The world has a lot of stuff in it, all bumping and grinding against one another." And this: "The first error turns computers into gods, the second treats their outputs as scripture."

This makes me so angry. It's absolutely insane. A 10 year old can easily manage walking a known route with a 6 year old.

Oof. That's a lot of death that could probably be avoided.

A good, if somewhat mean, repudiation of the kind of nonsense people receive on Twitter after expressing an opinion to a large audience.

Interesting thoughts on the culture of the time that created the film.

I imagine the Duggars are mentioned for the clicks (hey, it worked), but it makes a good point about reproductive biology and contraception.

What a cesspool.

Proposals like Cameron's just end up hurting regular users, and don't actually stop the "bad guys".

This is insane. And to be honest, if this couple weren't white, this easily could have gone way worse.

This sounds pretty good.

Some good points about metrics that claim to measure the size of websites or services.

I knew there were delays, but is didn't realize it was this bad.

Good take on how shy nerdy guys have an internal problem, while threatened women have an external problem we can actually attempt to fix. (I was shy and nerdy, in my own way, but not bitter.)

Beautiful update. Impressive that we've kept the telescope going all this time.

I'm not sure I buy all of his arguments about automation, but it's hard not to see the economic realities of "de-skilling".

I mostly agree with these. I'd add "Elementary, Dear Data" to set up "Ship in a Bottle", and lose "A Matter of Honor" (though it kinda sets up "Sins of the Father"). I'd skip Allegiance, but I forgot how good The Defector is. "Skin of Evil" just doesn't feel necessary, and I've never liked "The Neutral Zone". I love "The Gambit" and would add that - probably also "Emergence" as a goofy holodeck episode. I might add almost every Barclay episode except "Genesis".

Summary of the demise of the historic Penn Station, at public cost and private gain.

Great brief lecture on the effort to draw a line between games and non-games.

Cute short about a robot who plays evil robots in movies.

Beautiful visual demo reel of colonizing the solar system, set to a quote from the original Cosmos.

A computer that we do not maintain full control over is a vulnerable computer.

Great response on how being a bullied nerd doesn't give you a pass with regards to male privilege; female nerds had it worse, and both are caused by the patriarchy.

Crazy stuff from old GBA games.

The double standard applies even to cop killers.

I'm usually suspect of anything going farther back than PIE, but this core vocabulary idea is tempting.

I don't get what Obama is afraid of. If intelligence agents would be mad about being held accountable, they shouldn't be serving the country.

Old article, but not surprising. Fiction begets reality more than we'd care to admit, especially with policy questions.

Private profit, public risk.

If your career is mature, you can afford to open your research.

Talking about "police reform" obscures the task. Today's policies are, at the very least, the product of democratic will.