1. The year of the NBA unicorn (NBA, Axios) 2. Automating humans with AI (AI, Axios) 3. Mammon. Far from representing rationality and logic, capitalism is modernity’s most beguiling and dangerous form of enchantment by Eugene McCarraher (society, aeon) 4. The city trying to make urban living good for your health (cities, BBC) 5. The World Can Make More Water From the Sea, but at What Cost? (technology, NYT)
1. Why I Called It ‘Quantum Supremacy’ (technology, Quanta Magazine) 2. The Cult of Rich-Kid Sports (society, The Atlantic) 3. The Saddest Leafy Green (food, The Atlantic) 4. Would You Survive a Merger with AI? by Susan Schneider (AI, Nautilus)
1. The Brewery Powered by a Wind Turbine (JSTOR) 2. The value of thoughts and prayers (economics, PNAS – open access) A standard response of both policy makers and private citizens to hardships—from natural disasters to mass shootings—is to offer “thoughts and prayers.” Critics argue that such gestures are meaningless and may obstruct structural reforms intended to mitigate catastrophes. In this study, we elicit the value of receiving thoughts and prayers from strangers following adversity. […]
1. Google researchers have reportedly achieved “quantum supremacy” (technology, MIT technology Review)details are sketchy, additional information also in: Google Claims ‘Quantum Supremacy,’ Marking a Major Milestone in Computing (Fortune)What Is Quantum Supremacy, and Why Is It Such a Computing Milestone? (Fortune) 2. Blockchain hysteria: Adding “blockchain” to company’s name (blockchain, Economics Letters)one can compare this to the dot-com boom: A Rose.com by Any Other Name (pdf here)
1. The Water Wars Are Here by Max Holleran (water, New Republic) 2. Google moves to prioritize original reporting in search (tech, NiemanLab) 3. An important quantum algorithm may actually be a property of nature (science, MIT Technology Review) 4. Why the U.S. government is struggling with open innovation (innovation)
1. Snow from the Far North can contain thousands of particles of microplastic (environment) 2. How a ‘NULL’ license plate landed one hacker in ticket hell (technology) 3. Surgical Robots are Surging in Popularity. So Will Their Data. (innovation) 4. One Size Doesn’t Have to Fit All (interventions) 5. This Danish Bank Is Offering ‘Negative’ Mortgage Rates—Here’s What That Means by Erik Sherman (finance)
Oragious 