By Ramez Naam Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Gates have recently expressed concern that development of AI could lead to a ‘killer AI’ scenario, and potentially to the extinction of humanity. None of them are AI researchers or have worked substantially with AI that I know of. (Disclosure: I know Gates slightly from my…
A British research project found that women are buying sexual services more now than ever. Researchers believe that it has to do with the fact that busy women no longer have the time for intimate relationships. The initial findings come from Lancaster and Manchester Metropolitan University, and were conducted on a group of 21 male…
The mother of a four-year-old son, Heather Hironomus, tearfully signed an order allowing for the circumcision of her boy, so that she could be released from prison. The event has stirred a national debate about the necessity of circumcision, and the question of whether all children should be allowed the right to bodily integrity. Hironomus…
By Connor D. Wolf In the fevered debate over international trade, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade promotion authority have been used almost interchangeably. But in the end, they are not at all the same thing. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (And You): Simply put, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a major international trade deal between 12 countries that began negotiations…
The U.S. Navy is prepping an elite dive team to begin the process of raising an enemy warship from a Georgia river. The CSS Georgia, which was scuttled by its own crew to avoid capture by General William Sherman in 1864, will be pulled from the Savannah River. The heavily armored Georgia is considered an…
By Blake Neff A new decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals holds that New York’s state government has the right to ban “Choose Life” license plates on the grounds that such a statement is “patently offensive.” The dispute stems from a now-suspended program offered by New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) which…
By Rachel Stoltzfoos The Senate blocked reauthorization of the Patriot Act early Saturday, and left for Memorial Day recess without a clear plan to reauthorize the bill before it expires May 31. Senators rejected both a two-month extension of the bill the National Security Agency uses to justify its bulk collection of phone data, and a reform…
By Ivan Plis A recent report on The Guardian’s “Tehran Bureau” blog suggests that young Iranians are starting to bypass Internet controls and find love on the popular dating app Tinder. The article, written by an anonymous British-Iranian, chronicles his attempts to meet women using Tinder during a two-week visit to Tehran. In that timespan, he finds…
By Blake Neff Published: May 21, 2015 The federal judge who in January ordered Alabama to begin issuing same-sex marriage licences has issued a second ruling mandating the legalization of these unions. However, she placed the ruling on hold, pending an upcoming Supreme Court decision. While the hold means the current status quo in Alabama won’t immediately change,…
By Michael Bastasch Gov. Jerry Brown is cracking down on how much water Californian’s use in their daily lives, and that means parched lawns are turning brown as the state heads into its fourth year of drought. In steps some savvy entrepreneurs who have a solution to water restrictions: spray paint your lawn green, don’t…