We shouldn’t fear AI. We should be fighting what’s already built. — Leading industrialists have issued dire warnings about the emergence of machine intelligences equal to or greater than humans. The development of superhuman AI, they say, is inevitable, a claim that is given credence by the accelerating pace of advancement in the field. …

Climate change is frightening and depressing — but that shouldn’t stop us from finding joy in the struggle for a better future — Yesterday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its latest report on the state and future of Earth’s climate and biosphere. As expected, it was more dire than the last report, which was more dire than the one before, and so on. And so it will go until, well…

So I took a journey into the fringes of fungal fascination — here’s what I learned — What comes to mind when you hear or see the word ‘mushrooms’? Maybe it’s the red–and–white–speckled Amanita muscaria of Super Mario fame (seemingly the kingdom’s designated ambassador). Or maybe it’s the mental image of people with long hair, wearing tie-dye, open–toed sandals and a goofy grin. …

An online workshop by WITNESS examines best practices for capturing and leveraging video against abuse of power — For centuries, Indigenous communities have faced disenfranchisement and abuse from the state. Technology now allows for instances of discrimination and abuse of power to be documented, shared, and leveraged by anyone with access to a smartphone. WITNESS is a human rights nonprofit that assists activists in using video for advocacy…

Futurist and VR innovator Mark Pesce warns that we are being lured into a gilded cage of surveillance and influence — Augmented Reality — overlaying convincing, interactive digital content upon one’s physical surroundings — is becoming commonplace. …

An interview with Ivan Sigal — Karachi is a city with a bad reputation, with thousands of deaths reported each year. When compared with Chicago, which reports annual murders in the hundreds, it’s easy to see why Karachi is counted as the most violent city in Pakistan. …

And they aren’t shy about admitting it — Netflix sits in a league with the titans of today’s technology landscape. Like Google, Facebook, Amazon and the rest, its business model relies on endlessly analyzing users’ behaviors and preferences. The depth and sophistication of these operations is growing by the hour. It’s old news that our consumption habits are…

Education companies now offer tablets to prisoners. But the jury’s out on whether they’re here to help or profit.

Photographing New York City’s drag queens at the intersection of their identities. — The premise of Half Drag is simple. Photographer Leland Bobbé’s striking, gender-bending photo series captures New York City drag queens with half of their faces done up in full regalia, the other half au naturel. …