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Essays

Ensemble

When two instruments in an orchestra play simultaneous pure tones at sufficient intensity, a third tone nobody is playing emerges.

Essays

Boomerang

Empires have a way of seeding their own destruction.

  • Sinica Podcast: Samm Sacks and Paul Triolo on WAIC 2026, Xi’s AI Speech, and Kimi K3

    Listen: https://ift.tt/FOkxjoP This week on Sinica, a rare treat: an in-person recording from Beijing with two dear friends who happen to be two of the very best in the business on technology and China — Samm Sacks and Paul Triolo,… more ›

  • Batteries have unlocked the era of anytime solar | Ember

    Solar hit a record 10% of global electricity in the first half 2026, a quarter at midday and near zero at night. Now, battery storage is unlocking the next stage of solar growth in the non-sunny hours. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/batteries-have-unlocked-the-era-of-anytime-solar/ more ›

  • Zendaya – A Versatile Phenomenon

    A bold cultural phenomenon. Actor and producer Zendaya is an influential figure in contemporary entertainment who transcends standards with remarkable force and versatility. We are proud to stand by her side and look forward to witnessing her continue to break… more ›

  • Plain English with Derek Thompson: It May Be Time to Freak Out About AI

    Listen: https://ift.tt/uFZ6es4 Today, Derek talks with cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos about a recent wave of alarming AI cyberattacks. For decades, one of the biggest fears about AI has been that the machines will start doing things we didn’t ask them… more ›

  • “Deep Unlearning”: Timnit Gebru on AI Hype, Ethics & Algorithmic Racial Bias

    Support our work: https://ift.tt/P2SpEzg We speak with Timnit Gebru, a leader in the field of AI ethics, about how artificial intelligence is entrenching societal biases and inequality. Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research… more ›

  • What Was the Internet? – Boston Review

    As AI overtakes the web, five writers reflect on how far it’s fallen and what comes next. https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/what-was-the-internet/#wellmon more ›

  • The ‘Bukele Effect’ on Latin America’s Security

    Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, leaders are attempting to follow the Bukele playbook. Is it working? https://insightcrime.org/news/the-bukele-effect-on-latin-americas-security/?utm_source=semafor more ›

  • Workers Are Teaching AI-Powered Robots to Take Over Their Jobs

    Robotics companies are competing to collect videos of humans stitching shoes and welding steel to give their machines new skills. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-12/thousands-of-india-workers-are-helping-ai-firms-train-robots-to-replace-them?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4NjU5MTAzMywiZXhwIjoxNzg3MTk1ODMzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSk9EMEhOM04wOTIwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNTc5RDIwMDZBQjQ0RjRDODkwMTU0M0U0ODMxNkJCNiJ9.8jIbwh52D-I5HP12Uf8C3s9FI-QEyGy6Qq7IDsvdrOY&leadSource=article-gifting more ›

  • Deep Unlearning

    Timnit Gebru, one of the fiercest voices in the world speaking truth to power, chronicles her journey as a refugee and Black woman in STEM—delivering an inspiring vision for better, human-centered, equitable technology.Timnit Gebru has been present at nearly every… more ›

  • The Most Interesting Thing in AI: Writing in the Age of AI – Gemini Notebook’s Steven Johnson with Nicholas Thompson

    Listen: https://ift.tt/UYqXtRr Steven Johnson spent decades figuring out the best ways to turn his research into words on the page. Now, he’s adapting those methods for Gemini Notebook, Google’s AI-powered interactive bibliography. (Until recently, it was called NotebookLM.) But in… more ›