'Our minds can be hijacked': the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia
The Google, Apple and Facebook workers who helped make technology so addictive are disconnecting themselves from the internet. Paul Lewis reports on the Silicon Valley refuseniks who worry the race…
«“the new, digitally supercharged dynamics of the attention economy have finally crossed a threshold and become manifest in the political realm”»
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Can computers ever replace the classroom?
Machine learning holds promise for democratizing education. It can bring personalized, interactive learning into reach for anyone with a tablet and an internet connection. This interesting yet unsettling article for The Guardian examines the dark side of AI-assisted learning. Alex Beard – a former teacher and author of Natural Born Learners – describes how, while students are learning through virtual teachers, the providers are learning just as much about them.
Why time management is ruining our lives
The Long Read: All of our efforts to be more productive backfire – and only make us feel even busier and more stressed
Crash: how computers are setting us up for disaster
The Long Read: We increasingly let computers fly planes and carry out security checks. Driverless cars are next. But is our reliance on automation setting us up for disaster?
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What Is Code?
If you’re not a professional programmer but you’ve ever used a computer, this article is for you – seriously. You will learn what code is, what software is, how apps get written, and what different programming languages do and why they matter. Plus you’ll get details about other technical issues. Along the way, Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Paul Ford explains the culture and some of the psychology of programming. This delightfully animated article is essential for anyone not in the programming field who uses computers. getAbstract recommends it to everyone interested in learning more about programming, its culture and its principles.
The economy and the paradox of technology
Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has greatly enhanced humanity’s capacity to shape the world through manufacturing and finance. However, these technological developments also have the…
«Francis Bacon had described the scientific method’s application to the natural world in his Novum Organum Scientiarum (1620) as restoring humans’ ‘rights over nature’ as they use all their ‘efforts to make the course of art outstrip nature’.»
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