Science & Technology

"The nineteenth century believed in science but the twentieth century does not." — Gertrude Stein

Human Organs: On Ernst Kapp’s “Elements of a Philosophy of Technology”
A review of Ernst Kapp's 1877 work, which represents "an important forerunner in theories of media and culture."
William StewartMay 2, 2019
Office Park: A Review of Amazon’s Spheres
"A kind of emptiness makes the green spaces of The Spheres feel more like a branding move on Amazon’s part than a facility to be used by actual workers."
Sheila LimingApr 26, 2019
X and the Leviathan: Can We Imagine an Alternative Politics of Climate Change?
"To come to grips with climate change, we must first come to grips with capitalism." On Geoff Mann and Joel Wainwright's "Climate Leviathan."
Shannon OsakaApr 21, 2019
- Politics
- Science & Technology
A Raucous Festival: On Matt Richtel’s “An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives”
Dan Friedman appreciates “An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives” by Matt Richtel.
Dan FriedmanMar 12, 2019
- Nonfiction
- Science & Technology
The Last of the Unicorns: Facebook and the Fight for a Better Future
Siva Vaidhyanathan's "Antisocial Media" paints a bleak picture of Facebook's impact, but are its policy prescriptions enough?
Robert GorwaMar 4, 2019
Bigger Than the USSR: A Conversation with Nick Srnicek, Author of “Platform Capitalism”
Tobias Haberkorn asks Nick Srnicek about his recent book, “Platform Capitalism,” monopolies, and planned economies.
Tobias HaberkornMar 2, 2019
Urban Wildlife, Indoors and Out
Two new books about urban wildlife share a message: open your goddamn eyes. The world is miraculous, the authors say, and they urge us to pay attention.
Mark EssigFeb 25, 2019
- Science & Technology
Speculating on the Blockchain Beyond Cryptocurrencies
Blockchain developers often invoke sci-fi to describe the technology, but science fiction has been slow to explore blockchain with a few exceptions.
Andrew HagemanFeb 20, 2019
- SF
- Science & Technology
India Calling
Gary Singh picks up Ravi Agrawal's "India Connected: How the Smartphone is Transforming the World's Largest Democracy."
Gary SinghFeb 12, 2019
Bird’s Eye View: Jonathan Franzen Looks Down on Climate Activism
Jonathan Franzen looks down on climate activism.
Edward CarverFeb 8, 2019
Classroom Management: Simon Sinek, ClassDojo, and the Nostalgia Industry
How social media in the classroom trains students to be corporate over-achievers.
Grafton TannerJan 28, 2019
- Education
- Science & Technology
Trust-Busting as the Unsexy Answer to Google and Facebook
Gabriel Nicholas examines the new tech landscape of American monopolies.
Gabriel NicholasJan 28, 2019