# oddities    

in search of the frozen menace at the bottom of the world

Conspiracy theories are still looking for frozen Nazis in a fabled underground base.
in search of the frozen menace at the bottom of the world

# astrobiology    

do alien space sailors unfurl their solar sails to surf interstellar laser beams?

A new proposal posits that some of the fast radio bursts we've been routinely detecting may be coming from aliens, though not on purpose...
do alien space sailors unfurl their solar sails to surf interstellar laser beams?

# oddities    

to hack, or not to hack, or when you have the means but not the motive

WikiLeaks and pro-Kremlin trolls are charging the CIA with hacking the DNC to rig the election for Trump so they can... keep Trump from winning?
to hack, or not to hack, or when you have the means but not the motive

# science    

when asked about sciences, people turn to stereotypes, movies, and wild guesses

Another study shows that Americans still don't seem to understand how science works.
when asked about sciences, people turn to stereotypes, movies, and wild guesses

# space    

to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth

Knowing how life started right here at home can tell us how likely it is to sprout on another world.
to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth

# tech    

quantum of bigot: fighting trolls with a.i.

If you're going to fight trolls, racists, and bigots with AI, you're going to need a much more comprehensive approach than a few neural networks...
quantum of bigot: fighting trolls with a.i.

# astrobiology    

the amazing, rocky, nearby, (potentially) habitable solar system

The TRAPPIST-1 solar system is the most unique one we've seen so far and could offer amazing possibilities for life.
the amazing, rocky, nearby, (potentially) habitable solar system

# longform    

how we're fighting over the future one election at a time

A deep dive into the yawning chasm that is the urban/rural divide.
how we're fighting over the future one election at a time

# oddities    

great battles of crank magnetism: flat earth vs. pizzagate

Pizzagaters and Flat Earthers were bound to share adherents by the rules of crank magnetism. That doesn't mean they're happy about it.
great battles of crank magnetism: flat earth vs. pizzagate

# science    

politicizing science the right way

Scientists search for truth, not "balance" to appease partisans who already hate them anyway. If they get involved in politics, they shouldn't change their attitudes.
politicizing science the right way

# tech    

the scary, science-muzzling link between spam, online drug sales, and big pharma

Big Pharma really doesn't want you to know if drugs from online pharmacies might be real for an extremely unethical and blatantly obvious reason.
the scary, science-muzzling link between spam, online drug sales, and big pharma

# science    

why putting science above politics today is a suicide pact

If scientists don't get aggressively involved in policy and soon, there might not be much science left for them to do...
why putting science above politics today is a suicide pact

# politics    

why you never send an amateur to do an expert's job, especially in government

Trump & Co. are showing us what happens when amateurs with huge chips on their shoulder take on jobs that require nuance and expertise.
why you never send an amateur to do an expert's job, especially in government

# tech    

how trump is making america's internet and digital economy a lot less great

The Trump administration and FCC are already set to do serious damage to America's e-commerce and internet connectivity out of nothing more than myopic greed.
how trump is making america's internet and digital economy a lot less great

# tech    

web development today is giving me a heckin' concern, a big heckin' concern…

With web development becoming more and more commoditized, automation is just around the corner and junior level careers will be on the chopping block.
web development today is giving me a heckin' concern, a big heckin' concern…

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