#computer science


# space    

the awfully lazy wonders of the nerd rapture

A new Singularitarians' approach to space exploration: why bother going to space when we could simulate anything we want after the Singularity?
the awfully lazy wonders of the nerd rapture

# science    

is this the real life, is this just a complex cosmological simulation?

A new experiment is attempting to find out whether we may be living in some sort of simulation.
is this the real life, is this just a complex cosmological simulation?

# tech    

complicated software and you, defense edition

Military bureaucrats and the public is learning how messy and complicated huge programming projects can be thanks to the F-35.
complicated software and you, defense edition

# tech    

is the future of computing digital or analog?

We've reached a phase in computer development when everything old is new again. And this approach can work. Up to a point.
is the future of computing digital or analog?

# tech    

why we're just not ready for a hivemind

We evolved to be social animals that live in close-knit communities. But sharing minds via brain implants with our fellow humans may be far too much for us right now.
why we're just not ready for a hivemind

# tech    

how to battle the tech messiah complex

Xanadu was the ultimate nightmare project for any programmer. And we're lucky it was never completed, much less lived up to its lofty goals.
how to battle the tech messiah complex

# tech    

when politicians and technology don't mix

First, Congress was telling engineers how to build their rockets. Now it's telling programmers how to write their software.
when politicians and technology don't mix

# tech    

when you have a single point of failure…

If you're going to network thousands of important devices together, make sure your network is actually secure.
when you have a single point of failure…

# tech    

he is the man who arranges the economy?

Command economies haven't worked with people. Now, some groups want to try it with machines.
he is the man who arranges the economy?

# tech    

to code or not to code? that is the question…

The flip side of technophobia and lamentations about the dehumanizing effect of gadgets? Trying to force everyone to code and insisting it's a vital skill, like literacy.
to code or not to code? that is the question…

# tech    

why you just can't black box an a.i.

AI enthusiasts love to write about machines as black boxes with inputs and outputs because they don't know how they would actually be built.
why you just can't black box an a.i.

# tech    

can crowdsourcing create the jobs of tomorrow?

The jobs tech execs are thinking would be gained through monetized crowdsourcing don't seem like the kind of sustainable jobs we'll need in the future.
can crowdsourcing create the jobs of tomorrow?

# tech    

measuring our brains with the wrong ruler

North Korea's computer-based insult towards South Korea's head of state was supposed to be meaningless but offensive nonsense. Too bad pop sci writers took the bait and tried to explain it anyway.
measuring our brains with the wrong ruler

# astrobiology    

what a crab computer can tell us about seti

A study using soldier crabs to emulate computers is actually a perfect illustration of how different alien computing could be.
what a crab computer can tell us about seti

# tech    

inside the mind of a very angry crank

Pseudoscience and fact-free manifestos, now with anger management issues...
inside the mind of a very angry crank

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