Intelligent Machines
Recommended from Around the Web (Week ending December 5, 2015)
A roundup of the most interesting stories from other sites, collected by the staff at MIT Technology Review.
Graying Japan Tries to Embrace the Golden Years
Rapidly aging Japan has become the testing ground for technology experiments aimed at making our 70s, 80s, and 90s easier and more productive.
—Nanette Byrnes, Senior Editor, Business Reports
What Is Disruptive Innovation?
“Disruptive innovation” guru Clayton Christensen tries to clear up misconceptions about his theory.
—Brian Bergstein, Executive Editor
The High-Stakes Race to Rid the World of Human Drivers
As the article itself says: “If self-driving vehicles deliver on their promises, they will save millions of lives over the course of a few decades, destroy and create entire industries, and fundamentally change the human relationship with space and time.”
—Timothy Maher, Managing Editor
The CEO Paying Everyone $70,000 Salaries Has Something to Hide
The complex story behind a CEO’s lauded decision to raise his staff’s wages.
—Will Knight, Senior Editor, AI
The Roughneck Diaries
What life was like working in Canada’s booming gas and oil fields.
—Will Knight
On the Reception and Detection of Pseudo-Profound Bullshit
A scholarly paper attempts to explain why some people confuse “woo-woo nonsense” with science.
—Linda Lowenthal, Copy Chief
Hacked Toymaker VTech Admits Breach Actually Hit 6.3 Million Children
Vice’s discovery that a Hong Kong maker of a popular cheap tablet for kids had been hacked suggests that toys connected to the Internet could have considerable downsides.
—Tom Simonite, San Francisco Bureau Chief
Why Mark Zuckerberg Wants to Spend on Personalized Learning
In the letter this week announcing that he would give away most of his fortune, “personalized learning” was the first thing the Facebook CEO said he would spend it on. Evidence supposedly showing that the technology can help educational outcomes is disputed, though.
—Tom Simonite
Researchers: Exxon, Koch Family Have Powered the Climate-Denial Machine for Decades
A look at why climate denialism persists.
—J. Juniper Friedman, Associate Web Producer
‘Clean Coal’ Technology Fails to Capture World’s Attention
The AP takes a much-needed look at the failure of carbon capture technology to gain any kind of momentum worldwide.
—Mike Orcutt, Associate Editor
‘Steve Jobs’ Flops at Box Office, and Silicon Valley Cheers
A thought-provoking analysis of the reactions of some in the tech media to the new Steve Jobs biopic.
—Mike Orcutt
