Love in the Time of Robots
Hiroshi Ishiguro has spent his entire life in pursuit of creating a lifelike android. But what kind of life is he trying to instill in them? For Ishiguro, other people are just mirrors and conversation is just a set of stimuli. Can a genius inventor create a near-human if he doesn’t really understand his own kind?
How One Syrian Fought to the Death for a Free Internet
When Bassel Khartabil tried to create an open internet culture in Syria, the government executed him. Thousands of other Syrians have disappeared.
Snopes and the Search for Facts in a Post-Fact World
How the legendary internet fact-finding site snopes.com came to be, and how a messy divorce and ownership and control squabbles have threatened the site’s existence.
Our Minds Have Been Hijacked by Our Phones. Tristan Harris Wants to Rescue Them.
A former Google design ethicist insists that our minds have been hijacked in an arms race for our attention. He also insists that, with the help of a Hippocratic Oath for software designers, we can win.
Instagram’s Kevin Systrom Wants to Clean Up the Internet
The photo sharing service has built tools and algorithms to remove offensive comments for its 700 million users with the hope that it will reduce the amount of toxicity they experience online.
Meet Alex, the Russian Casino Hacker Who Makes Millions Targeting Slot Machines
A look into the mind of a mathematician-turned-hacker who milks slot machines in casinos around the world.
A Son’s Race to Give His Dying Father Artificial Immortality
After his father was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, James Vlahos began programming a chatbot that could emulate his father using stories from his life.
End Pain Forever
Steven Pete has a rare neurological condition that makes him unable to feel pain. Pam Costa has the opposite neurological condition — she feels pain constantly, as if her body is on fire. They both share a genetic link that has helped scientists understand why we experience pain and how to treat it.
Chasing the Phantom
The hunt to take down “Slavik,” a notorious Russian hacker who stole millions from U.S. banks and has ties to Russian intelligence.