Many essential utilities in Rio de Janeiro are being managed by a single ‘Ops Center,’ a huge hub of technologies provided by both IBM and Cisco. Is this paving the way for a future of smart cities or urban dystopias?
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Today as I meditate on Arum and Roksa’s much-discussed study, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” my thoughts turn to academic life at the institution where I teach. This week […]
Anyone who doubts that the Internet has the potential to bring people together should take a closer look at Neighborgoods, a service that helps users share goods with people living nearby.
Two recently published books caught my eye today at the World Bank bookstore here in Washington, DC and I’ve put both at the top of my list to read and […]
Looking to make a cut of the billions of dollars in annual revenue Internet companies make by selling personal data, Hewlett-Packard wants to patent its idea for an open data market.
The average human lives at 24 degrees north or south from the equator
Despite the bad name commercialization receives in academic circles, it is essential to carry laboratory discoveries, like graphene and stem cell therapy, into their next stages of innovation.
The UK’s highest court has ordered ISPs to block their customers from accessing the Swedish torrent-hosting site. One ISP responded by saying better legal alternatives to piracy are needed.
Warning: Don’t read this if your funny bone’s in traction, or if your tongue can’t be planted firmly in cheek… On a talk show I heard an ex-agent describe the […]
Next time your partner asks you “Do I make you happy?” you might think carefully before responding. New research published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization this month […]
Mistakes made 30 years ago have made much of the early digital age inaccessible to historians. Today, regulators are struggling to find ways to maintain a faithful historical record.
Students at a small, liberal-arts college complained to Mitt Romney about borrowing money to pursue a college major that doesn’t lead to a job. He replied, sensibly, that some majors have […]
That we still need to be making arguments for why gays should not be executed, denied marriages, or treated as lesser humans, would have, in the past, worried me. However, […]
They are looking for Etan Patz again. He was 6 years old when he went missing in New York City in 1979, a disappearance that, along with those of […]
Facebook will soon encourage its American and British users to declare their organ donor status as part of their personal profile. Organ donation advocates are praising the move.
Today is a nationwide General Strike. Take a day off from your normal life and find an event in your city. See you in the streets and have a great […]
Andrew Chen has the valley all atwitter with his most recent post: Growth Hacker is the new VP Marketing. The post is well worth reading, and Andrew adds a fantastic […]
At the Washington Post’s The Fix, Chris Cillizza has this to say about Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein’s must read op-ed from the Sunday Post: The truth of the matter though […]
“Plan Now. Relax Soon.” The Concierge of a fancy resort has sent me this “Quick! Relax, Goddamnit!” email. My husband and I are looking forward to attending a wedding […]
Jonathan Gottschall says stories are good for us. I’ll soon apply myself full-time to story-writing, so you might suppose I’d find this an encouraging thought, but I don’t. It’s an annoying thought. […]
What trait will serve you the most as a school leader? There is no shortage of lists extolling the most important knowledge, skills, and abilities that school leaders should hold. […]
At the Chronicle of Higher Educationthis week, the Open University’s Martin Weller has a very strong essay on why blogging for many should be a central part of a scholar’s […]
Busuu.com is an online network for learning languages. The site offers lessons in a number of languages and the ability to video chat and interact with native speakers – who […]
Happstr is a mobile app that allows you to mark geographical locations where you’re feeling happy, and to see others’ “happiness spots” on the map. Happstr challenges users to focus […]
Sonar is a mobile app that lets you know when friends and the friends of your friends are in your vicinity. The app uses information from networks such as Facebook, […]
Developed by NeuroVigil, the iBrain is the first portable brain scanner. Unlike other brain scanners, the iBrain simplifies the number of EEG channels to just one, creating a map of […]
Path is a “smart journal” app for the iPhone and Android. This app is a private social network to share pictures and moments with an intimate circle of friends and […]
While in American and the UK, having a picturesque family life is considered practically essential for holding the highest office, it confers no political gain on French politicians.
–Guest post by Kathrina Maramba, American University graduate student. Most of us know what we fear about nuclear energy. We fear its perceived unpredictability, its potential utility in weapons creation, and […]
At what point do the competitive business practices of higher education cut against the public good it is intended to serve? The nation’s system of student loans needs reform.